10 things to do in Bisbee, Arizona, a town where time has stood still

Discover the top 10 things to do in Bisbee, Arizona, a charming, historic southwest American town.

Bisbee was once an thriving copper mining town with over 50 saloons. Evidence of the enormous open-pit copper mine greets you on your right side as you enter the town.

Take the first right to stop for a better view of the mine and then step into the another dimension.

Explore more in the area. Check out the best road trip from Tucson to Santa Fe, New Mexico and don’t miss our guide to Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Visit the old open-pit copper mine in Lowell, Arizona, part of historic Bisbee. Photo Credit: Wendy Nordvik-Carr©

Walking down Erie Street of this well-preserved historic area is like stepping through a time warp into the 1950s, with its vintage cars, stores and gas station. Several films have been made at this location because it makes a wonderful backdrop.

This is Bisbee’s Lowell neighbourhood. Lowell was originally a town, but it was mostly destroyed by the expansion of the open-pit copper mine.

Explore historic Lowell, Arizona, a well-preserved historic area with vintage cars, Indian Motorcycles, stores and gas station from the 1950s. Photo Credit: Wendy Nordvik-Carr©

Continue heading down the hill to the end of Erie Street, turn left into the main area of Bisbee and its charms starts to unfold.

This interesting town, once known as the “Queen of Copper Camps”, is now becoming a popular haven for creative artists.

Main Street is Old Bisbee. This historic downtown area boasts fine Victorian architecture.

There are plenty of shops and galleries to explore as you journey uphill through this very walkable town. There is a good variety of places to choose from for lunch or dinner.

Top 10 things to do in Bisbee Arizona

Historic Lowell neighborhood

Lowell is a well-preserved historic area with vintage cars, stores and gas station from the 1950s. See more photos.

Explore historic Lowell, Arizona, a well-preserved historic area with vintage cars, Indian Motorcycles, stores and gas station from the 1950s. Photo Credit: Wendy Nordvik-Carr

Historic Downtown Bisbee

An area of fine Victorian architecture, shops and galleries.

One of the top things to do in Bisbee, Arizona is to explore the historic buildings on Main Street.

Bisbee Historic Stairs

The lack of flat land in the Bisbee area made it necessary for people to build their homes on the hillsides above the canyon.

A series of wooden steps built up the steep canyon walls allowed access to these houses.

Concrete steps replaced the wooden ones in the 1930s. Can you image having to climb up and down 200 steps to get to your home?

The Brewery Gulch

At one time, the Brewery Gulch had 50 saloons in operation and numerous brothels. There are still a number of historic bars.

The St. Almos Bar (where many locals go) is the longest operating bar in Arizona.

Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum

Take an in-depth look at the history of the town’s mining.

Copper Queen Library

The three-story high arches are a prominent feature of the first library in Arizona.

The Bisbee Seance Room

The Seance Room offers a one hour theatrical performance, raising Bisbee ghosts in a Victorian parlor.

Queen Mine Tour

Take a one hour underground mine train tour to explore the history of the Queen Mine. Reservations should be made.

Bisbee Queen Mine tour train heads into the copper mine. Photo Credit: Bisbee Visitor Center

The Queen Mine Tour is one of the top things to do in Bisbee, Arizona. Photo Credit: Bisbee Visitor Center

Ghost Tours

Take an after dark ghost tour of the historic area, stairways and alleys.

Old Bisbee Ghost tours has been in operation for more than 15 years and offer a variety of interesting tours.

The Old Bisbee Ghost tour is a 1 1/2 hour guided walk through Old Bisbee to its legendary haunted sites.

Visit five spooky bars on the three hour Old Bisbee Haunted Pub Crawl.

Reservations are suggested.

Muheim Heritage House

The late 19th-century Muheim Heritage House is restored with period furnishings. The home is a registered National Historic site.

Built high on a hill this location provides a panoramic view of the area.

Fast facts about Bisbee

• Bisbee was known as “Queen of the Copper Camps”
• The city began in 1902.
• 25,000 people once lived here.
• Bisbee is 8 miles north of the Mexican border.
• In 1975, the mining operations closed after almost 100 years of production.
• The mine produced:
  • 8 billion pounds of copper
    
  • 102 million ounces of silver
  • 2.8 million ounces of gold
  • Millions of pounds of zinc, lead and manganese
• “Bisbee Blue”, a high quality turquoise, was a by-product of the copper mine.

Where to stay in Bisbee

Stay in the right in Old Bisbee in the historic Bisbee Grand Hotel or choose from a number of different types of accommodation, including homes and apartments.

Search for accommodation in Bisbee, Arizona by using Booking.Com and any commissions earned will help keep this website running.

How to get to Bisbee, Arizona

The town of Bisbee is located 25 minutes south of Tombstone and is about 1-1/2 hours from Tucson, Arizona.

If you are planning a trip to explore other incredible travel destinations, don’t miss our suggestions for experiences to last a lifetime.

Road Trip: Best route from Tucson to Santa Fe New Mexico,

Rio Grande Gorge is an out of this world seismic experience,

Unforgettable adventures – top things to do at Lake Powell,

Scenic Byway – High Road to Taos,

Top 10 scenic drives in Canada that will leave you in awe, and if you are thinking about cruising to Alaska check out Explore best ports of call Alaska Cruise Guide.

Subscribe so you will see the next update. Get the latest travel tips and learn about destinations from near and far.

Discover 5 things to do in the wild west town of Tombstone

Photos: Explore 1950s vintage cars and Indian Motorcycles of historic Lowell, Arizona

Explore more travel destinations

View photo galleries

LifesIncredbileJourney.com