Castle Dome City Ghost Town (2018-11-08) by Carol M. HighsmithArizona Preservation Foundation
Ghost towns are a classic part of Arizona history. A number of abandoned towns can be found along the Arizona portion of Route 66, largely due to the significant drop-off of tourists after the construction of I-40. Learn more about some of the most notable sites here.
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1. Canyon Diablo Bridge
Canyon Diablo Bridge is one of the first automobile bridges in Arizona, but aside from that accomplishment, the neighboring town of Two Guns hasn’t seen many happy times. The area is rumored to be cursed.
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Native beginnings
The sad history of Two Guns begins with the brutal massacre of Apaches by the Navajo in 1878.
Some Apaches hid in a cave at Two Guns to avoid detection, but were discovered by the Navajos, who lit sagebrush fires at the cave's exit and shot any Apaches trying to escape.
Forty-two Apaches were asphyxiated by the fire, and were stripped of their valuables by the Navajo after their death.
Canyon Diablo Bridge (2008-09-11) by Marcin WicharyArizona Preservation Foundation
The town then saw wild lawlessness in the Wild West era, including a massive train robbery.
In 1889, four men robbed a train then fled on horseback with $100,000 in currency, 2,500 new silver dollars, and $40,000 in gold coins, as well as silver watches, jewelry, and diamonds.
The bandits were later captured, but only had $100 in cash. Years later, one of the men confessed that the rest of the stolen goods was buried somewhere along the canyon by Two Guns. The area remains popular with treasure hunters.
Canyon Diablo Bridge (2015) by Travis DewitzArizona Preservation Foundation
Failed settlements
During the Route 66 era, the town changed hands and burnt down several times, most recently in 1971.
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The ruins have been abandoned ever since.
The Schoolhouse at Truxton Canyon Training School (2022) by Chris EnglishArizona Preservation Foundation
2. Truxton Canyon Indian School
In recent years, American Indian residential schools have been increasingly making international news. Many of these schools no longer stand today, but one that does remain is the Truxton Canyon Indian School, located along Arizona’s portion of Route 66.
The Truxton Canyon Indian School was completed in 1903, before Arizona received official statehood. (That wouldn’t come until nearly a decade later, in 1912.)
Truxton Canyon Indian School (2017-05-11) by Kevin StewartArizona Preservation Foundation
Forced assimilation
The boarding school was intended to assimilate Native children into ‘American’ culture. The architecture of the school speaks to this fact; the buildings were designed in the Colonial Revival style as a way to prioritize colonial ideals over the existing culture of local tribes.
Due to its location, the school primarily targeted children of the Hualapai tribe, but there were also children from the Apache, Havasupai, Hopi, Navajo, Tohono O'odham, Pima, and Yavapai tribes.
While at the school, the children were forced to do hard labor, and were frequently subjected to cruel punishments, in addition to being forcibly separated from their families. These factors made the experiences in this school a traumatic time for many.
Truxton Canyon Plot (1990) by Robert C. EulerArizona Preservation Foundation
Legacy in contention
The school closed in 1937. Today, only one building from the original complex remains. The schoolhouse was listed on the National Historic Register in 2003. The Hualapai nation owns the sole remaining building.
There are currently mixed opinions on what to do with the site. For some, it is a scar from a traumatic period. For others, it serves as an important memory of the past. It is currently under renovation with plans to be reopened as a community center and office space.
John Osterman Gas Station (2023) by John BurchamArizona Preservation Foundation
3. Osterman Gas Station
Built in the 1920s, the Osterman Gas Station in Peach Springs, Arizona, served travelers along Route 66 and stood as a vital hub for the Hualapai Nation. Once one of five local stations, it fell into disrepair after the town was bypassed by I-40 and tourism declined.
Osterman Gas Station (2020-10-30) by John LaBarberaArizona Preservation Foundation
In 2012, the station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and in 2023, it was named one of America’s most endangered historic sites. The Hualapai hope to restore it as a cultural site and marketplace, preserving its legacy and strengthening community ties.
Learn more about the Osterman Gas Station here.
Oatman, AZ (2016) by Ken ArnesonArizona Preservation Foundation
4. Oatman
Oatman, Arizona, is a lively ghost town on Route 66 known for its Old West atmosphere and roaming wild burros. Once a thriving gold mining hub, it now charms visitors with historic buildings, staged gunfights, and unique shops, preserving a spirited slice of the Mother Road’s past.
Learn more about Oatman here.
Twin Arrows Trading Post (2018-03-31) by Marine 69-71Arizona Preservation Foundation
5. Twin Arrows Trading Post
Built in the late 1940s as Canyon Padre Trading Post and rebranded in the 1950s, Twin Arrows became famous for its two towering 25-foot wooden arrows guiding Route 66 travelers. A gas station, diner, and gift shop, it thrived until I‑40 bypassed it in the late ’70s & closed in 1995.
Paradise, AZ (1940-05) by Lee RussellArizona Preservation Foundation
Legacy in Remains
Along Route 66 in Arizona, ghost towns stand as haunting echoes of the past—reminders of booms gone bust and lives once rooted in desert soil. These silent places preserve stories of ambition, resilience, and change, marking the road with history at every turn.
Written by Reese Finnigan. Images sourced by Reese Finnigan and Brook Crowell.
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