(Photo courtesy of Summer Schaudt)

Jerome, Arizona.

Visitors who come to Jerome face a daunting hurdle — and it’s not the hill, with its tight switchbacks — it’s the parking situation.

On busy days, it can be atrocious. Now the Jerome Historical Society plans to add parking spaces once they complete work on the Sliding Jail and nearby parking area. 

"When town barricaded this off we lost about 60 spots, I want to say, which is a huge loss of parking. Once we repair it, we will get those spots back," said Alan Muma, president of the historical society.

Muma estimates the work will cost about $30,000.

The Sliding Jail got its name after it slid down a hill in the 1920s, settling on Hull Avenue. It was eventually moved from the middle of the road by the Arizona Department of Transportation.