The History
The City of Bisbee wasĀ foundedĀ in 1902 a few years after U.S. army scouts discovered traces of copper and lead in the Mule Mountains nearby. It wasnāt long before Bisbee became known as the āQueen of Copper Campsā and the cityās population grew to over 20,000 people.
Mining copper, gold, silver, lead and zinc in Bisbee was extremely successful until the mid 1970ās. According to the Queen Mine, the local mines in Bisbee produced metals valued at $6.1 billion (1975 price), which is apparently one of the largest production valuations of all the mining districts in the world.
Take a Queen Mine Tour
All you need is close-toed shoes and $13,Ā Queen MineĀ provides the hard hat, minerās headlamp and a yellow slickerābecause it is cold and windy down there! This tour was one of my favorite parts about my trip to Bisbee. We hopped on a small train car and made our way underground with a small group of strangers and a guideāa retired miner who had worked in the Queen Mine for 40 years.
The mine has seven levels with 143 miles of passageways. We spent about an hour underground and barely scratched the surface. Our guide showed us where he had worked many years ago and the dangerous techniques they would use. I recommend this tour to all ages!
What To Do in Bisbee
Explore the Artsy Alleyways
Wear your walking shoes because there’s lots of street art to explore by foot in Bisbee. Inside almost every alleyway is some sort of an art installment and at the top of every staircase is another alley that leads you to another staircase and more windy roads. I felt like I was in Europe.
YOUāRE IN SOUTHERN ARIZONAā¦OF COURSE THE FOOD IS GOOD
Thereās fine dining, thereās casual, thereāsĀ veganĀ food,Ā pizza,Ā MexicanĀ food and evenĀ Vietnamese. Bisbeeās a small town, but the restaurants are plenty. CafĆ© RokaĀ is a classic in Bisbee and the only fine dining, four-course dinner in town. It’s a great spot if youāre feeling fancy. The Quarry, which was my favorite, is a casual, farm-to-table restaurant just down the street from CafĆ© Roka. Comfort food and live music? Of course I loved it.
Go on your own architecture photo tour
As a photographer, Bisbee is a GEM to photograph. Thereās tons of unique-looking buildings, old houses on hills and vibrant colors. Bring your camera!
New breweries, old bars
Bisbee is home to the longest continually run bar in the state of Arizona. St. Elmo Bar was opened in 1902 and itās still going strong. As it should,Ā St. ElmoĀ had all of the classicsāa jukebox, pool tables, a punching machine and very loud live music.
Established more than 100 years later, theĀ Old Bisbee Brewing CompanyĀ is just across the street. I really loved the elevated patio at this placeāyou can look out over Bisbee and see just how lively the night life is.
Where to Stay
Copper Queen Hotel…Haunted?
I opted out of theĀ hotelsĀ in Bisbee because Iāve heard tales of haunted rooms and that is not my style! I stay far away horror stories, movies, etc. However, if thatās your thing, I suppose this would be the place to stay as this hotel has been open since 1902.
Camp or Find a Great AirBnb
Camping is much more my style, and thereās plenty of it in southern Arizona. I camped atĀ Cochise StrongholdĀ in the Dragoon Mountains. If youāre a rock climber or like to hike, put Cochise on your list. Itās about an hour and a half outside of Tucson, so we spent a few days climbing before driving another hour or so into Bisbee. Once in town, we stayed in a greatĀ AirbnbĀ for a few nights. Lots of quaint places to book if you look ahead of time online.
Bisbee is a great place to visit if you’re looking to for a getaway that feels like a different country. The antique stores in Bisbee will be seeing me again!
Check out our Arizona road trip itinerary here.