Kingman, Arizona has always just been a quick stop to gas up on our way from Phoenix to Las Vegas. However, this summer we decided to stay the night and explore around and we discovered that there is more to Kingman than just a gas stop! So whether you’re looking for a place to stretch your legs while on a long road trip, or even spend the night, keep reading to discover these seven unique things to do in Kingman AZ!
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7 unique things to do in Kingman AZ
Table of Contents
- 1. Eat at Mr D’z Route 66 Diner
- 2. Climb aboard a train at the Kingman Locomotive Park
- 3. Stop in at the Kingman Visitor Center
- 4. Find a Route 66 road shield
- 5. Visit rescued animals at the Keepers of the Wild Nature Park
- 6. Stop by the desolate Santa Claus Town
- 7. Visit the living ghost town of Chloride
- Best places to stay in Kingman
1. Eat at Mr D’z Route 66 Diner
Kingman once served as a popular tourist stop along historic Route 66. While the ‘Mother Road’ has been decommissioned for years, you can still find plenty of roadside Americana in the form of vintage roadside motels and retro diners.
Mr D’z Route 66 Diner is one of those such diners that stirs up memories of yesteryear.
Before you even walk in, you’ll be greeted with a restored truck and police car in the parking lot and the Route 66 shield painted on the asphalt.
The 1950s themed diner is housed in a former 1939 Kimo Shell gas station. Walking through the doors will feel as if you’ve walked back in time.
You’ll be greeted with black and white checkered tile, brightly colored vinyl booths, memorabilia hanging on the walls, and even an old school jukebox.
Not only is the restaurant a fun and nostalgic experience, but the food is actually really good too!
You can’t go wrong with a classic cheeseburger, fries, and a handspun shake. The extensive menu also holds a variety of other options, including breakfast dishes.
Mr D’z is so good that it even found a coveted spot on Oprah Winfrey’s itinerary during her 2006 televised cross-country road trip with Gayle King!
For other great stops along Route 66 in Arizona, be sure to check out our guide, 12 Cool Stops on Route 66 in Arizona!
2. Climb aboard a train at the Kingman Locomotive Park
Kingman was founded in the early 1880s and was established as a railroad stop in 1883. Visitors can explore Kingman’s historic railway roots at the Locomotive Park.
The park is located across the street from Mr D’z Route 66 Diner and features the original AT&SF (Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway) engine #3759.
This coal-burning steam locomotive was in use from 1927-1953. This was the last steam engine to run on the Kingman railway line and was gifted to the city of Kingman after it was retired.
Thirty years later the caboose was also donated and added to the park. It has since been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Today visitors can climb the train steps to peer into the engine and caboose to get a glimpse of what train travel was like decades ago.
The city has done a great job with the park. Informational panels have been installed detailing the history of the train, and the large shaded lawn is a great spot for picnics or a place to let the kids run around.
3. Stop in at the Kingman Visitor Center
The Kingman Visitor Center is also located across the street from the Locomotive Park and adjacent to Mr D’z. The visitor center is housed inside the historic Powerhouse building.
This local power plant was built in 1907 and provided electricity to the city of Kingman and the surrounding mines.
However, once the Hoover Dam was completed in 1938 there was no longer a need for this power station. The building lay vacant for 60 years until local citizens rallied to have the station saved.
Today, the Powerhouse is home to the Kingman Visitor Center where you’ll find brochures, maps, visitor information, and knowledgeable staff.
You can also pick up a walking map for a self-guided historic tour. This is one of our favorite free activities to do when visiting a city. We especially love the Haunted Walking Tour in Flagstaff!
There is also a gift shop with Route 66 memorabilia and souvenirs, as well as the Arizona Route 66 Museum and Electric Vehicle Museum.
The Route 66 Museum chronicles the history of Route 66 from the early Native American trade routes, to the desperate migration of the dust bowl refugees, and the free-spirited travelers along the Mother Road in the 1950s.
The Electric Vehicle Museum boasts an extensive collection of electric vehicles from the 19th to the 21st century.
Admission to the museum is $4 for adults, kids 12 and under are free with a paying adult. The museum is open Monday-Saturday 9 am-3:30 pm. It closes quite early so plan accordingly.
The price of admission also includes entrance to the nearby Mohave Museum of History and Arts and the Bonelli House.
*Related post: If you are planning a trip to Vegas, be sure to check out these 13 Fun Things to do in Las Vegas with Kids and The Best Things to do off the Las Vegas Strip with Kids!
4. Find a Route 66 road shield
Since the decommissioning of Route 66, the iconic road shields are becoming increasingly harder to find. We found this helpful Route 66 road shield map that marks the best places to find the Route 66 shield in Arizona.
We tried finding the road shield in Seligman on our Route 66 Arizona road trip, but the gift shop employee said that the Department of Transportation is no longer responsible for the upkeep so it has faded.
However, we did find this maintained Route 66 shield just before the FedEx Ground Packaging facility located at 2549 Oatman Hwy, Golden Valley, AZ 86413.
This location is a great spot to snap a photo since this portion of Route 66 doesn’t see a lot of traffic, but still use caution.
For more Route 66 iconic roadside stops, drive through Kingman’s historic district. The El Trovatore and the Skyline Motel are both classic Route 66 motels, and Rutherfords 66 Family Restaurant was a popular dining stop.
You can also take a mural crawl through historic downtown. Some points of interest include the Mohave Museum of History & Arts, the Railroad Water Tanks, Trotters RV, and the Old Trails Garage.
5. Visit rescued animals at the Keepers of the Wild Nature Park
The Keepers of the Wild Nature Park is a non-profit animal park located about a half-hour northeast of Kingman along Route 66 and is well worth a stop!
Here you’ll find over 140 animals that have been rescued from places like Vegas magic shows, international circuses, leopard mills, illegal pets, photo-op cubs.
They even have six tigers that have been rescued from the infamous Joe Exotic on Netflix’s Tiger King.
General admission will allow you to walk around the grounds and view the animals.
However, to make the most of your experience I would highly recommend spending the extra $10 to take the guided safari tour.
The tour will take you on a tram ride around the park visiting each enclosure. The highly engaging tour guide will share a little bit about each of the animals that reside there.
On the 1 1/2 hour tour, you’ll learn where each of the animals came from, how they were rescued, and any funny personality quirks they may have.
Many of the stories are heartbreaking, but it’s comforting to know that these animals now have a safe place to live and are being well cared for.
We learned about the underground world of photo-op cubs. Oblivious tourists will pay up to $200 to take a photo with a baby tiger cub.
However, once the cubs are too big, the owners will sell them on the black market.
They are then often sold to big game hunting camps, or sold for their body parts, or even sold to the cartel as trophy pets. Please don’t ever support photo-op venues like that!
We also learned that it is legal to keep exotic big cats as pets in Nevada as long as they are kept within a certain distance from city limits. But just because it is legal doesn’t mean that it is a good idea!
It is also not a good idea to keep monkeys as pets. We learned that monkeys can be attracted to humans of the opposite sex.
We visited a few monkeys that have been placed here because they attacked their owners or the owner’s significant other out of jealousy!
We also visited the female lemur that has a major crush on one of the zookeepers. She also likes to flirt with male visitors, too funny!
A few of our other favorite animals were the two bears that have a bromance, the sister tigers that have an ongoing feud, the male hawks they have mated together for life, and the grumpy lamas that spit on kids if they are too loud.
We all loved the tour, it was definitely one of our favorite things to do in Kingman AZ! I found a Groupon with admission for 2 adults and 2 kids for only $28, plus the additional $10 per person for the safari tour.
The tours are only offered at certain times during the day, so check the website for more information. They also offer a guided feeding tour at 3:30 pm daily.
Ticket sales go directly to the care and upkeep of the animals and the park, so not only will you enjoy a fun afternoon but you will be donating to a good cause as well.
*Related Post: Escape the crowds and visit Red Rock Canyon: A Las Vegas Hidden Gem!
6. Stop by the desolate Santa Claus Town
If you like quirky roadside attractions, be sure to make a quick stop at Santa Claus, Arizona, a Christmas-themed ghost town.
In 1937, a real estate developer and her husband founded Santa Claus, Arizona in an attempt to attract buyers to the desert.
For several years it was a thriving tourist attraction where it felt like Christmas every day of the year. Kids could visit Santa year-round and mail letters postmarked from Santa Claus.
The Santa Claus Inn was a popular restaurant and hotel that even attracted the attention of Hollywood.
However, by the 1970s no one was buying up land and the town slowly fell into disrepair.
Today it’s a depressing collection of graffiti-covered buildings with a few traces of chipped red and green paint and ghostly holiday cheer.
Santa Claus, Arizona is located about 20 minutes outside Kingman along Hwy 93 on the way to Las Vegas.
It is small and easy to pass, just look for the For Sale billboard and the eery greeting, “This is it! Santa’s Land!”
If you’re interested in visiting more ghost towns, check out our guide 7 of the Coolest Ghost Towns in Arizona!
7. Visit the living ghost town of Chloride
While Santa Claus has long been an abandoned ghost town, Chloride is a living ghost town where the citizens have taken pride in preserving the history of this old mining town.
Chloride was founded in 1862 when silver ore was discovered in the surrounding mountains.
During the peak around 1920, Chloride was home to a population of about 2,000 people and more than 75 mines. Today, the town of Chloride has a population of less than 400.
Along with mining silver, prospectors also mined gold, lead, zinc, and turquoise.
Chloride is located only a few miles off the freeway near Santa Claus, and it’s worth a visit to see this small town that is frozen in time.
Visitors can stop by and view the original local jail that was crudely constructed in 1860.
Chloride is also home to the oldest post office in Arizona.
It is also where the oldest church in Arizona is located. The Chloride Baptist Church has been in continual service since 1891.
Kids will enjoy visiting Cyanide Springs, a miniature replica of a ghost town.
Plunk a few keys on the piano at the saloon, take a photo in the outhouse, and peer into the windows of the Silver Belle Playhouse.
Stop in at the general store to pick up some local treats and admire the miniature scale model of the town.
Then take some time to just drive around and soak up the character of this charming and quirky ghost town.
If you have time, take the dirt road a little way up the mountain to discover some brightly-colored murals painted on boulders by a local artist.
Another cool Route 66 historic town to visit is Oatman, where wild burros roam the streets of town!
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Best places to stay in Kingman
When visiting Kingman, we chose to stay at the Kingman KOA Journey campground. The camping cabins were a cute and affordable option at under $100/night.
The cabin sleeps up to four with a queen bed and a set of bunk beds. You’ll need to bring your own towels and bedding.
While the accommodations are basic, they were clean and met all of our needs. Each unit has air conditioning, a refrigerator, a microwave, and even a porch swing.
There are other cabin options available that include a bathroom and kitchen as well.
The amenities at the campground include a swimming pool, hot tub, playground, and mini-golf. The community showers and bathrooms were clean and the staff were friendly and helpful.
I hope this guide has helped you discover some fun things to do in Kingman AZ.
The next time you’re driving from Phoenix to Las Vegas, be sure to take some time to stop and explore Kingman!
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Hi. I’m co owner of Alpacas of the Southwest in Kingman. We conduct over 900 tours yearly. Lots of fun for the whole family. I’d like to be listed as a fun thing to do. Is that possible? Southwestalpacatours.com
Hi Anna! We like to include recommendations that we have personally experienced, but we would be happy to collaborate with you on a tour and share our experience. Feel free to reach out and we can arrange something! My email is [email protected].