The spirit of Tombstone, Ariz.

It looks like a film set, but Tombstone is deeply rooted in the Wild West. Three blocks of Allen Street, with packed-dirt roads and wood-plank walkways, form the heart of the Old Town. (Myung J. Chun / LAT)

Sept. 16, 2014 2:09 AM PT

At sunset, Tombstone Cemetery takes on an eerie cast. Nearby is Boothill graveyard, where early residents were buried and pithy epitaphs mark some sites (Myung J. Chun / LAT)

Andree DeJournett wears two hats - mayor and saloon owner - and has big plans: “This place is alive and vigorous, but it’s not easy juggling a town that’s alive with a town that’s history. It needs to improve its image.” (Myung J. Chun / LAT)

Twenty-first century admonishments provide gentle reminders for patrons of an establishment in downtown Tombstone. (Myung J. Chun / LAT)

Tombstone began as a 19th century mining town and quickly earned its place in the history books, thanks to the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. (Myung J. Chun / LAT)

Terry Jacobsen, 59, is a bartender at Helldorado, one of Tombstone’s downtown bars. (Myung J. Chun / LAT)

Tombstone Cemetery at sunset. (Myung J. Chun / LAT)

Carey Granger leads a tour of the Tombstone Consolidated Mines Company. (Myung J. Chun / LAT)

Its amazing how many people here never grew past the age of 10 or 11, said local historian Hollis Cook. They just keep on playing cowboy. (Myung J. Chun / LAT)