Sliding Jail

The Sliding Jail is a historic jail building in Jerome, Arizona. It is known for its gradual ~225 ft (69 m) slide down the mountainside it sat on. The jail is one of the main attractions of the town.^[1]

Sliding Jail
The jail in 2018
Location within Arizona Show map of Arizona Sliding Jail (the United States) Show map of the United States
General information
Location	Jerome, Arizona
Coordinates	34.7507°N 112.1146°W / 34.7507; -112.1146
Year(s) built	1905
Owner	Jerome Historical Society
Technical details
Material	Concrete

History

The building, the city's third jail, was initially a part of a larger structure made from wood and tin. The jail, built in 1905, began sliding in 1938 when the shape of the mountain it sat on changed after it was blasted with dynamite.^[2] It slid about 225 ft (69 m), tearing away from its original building.^[3][4] When it was finished sliding, the jail ended up directly on Hull Ave. Instead of removing the jail, citizens altered the road to go around the building. It was eventually moved to its current spot by the Arizona Department of Transportation.^[5] In 2017, the Jerome Historical Society gained control of the jail and, to make sure the building did not collapse, stabilized the remaining walls. An iron fence also surrounds the property. They plan to eventually restore the jail in its entirety.^[1]