Bisbee is a picturesque small town located about 2 hours from Tucson (97.7 miles via I-10 E and AZ-80 E) on the slopes of the Mule Mountains. The town was founded in 1880 as the result of the rapid growth of the Copper Queen Mine, one of the world’s largest copper mines. After the mine was closed in 1975, the original miners’ Bisbee became Old Bisbee, a popular tourist destination full of quaint old buildings that now host cafés, shops, restaurants, and art galleries.
Tour the Copper Queen Mine
The Copper Queen Mine is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the charming town of Bisbee, Arizona. At the turn of 20th century, it was the most productive copper mine in all of Cochise County. Its rapid development quickly brought thousands of miners and in 1880s led to the growth of the nearby town of Bisbee. Although copper mining declined in the 1930s, the Copper Queen continued to be exploited from its open pit after World War II. It was finally closed in 1985. Today, groups of tourists can take a tour of the famous mine, going deep into the belly of the mountain to try to experience the efforts and hardships old miners endured to get the copper out.
Address: 478 N Dart Rd, Bisbee, AZ 85603, Phone: 520-432-2071
See an exhibit at the Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum
The Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum is a small local museum that tells the story of the once thriving mining town of Bisbee through fascinating exhibits of artifacts, photographs, tools, and everyday objects. The museum is located in the former headquarters of the Copper Queen Consolidated Mining Company in downtown Bisbee. The museum is an affiliate of the renowned Smithsonian Institution. The museum’s permanent exhibit, known as “Bisbee: Urban Outpost on the Frontier,” describes the first 40 years of Bisbee, a city built by copper. The exhibit portraits copper mining as it was experienced in Bisbee. The museum, with the help of the Smithsonian, often organizes temporary exhibits combining art and history.
Address: 5 Copper Queen Plz, Bisbee, AZ 85603, Phone: 520-432-7071
Visit the Lavender Pit
The Lavender Pit was part of the massive Copper Queen Mine, which was run by the Phelps Dodge Corporation from 1879 to 1975. In 1951 the manager of the Copper Queen Branch of Phelps Dodge, Harrison Lavender, determined that an open pit mine would be a more economical way to increase the ever decreasing copper yield. The Lavender Pit was exploited in 50-foot long shelves or benches blasted to a 60-foot depth. Every blast would break 75,000 tons of rock every afternoon. In 1975 the prices of copper dropped and even open pit mining was no longer economical, so the Lavender Pit was closed. Today, it is visited by hundreds of tourists, who can observe the giant 300-acre hole in the ground from a series of platforms built along the rim of the pit.
Address: Highway 80, Bisbee, AZ 85603
Go on a guided tour of The Muheim Heritage House Museum
The Muheim Heritage House Museum is located in a former home of Joseph and Carmelita Muheim, which was completed in 1915. This lovely pioneer home sits on a hill overlooking Old Bisbee and offers a panoramic view of the surrounding mountains and homes on Brewery Gulch. The home is a fine example of late 19th century architecture and has been carefully restored to its original look and furnished with original period furniture. The house is a Registered National Historic site. Visitors are offered an informative narrated guided tour and the house is available for rent for special events such as weddings, celebrations, and other events.
Address: 207 Youngblood Hill Ave # B, Bisbee, AZ 85603, Phone: 520-432-7698
Step back in time at the Bisbee Restoration Museum
The Bisbee Restoration Museum is a free museum occupying the Fair Store building located on historic Bisbee's Main Street. The museum has three stories of galleries that hold a number of items portraying the early history of mining and ranching in Bisbee. The gallery is run by volunteers. All historic artifacts have been donated by Bisbee residents, from a copper high school diploma to a large collection of textiles that includes exquisite quilts, lavish wedding dresses, and the equipment once used to make them. The museum is a wonderful place to get the feel of life in Bisbee during its mining heyday. There is a small gift shop on the main floor.
Address: 37 Main St, Bisbee, AZ 85603, Phone: 520-249-5742
Visit Erie Street
Lowell, Arizona, was a small mining town that was incorporated into Bisbee in the early 1900s. Most of the town’s residential area was torn down to increase the space available for an open pit copper mine. After most of the city residents were gone, the town’s commercial district could not survive and many businesses closed, leaving a ghost town with only Erie Street, which today attracts tourists with its curiosities such as a Harley Davidson repair shop, a defunct gas pump, rusting cars, trucks, an old Greyhound bus, and a department store called Sprouse Reitz Co., with a few appliances and a pile of manikin parts. Erie Street is continually maintained and restored by Bisbee’s passionate residents, who want visitors to get the feel of a different America. There is even a working Bisbee Breakfast Club, famous for its excellent huevos rancheros.
Address: 72 Erie St., Bisbee, AZ 85603
Go on Old Bisbee Ghost Tours
Old Bisbee Ghost Tours is a tour of Bisbee’s famous haunted spots. The 130-year-old town has its share of scary stories and the tour host will share the stories about Bisbee’s famous ghosts while leading the brave group through Old Bisbee's dark, narrow alleys, stairways, and houses. The night time tour allows guests to see Bisbee not seen on ordinary tours and to learn about the city’s history and the famous characters that played an important role in it. Guests get to visit the known haunts of Julia, a Lady of the Evening who used to enjoy the company of married men, the haunts of the ghost of Nat the miner, who owed money to the bad Money Man and lost his life, and the spirit of the Lady in White, who saved the lives of three children. The tour is very informative and only moderately spooky and the kids will love it.
Address: 7 Lowell Ave, Bisbee, AZ 85603-1131, Phone: 520-432-3308
Visit former mine tunnels with Queen Mine Tours
In its heyday, until it closed in 1975, Queen Mine in Bisbee, was the world’s largest copper mine. It produced 2,871,786 ounces of gold, 77,162,986 ounces of silver, 8,032,352,000 pounds of copper, 304,627,600 pounds of lead, and 371,945,900 pounds of zinc. Today, visitors get a hard hat, a headlamp, and a yellow slicker and descend 1,500 feet into the bowels of the mountain through the former mine tunnels. The guides are knowledgeable retired employees of the Phelps Dodge company, which owned the mine. It is an amazing trip not only deep into the mine but also through the time, when mining was dangerous, backbreaking, and dramatic.
Address: Queen Mine Tours, 478 N Dart Rd, Bisbee, AZ 85603, Phone: 520-432-2071
Have lunch at Cafe Roka
Cafe Roka is one of Bisbee’s most popular tourist hangouts, a classy cafe with elegant art deco decor located in one of Bisbee’s historic buildings on the lively, touristy Main Street. The café was opened in 1992 in the former Tavern Bar, keeping much of its quirky decor such as pressed tin ceilings. Set on two levels with a large wraparound bar and comfortable furniture, the café offers New American cuisine using fresh local ingredients and produce grown on nearby Patagonia Farm. Every entree comes with soup, salad, and lemon sorbet. There is live jazz once a week.
Address: 35 Main St, Bisbee, AZ 85603, Phone: 520-432-5153
Have a romantic breakfast at the Bisbee Breakfast Club
Bisbee Breakfast Club is a popular, spacious diner located in Bisbee’s Lowel neighborhood in the historic Rexall Drug building. The Breakfast Club was opened in 2005 and as it grew, the restaurant expanded to the neighboring former glass shop, creating a quirky, interesting space with exposed brick and large expanses of glass. The club is famous for excellent homemade pies, delicious lunches, and a full range of breakfasts that are served all day. Check out what is hot from the griddle, there are such delights as filet and eggs and corned beef hash. The restaurant has sister stores in Tucson and Mesa.
Address: 75 Erie St, Bisbee, AZ 85603, Phone: 520-432-5885
Take the kids to High Desert Market and Cafe
Snuggled on the hillside on Bisbee’s Tombstone Canyon Road in a small strip mall, High Desert Market and Cafe is a quirky eatery with various food stations and a great diversity of sandwiches, salads, quiches, pastries, cheeses, and so much more. You can eat inside or out in the pleasant outdoor space if the weather permits, or you can take your goodies with you. The market is a popular local gathering space where people are allowed to linger over their out-of-this-world cherry almond bread pudding or goat cheese salad. Artists sit with their sketchpads and everyone else enjoys people-watching. Explore the market before leaving, there is lot of fun stuff like local crafts, hand-made soaps, and some great wines.
Address: 203 Tombstone Canyon, Bisbee, AZ 85603, Phone: 520-432-6775
Grab at hotdog at Jimmy’s Hotdog Company
The neighborhood “beef and dog stand” has been an institution in Chicago for several generations. When Jimmy and Pammy moved from Chicago to Bisbee, they immediately saw the need to provide the local community with hotdog restaurant similar to those they loved in Chicago. And so, Jimmy’s Hotdog Company was born. Jimmy and Pammy have always been on a quest to serve the best hotdog in the area and everything that arrives on your plate has been carefully sourced to ensure a perfect hotdog, Italian meatball, Italian beef or fabulous fries. They also serve delicious fish and chips and fish sandwiches.
Address: Jimmy’s Hotdog Company, 938 W. Highway 32, Bisbee, AZ 85603, 520 432 5911
Have dinner at La Ramada Steakhouse & Cantina
Located off the beaten path on Naco Highway in Bisbee, Arizona, La Ramada Steakhouse & Cantina is an authentic Mexican family-owned and run restaurant. Warm–colored walls create typical Mexican festive, romantic atmosphere, including a large stone fountain. There is an interesting collection of antique crosses on one wall. The menu is traditional, with expected Mexican favorites such as tacos, enchiladas and quesadillas. Grilled steaks and ribs are delicious and cooked to perfection. There is fully stocked bar but everyone goes for the traditional margaritas. Get a pitcher if you are entertaining a date.
Address: 1948 S Naco Hwy, Bisbee, AZ 85603, Phone: 520-895-8892
Have dinner at The Quarry Bisbee
The Quarry Bisbee is a quirky, funky watering hole and restaurant in Bisbee’s Brewery Gulch, with cattle skulls on the walls and juicy burgers on the menu. Chef and owner Dana House offers her take on Southwestern comfort food, preparing delights such smoked Gouda mac and cheese, the Bang Bang BLT and sandwiches that come with caramelized onions and avocado. The Quary is committed to getting supplies locally and seasonally, offering slow-cooked real food with no GMOs, margarine and microwaves. Sunday brunches are everyone’s favorite, with egg sandwiches on House’s brioche buns, made-from-scratch biscuits with sausage gravy, and eggs Benedict with freshly made hollandaise. They offer a rotating selection of starters and main courses in addition and freshly baked goods, premium craft cocktails and great beer selection.
Address: 40 Brewery Ave, Bisbee, AZ 85603, Phone: 520-366-6868
