Holbrook's grandest old building and the best place to soak up the town's Wild West and Native heritage, all for free. The three story courthouse was built in 1898 out of rough native stone in a bold Richardsonian Romanesque style, and it served as the Navajo County seat until the county outgrew it.
Since 1983 it has been the Navajo County Historical Society Museum and the area's visitor center, packed with local history: ancient pottery and Native American art, pioneer and Route 66 relics, ranching and railroad days, and the story of Holbrook back when it was known as one of the rowdiest towns in the West. The basement still holds the original 1898 jail, with iron cells that were built in St. Louis and shipped here by railroad, and the staff will happily tell you that no prisoner ever escaped them.
This is also where you learn about Sheriff Commodore Perry Owens and the famous 1887 Owens-Blevins shootout that helped tame the town, the same wild era that gave nearby Bucket of Blood Street its name. On summer evenings, free Native American dances are performed right on the courthouse lawn, a real local tradition worth planning an evening around.
There is also a gift shop inside stocked with local books and Native American crafts if you want a meaningful souvenir to take home. Admission is free with donations welcome, and since it doubles as the visitor center it makes a perfect first stop to get your bearings.
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