Tombstone at Twilight: New life for dusty Western town

It's the last Saturday of the month and the wooden boardwalks of Tombstone are packed with people as the sun swoons in the west. It's a colorful mix of camera-toting tourists and locals with Stetsons pulled low and six-guns tied to their legs. Women in dresses of taffeta and lace sweep through the crowd, the material shimmering in the golden dusk.

Music pours from the saloons. A prospector leads his burro up the street. A cowboy twirls a lasso, delighting a group of wide-eyed youngsters. A man adorned in colorful feathers clacks out a tune on buffalo-rib castanets. There's so much facial hair it feels like a hipster convention is in town.

I love seeing Tombstone like this. It's fun, spontaneous and vibrant — qualities that have been in short supply. In recent years, Tombstone was becoming more of a day trip than an overnight destination. The "Town Too Tough to Die" had become the "Town Too Tired to Stay Open Past 5."

The festivities pause when an argument breaks out in the street among lawmen in black frock coats and a group of cowpokes. Sharp words are exchanged and both factions slap leather. The hammering gunfire tattoos the night, flames spurting from the barrels. It's a fast, shocking vignette of violence that has been played out countless times on these streets, both real and re-created. As soon as the "dead" men rise and take a bow, the crowd gathers around to pose for photos with the victors and the deceased.

It's part of Tombstone at Twilight, on the fourth Saturday of every month. Shops stay open later, gunfights and other activities are highlighted and crowds come out to see a different side of Tombstone.

One of the most famous towns of the Old West struggles with identity issues. The city has been a tourist destination since the 1950s when Westerns ruled television airwaves, but visitation spiked dramatically after the 1993 release of the movie "Tombstone," starring Kurt Russell as Wyatt Earp and Val Kilmer, who created the definitive charismatic Doc Holliday. The streets of the sleepy town were flooded with tourists and everybody wanted to be somebody's huckleberry. For a few years, Tombstone was Arizona's second most visited destination, behind only the Grand Canyon.

During that era, Tombstone grew more commercialized. It reached a point that the National Park Service threatened to revoke its designation as a National Historic Landmark. A few years later, the recession and lack of Westerns coming out of Hollywood caused Tombstone's tourism numbers to tumble off a cliff.

Locals banded together, calling themselves Tombstone Forward. They started a movement to provide a richer and more authentic visitor experience. Tombstone at Twilight, which began in September 2013, has been one of their most successful initiatives.

Suddenly, the town feels bawdy again. It bustles with activity in those evening hours. Dance-hall girls, cowboys, gamblers, prospectors and lawmen are everywhere. Three shootouts are re-enacted, courtesy of the Blood at Dusk Gunfighters. The action occurs all along Allen Street so that many businesses benefit from the gathered crowds.

Tombstone is beautiful at night when the lights flicker on and coolness settles. Perched at 4,500 feet in elevation,Tombstone has summer evenings as delicious as a fresh-picked peach. Buskers stake out hunks of boardwalk and entertain passersby. The Arthritis Brothers play old-time fiddle and banjo. Johnny Bones rattles away on his rib-bone castanets, a rhythm instrument popular during the 1880s.

I linger in the waning light, near the spot where Buckskin Frank Leslie gunned down Billy Claiborne, when the spitting image of Doc Holliday strolls past. He is elegantly dressed and carries a gold-capped walking stick in his left hand. A pearl-handled pistol is tucked in his waistband. He touches the brim of his hat politely to a group of ladies standing nearby, then disappears into the shadows.

For an evening, Tombstone has regained the ability to transport visitors to another era. That's always been its most potent charm.

Find the reporter at www.rogernaylor.com.

Tombstone

Getting there: From central Phoenix, take Interstate 10 east past Tucson to Benson. Go south on State Route 80 (Exit 303) to Tombstone. It's about 180 miles one way.

Tombstone at Twilight: 5-8 p.m. on the fourth Saturday of each month. The May 23 installment also is the first day of Wyatt Earp Days. This annual event is May 23-25 and features gunfights, hangings, an 1880s fashion show, chili cook-off, Wyatt Earp-lookalike contest and more.

Details: 520-266-5266, www.wyattearpdays.com.

Sister Paranormal Investigators: The only negative about Tombstone at Twilight is that it's just once a month. The rest of the time, most businesses close in the afternoon. But that's beginning to change thanks to a rising interest in the paranormal. With violence claiming so many of Tombstone's early residents, it's no wonder that ghostly tales waft through the town. Sister Paranormal Investigators is one of the newest additions to the supernatural scene. Sisters in period dress host nightly investigations inside Watt & Tarbell Undertakers, which served as Tombstone's morgue back in its violent heyday. Modern ghost-hunting equipment is used to detect unearthly visitors. Much of the old building remains intact, including the mortician's drain where bodies were prepared for embalming.

Details: 521 E. Allen St. $20, $12 for ages 8-12. Children younger than 8 and pregnant women are not allowed. 520-457-7385, www.facebook.com/SisterParanormalInvestigators.

Bird Cage Theatre: Here is an incredible glimpse at Western history. The combination theater, saloon, gambling hall and brothel was sealed up in 1889 and left undisturbed until 1934, so there's much that is still original. You can wander at your own pace during the day, studying the dusty artifacts and sticking fingers in some of the 120-plus bullet holes that aerate the building. Ghost tours also are offered. A family-friendly version (12 and older) starts at 6:30 p.m. A scarier version (18 and older) begins at 8. Call for details and reservations.

Details: 535 E. Allen St. $10, $8 for ages 8-18. 800-457-3423, www.tombstonebirdcage.com.

Gunfighter and Ghost Tour: Participants walk through town, visiting scenes of violence and mayhem. Guides stop at some of Tombstone's most haunted spots and spin tales of the blood that was spilled in the streets in such quantities it was said that Tombstone "had a man for breakfast" every day.

Details: Buy tickets at Big Nose Kate's Saloon, 417 E. Allen St. $20, $10 for age 12 and younger. 520-255-0474, www.tombstone-ghost.com.

Gunfighter Hall of Fame: In keeping with a return to authenticity, this attraction opened in February. The building houses the collection of Richard Ignarski. For 30 years, Ignarski accumulated memorabilia of outlaws and lawmen of the Old West. Guns, badges, clothing and personal items are displayed with hundreds of historical photographs. Tombstone characters are well-represented, but so are other legendary figures including Wild Bill Hickok, Frank and Jesse James, Wes Hardin and Billy the Kid. Exhibits also cover lesser-known shootists with stories so intriguing you'll want to learn more. If you're a history buff, expect to spend plenty of time here.

Details: 395 E. Toughnut St. $8; go to the visitor center for a $1-off coupon.

Tombstone Visitor Center: 383 E. Allen St. 520-457-3929, www.tombstonechamber.com.