Established in 1864, and named in honor of noted historian William Hickling Prescott, the city has quite a history that is of interest to many. Prescott has over 600 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places-more than any other town its size in Arizona. Historic, Victorian homes fill the residential streets. The Sharlot Hall Museum occupies the site around the original Territorial Governor’s Mansion. The Phippen Museum documents the history of the “old west” in the region, and The Smoki Museum charts the history of the original Native American inhabitants of the area.

      Prescott’s mild climate encourages outdoor lifestyles. Backpacking, hunting, fishing, swimming, horseback riding, shooting, golf, hiking or simply exploring mountain roads and surroundings are some of the outstanding recreational possibilities. Summers are warm and sunny, usually not exceeding 85 degrees. Monsoon thunderstorms cool things off a bit nearly every afternoon in July. Autumns are crisp and cool. Vibrant gold, red, and yellow foliage line the streets. There are occasional light snows during wintertime but the temperature usually goes no lower than 20 degrees at night. Finally spring can range from showers to sunshine in a matter of hours. The four mild seasons offer just enough variation to make the weather interesting.