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Kingman is a small city along historic Route 66 in Arizona. It has a few interesting attractions and makes a good base for exploring the area.
Introduction to Kingman, Arizona
The area now making up Kingman first grew in importance after Lt. Edward Fitzgerald Beale (1822-1893) built a wagon road across the 35th parallel on the orders of the U.S. Department of War . He surveyed the road in 1857 and it was built in 1859. Beale’s Wagon Road was incorporated into Route 66 and later I-40. You can still see remnants of the wagon road in White Cliffs Canyon.
Kingman was founded in 1882 and named for Lewis Kingman (1845-1912), an engineer for the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad. It became the seat of Mohave County in 1887, after moving from Chloride.
During World War II, Kingman hosted the Kingman Army Airfield, which was one of the largest Air Force training bases in the country. It opened to civilian use as Kingman Airport (IGM) in 1949.
In the 1950s, Kingman experienced growth as several large companies moved into the area. It also had a steady flow of road-trippers traveling on Route 66. In the 1980s, several historic buildings were added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Today, Kingman makes a great base for exploring natural attractions in the area. It’s also an important stop along Route 66 and has been used as a filming location for a handful of movies and television series.
Powerhouse Visitor Center
Our first stop was the Powerhouse, which is a historic power plant built between 1907 and 1909. The plant became obsolete in 1938 after the construction of Hoover Dam and sat idle for many years. It was renovated and opened to the public in 1997. Today, the building serves as a visitor center, the Route 66 Museum, and a gift shop.
Route 66 Museum
The Route 66 Museum opened in September 2001 and displays artifacts, photos, vehicles, and information about the Mother Road. There’s also a 60-minute movie about the history of Route 66 as well as the Electric Car Museum. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is US$10 for adults age 13-59, US$6 for seniors age 60+, and free for kids under 13 (as of September 2025). Tickets include entry to the Mohave Museum of History and Arts and Bonelli House.
Locomotive Park
Across the street from the Powerhouse is Locomotive Park. The park contains Santa Fe #3759, which was used by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway. It was built in 1928 by Baldwin Locomotive Works and ran for several years on the passenger route between Los Angeles and Kansas City. Originally fueled by coal, it was rebuilt in 1941 to run on oil. The locomotive traveled a total of 2,585,600 miles and made its last run in 1955 on a special round-trip service from Los Angeles to Barstow, California. It was donated to the city of Kingman in 1957, and a caboose was added in 1987. The locomotive weighs 468,800 pounds and is 108 feet 7 inches long.
Mohave Museum of History and Arts
To the west of the park is the Mohave Museum of History and Arts, which was founded in August 1961. It covers the history of the region, from the Native American peoples and Spanish conquistadors and missionaries to the settlers, ranchers, and miners of the 19th century. Admission is US$10 for adults age 13-59, US$6 for seniors age 60+, and free for kids under 13 (as of September 2025). Tickets include entry to the Route 66 Museum and Bonelli House.
Along Route 66 in Kingman, Arizona
Next, we took a quick walk along the part of Route 66 running through Kingman. It was a bit run down and disappointing, but we were able to see a few of the historic buildings.
Hotel Brunswick
Hotel Brunswick, built by two men named Mulligan and Thompson, opened in 1909. It was one of the first 3-story building in the area. With 50 rooms, it was a favorite of travelers arriving at the nearby railroad depot. After an argument over a woman, Mulligan and Thompson eventually divided the hotel by placing a wall down the middle.
The hotel stayed divided until the mid-1960s when Joe Otera, the owner of the Thompson side, purchased the Mulligan side. He later closed the hotel and stuck to operating the restaurant on the ground floor. Later owners tried to revive the hotel but were never successful, and it permanently closed again in 2010. The building was purchased by a man from Switzerland in 2012 and in the process of redevelopment when we walked by.
Hotel Beale
Hotel Beale was built by John Mulligan and Harvey Hubbs between 1899 and 1900. It replaced an 1898 wooden hotel that burned down. The business was purchased in 1906 by Tom Devine, father of actor Andy Devine (1905-1977). It was remodeled in 1916 and expanded to 70 rooms. The strategic location about a block from the railroad depot attracted many guests in its heyday. The building, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986, now sits abandoned.
Kingman Railroad Depot
Across the street is the railroad depot, which was built in 1907. The first building was built in 1885 and destroyed by fire in 1900, while a second depot stood on the site from 1900 to 1906. It currently houses an Amtrak waiting area and the Kingman Railroad Museum, which costs US$2 to visit or free for kids under 13 (as of September 2025). The museum is open Thursday through Saturday from 10am to 4pm.
Just east of the depot are historic water tanks erected by the Santa Fe Railway in 1910 for the use of their trains. The tanks were given to the city in 1950 to hold water for fighting fires, but today they sit empty.
Beale Street in Kingman, Arizona
From Route 66, we walked into downtown Kingman and noticed a few interesting buildings, especially along Beale Street.
Central Commercial Company Building
First is the Central Commercial Company Building at 4th and Beale. The Central Commercial Company operated there from 1917 to 1978. The building was renovated between 2008 and 2010 and now houses multiple businesses.
IOOF Building
A block east on 5th Street is the International Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) Building. It was constructed between 1912 and 1915 as the second fraternal organization clubhouse in the city. It’s privately owned today.
Chillin’ on Beale Street
On the day we passed through town, Chillin’ on Beale Street was going on. This block party and car show occurs on the 3rd Saturday of every month from April to November. We saw some amazing cars and met some great people.
Bonelli House
A block north at 5th and Spring is the Bonelli House, which was originally built in just 30 days at the end of 1894 by George Bonelli (1869-1933). The house burned down due to an electrical short on January 29, 1915, and was rebuilt by October of that year. It became property of the city in December 1973 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in April 1975.
The first floor of the Bonelli House opened as a museum in 1978, with the second floor following in 1988. It has been furnished with early 20th century period pieces including original items used by the Bonelli family, and is a great look into the life of a prominent turn-of-the-century Arizona family. 25-minute guided tours are offered Tuesday through Friday between 11am and 3pm. Admission is US$10 for adults age 13-59, US$6 for seniors age 60+, and free for kids under 13 (as of September 2025). Tickets include entry to the Route 66 Museum and Mohave Museum.
Mohave County Courthouse
Finally, at 4th and Spring is the Mohave County Courthouse, which was built in 1915 using native cut stone from the Metcalfe Quarry. The building was designed in the Neoclassical style by Lescher & Kibbey of Phoenix. It served as a center of government for 70 years.
Mohave County Jail
The adjacent Mohave County Jail was built in 1909. It’s a 2-story building measuring roughly 35 x 25 feet (10.7 × 7.6 meters) and was designed by the Pauley Jail Company in the Neoclassical style. It operated until 1968 and is currently in the process of opening as a museum (as of September 2025). Inmate graffiti and cell layouts have been virtually untouched since 1968.
