Places That Were

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Creepy Abandoned Miniature Golf Course in Willcox, Arizona

Along a quiet highway in Cochise County, Arizona sits a long-abandoned miniature golf course with a shadowy past.

After checking out the partially unearthed Titan II missile silo complex and experiencing a fairly benign brush with the law, I got back on the road and headed east toward New Mexico.

I took a brief detour from I-10 to check out an abandoned mini-golf course south of the town of Willcox. Remarkably free from vandalism, the props and obstacles have been left to the mercy of the harsh desert climate.

The decor seems to lack a coherent theme, though Native American elements are present in some of the props.

A creepy gnomish figurine keeps vigil over the overgrown course while dry desert grass pushes up through cracks in the pavement.

Faded green turf still covers small patches of the course.

The rusty mechanisms inside the props are rusty from years of exposure to the elements.

Even the creepy gnome has mechanized components. I would love to have seen him in action back when his motors were still running. Though, as a child I probably would have fled in terror.

Several of the course's most notorious obstacles include the Rings of Death

and the Arrow of Despair

The only two structures on the property are "throne" room

and the boarded up trailer home that once served as the office.

Out back lies a discarded stove.

I was unable to find any records about the mini-golf course online, though it is apparent this place has been abandoned for at least a decade, and probably much longer.

A reverse lookup of the phone number on the for sale sign reveals that the lot is owned by one Janet Hoctor of Maricopa, AZ. Judging by the state of the sign, it is safe to assume the land has been on the market for quite a few years.

If anyone has any more information about this neat old miniature golf course, please leave a comment below.

Come back next week to hear about my adventure (including yet another encounter with the police) in the dying city of Willcox, Arizona and its countless abandoned buildings.

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Unearthed Titan II ICBM Nuclear Missile Silo Complex at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base

Dozens of decommissioned Cold War era ICBM missile silos exist across the country, but very few are accessible these days.

Abandoned Unearthed Titan II missile silo in Arizona

Several days and a few hundred miles from my ultimate destination, a Titan missile silo complex in Colorado still open for exploration, I had a raging case of ICBM fever. Hoping for temporary relief, I stopped to check out a partially unearthed Titan II in Southeastern Arizona.

The morning after my ride into Tucson, I enjoyed a hearty breakfast at Mother Hubbard’s Cafe. The waitress seemed to be having a rough morning, so I tried to brighten her day by being extra polite and smiling a lot. I must have given her the wrong impression because as I was leaving she slipped me her number. It happened so fast that I didn't get a chance to tell her that I'm already spoken for and that I'm not into women. I sure did appreciate the compliment though. Hopefully she wasn't too heartbroken when I never called.

I navigated a series of rural highways until I reached a little dirt road out in the middle of nowhere. There was a simple gate of two thick metal bars to keep vehicles out, but no signs warning away trespassers.

I jumped the gate and wandered the property with a few interesting features, including a rusty metal thingamajig,

An odd cement bucket thing,

a monolithic concrete cube,

several giant concrete cylinders protruding from the ground,

and a rusting metal dome.

I climbed onto one of the cylinders, hoping there might be a way into the subterranean complex, and wasn't too surprised to find that the hatches had all been sealed.

During the height of the Cold War, Arizona's Davis-Monthan Air Force Base was home to 18 Titan II nuclear ICBMs. The three-phase construction began in 1960 and was completed in 1963 after one million man-days of labor were spent on the project.

In October 1981, President Reagan announced that all Titan II systems would be decommissioned as part of a modernization program.

During Operation Rivet Cap in 1983, the ICBMs at Davis-Monthan AFB were removed from their silos and shipped to Norton AFB in California to be dismantled.

I had finished taking pictures and was about to head back to my car, when a white police pickup truck pulled up. The cop, a guy of retirement age with a grown-out crew cut, was quite friendly.

I told him I was there to take a few pictures and didn't realize I was on private property. He said that people often steal the no trespassing signs, which is why none were posted. We talked for a while and he told me he’d like to own a missile silo, but they’re ridiculously expensive because they’ve become collectors’ items. He said I should check out the Titan Missile Museum in Sahuarita, Arizona. I was tempted to check it out, but didn't have enough time if I wanted to be in New Mexico by the day's end.

Next stop: a creepy miniature golf course outside Willcox, AZ.

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Arizona Nuthouse and the Demise of Nickerson Farms

Nickerson Farms Family Restaurant stood abandoned for decades before the structure finally collapsed in late 2013.

Abandoned Nickerson Farms Family Restaurant ruins near Picacho, Arizona

I decided to stop and have a look at the ruins since they were just off the freeway. I'm glad I did because there were two more abandoned places adjacent to it. The restaurant lay in a huge pile of rubble, but the red pavilion next to it was still standing.

And as an added bonus, a decaying billboard.

The Nickerson Farms franchise operated from the 1960s until the early '80s. At one point there as many as 60 locations, most of which were along interstate freeways in the Midwest. The franchise was born when a former franchisee of Stuckey's convenience stores decided he was fed up with the rules and regulations and struck out on his own.

Each Nickerson Farms consisted of a restaurant, gas station, and gift shop that sold honey made from bees on site. They even had a window into the beehive so customers could watch the bees as they went about their business.

Abandoned Pichaco Peak Trading Post Ruins in Arizona

Next door to the ruins of Nickerson Farms is the remains of another local attraction, The Picacho Peak Trading Post.

The place burned down in 2002. A neighbor, who witnessed a sudden flash just as the fire broke out, attempted to fight the blaze with a garden hose until fire fighters arrived. Attempts to save the trading post were unsuccessful. Now all that remains is a stone foundation and part of the legs of the giant statue the once welcomed customers.

Here's what it used to look like:

Urban Exploration of abandoned Arizona Nut House and Nickerson Farms Family Restaurant ruins near Picacho, Arizona

image from http://roadsidepeek.com/roadusa/southwest/arizona/azroadside/azroadmen/index.htm

In the back of the property stands an abandoned trailer home, presumably the former home of the owners of Pichaco Peak Trading Post.

The place was in rough shape and the possessions left behind by the previous residents were scattered on the floor.

Just down the street is Arizona Nut House, a cute touristy shop that appears to have been vacated somewhat recently.

Abandoned Arizona Nut House near Pichaco

Thick bars cover every door and window. Remarkably, all the window panes were still intact.

A semi trailer sat on the property, presumably containing furniture and supplies from the shop.

But when I peered through the windows, I saw that most of the fixtures still remained inside the store.

As well as some merchandise.

I headed toward Tucson, stopping to appreciate an abandoned restaurant and the beautiful sunset.

I was able to get a peek inside.

The place isn't entirely abandoned. Apparently a band is using it as a practice space.

Next week I'll tell you about my last day in Arizona, in which I got my first peek at an abandoned Titan missile silo and had another minor run-in with the law.

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Creepy Abandoned Miniature Golf Course in Willcox, Arizona

Unearthed Titan II ICBM Nuclear Missile Silo Complex at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base

Arizona Nuthouse and the Demise of Nickerson Farms