Bisbee

View of the Lavender Pit from the pullout on Hwy 80

Bisbee is a town in Southeast Arizona, and the county seat for Cochise County.

Understand

Bisbee is an old mining town, established in 1880 and named after Judge DeWitt Bisbee who was a financial backer of the Copper Queen Mine. After mining operations ceased in 1974 the town reinvented itself as an artist community, and it now attracts tourists not just for the vibrant cultural scene but also for its well-preserved architecture. Notable are its many Victorian-era houses built into the hillsides, some of which even today can only be accessed by foot.

Get in

From Sierra Vista, head south on Highway 92, or west on Highway 90. From Tombstone, head south on Highway 80.

Get around

Old Bisbee is very pedestrian-friendly; the easiest option is to simply find a convenient place to park, and walk from there.

Bisbee Bus, tel. 520-364-4474, offers public bus transportation Monday through Saturday between Old Bisbee and Naco, and points in between. The bus fare is $1 per ride.

See

Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum

Doors of the Cochise County Courthouse

• 1 Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum, No. 5 Copper Queen Plaza, ☏ +1 520-432-7071. 10AM-4PM daily. $7.50 (adults). 

• 2 Cochise County Courthouse, 100 Quality Hill Rd (turn off of Tombstone Canyon Rd). This elegant Art Deco building was designed by Roy Place, and features beautiful copper doors. Several pieces of art created under the New Deal during the Great Depression are housed in the building, including plaster bas-reliefs along the entryway, and a relief map of Cochise County made of hardware and plaster on the second floor landing. 

• 3 Copper Miner (Iron Man sculpture), intersection of Quality Hill Rd and Tombstone Canyon Rd. A New Deal Depression-era sculpture by R. Phillips Sanderson, cast in concrete and covered with a thin layer of copper and completed in 1935. Bisbee native Lee Petrovitch posed for the sculpture, which commemorates the copper miners of Bisbee. 

• 4 Copper Queen Mine, 478 Dart Rd, toll-free: +1-866-432-2071. 9AM; 10:30AM; 12PM; 2PM; 3:30PM. Visitors can take a guided tour of the old mine, which ceased operation in 1975. $13 (adults). 

• 5 Lavender Pit, Hwy 80 (south of Old Bisbee). A former open pit copper mine, operational from 1950 to 1974. There is a viewing platform with parking places directly by the road. Free. 

• 6 Muheim Heritage House Museum, 207 Youngblood Hill Ave, ☏ +1 520-432-7698. F-T 10AM-4PM (closed W-Th). A fully-restored family home, built in 1898 and listed on the National Registry of Historic Sites. $4. 

Do

Shrines atop Youngblood Hill

Outdoors

• Bisbee 1000 Stair Climb Race. A challenging 4.5 mile race involving nine sets of stairs connected by winding mountain roads. Held every October. 

• 1 4th of July Bisbee Coaster Race, Old Bisbee. 8:30AM. An annual event since 1914 and billed as the oldest and longest gravity race in the US. The race starts at the top of Tombstone Canyon Road and ends in front of the post office, 6 Main St. The best view is at the finish line, near the post office. Free. 

• 2 Hike up Youngblood and Chihuahua Hills, Old Bisbee (trail begins at the end of OK Street (no parking)). This 1.5-hr round trip hike goes to the top of 'B' mountain, which is topped with a collection of shrines and has great views over Old Bisbee and the Lavender Pit. 

Cultural activities

• Bisbee Historic Home Tour, ☏ +1 520-432-3554, toll-free: +1-866-224-7233. Held annually in November. Tickets can be purchased in at the Bisbee Visitor Center, Finder’s Keeper’s, and at Atalanta Books & Music. $15 (adults). 

• Bisbee After 5 Art Walk. Second Saturday of every month, 5PM-8PM. A good way to meet local artists, with music and refreshments. Free. 

• 3 Bisbee Blues Festival, City Park, ☏ +1 520-432-5421. A three-day festival held annually in mid-September featuring local and national blues artists. $40. 

• Bisbee Cooking School, ☏ +1 520-432-3203, [email protected]. Explore the traditional flavors of the region under the guidance of a professional chef. No prior cooking experience is required. $48/class. 

Buy

Main Street

• Art and antiques, Main St. A number of art galleries and antique shops can be found on Main Street in the historic district, offering a wide range of pieces to suit many tastes. 

• 1 Killer Bee Guy, 20 Main St (next to PanTerra), ☏ +1 520-432-8016. Sells a range of honey products, including honey butters, honey mustards, and bee pollen. 

Eat

• 1 Bisbee Breakfast Club, 75A Erie St, ☏ +1 520-432-5885. Daily 7AM-3PM. Open for breakfast and lunch, and particularly noted for their pancakes and omelets. 

• 2 Cafe Cornucopia, 14 Main St, ☏ +1 520-432-4820. 11AM-4PM Fr-Tu. Delicious food with homemade breads, soups and quiches. Very popular at lunch. 

• 3 Cafe Roka, 35 Main St, ☏ +1 520-432-5153. W-Sa 5-9PM. Rated one of the best in town. Has a great ambiance, overlooking the main street. 

• 4 Jimmy's Hot Dog Co., 938 Hwy 92, ☏ +1 520-432-5911. Chicago-style hotdogs, good baked potatoes. 

• 5 High Desert Market & Café, 203 Tombstone Canyon Rd (across from the Iron Man sculpture), ☏ +1 520-432-6775. daily 7AM-7PM. Very popular café not only for meals but also for coffee and juices. Also sells gourmet groceries as well as locally-produced beers and wines. 

• 6 Mimosa Market, 215 Brewery Ave, ☏ +1 520-432-3256. Carries a wide range of imported cheeses and wines, as well home-baked breads. Also has a great deli with salads and sandwiches. 

• 7 Rosa's Little Italy, 7 Bisbee Rd, ☏ +1 520-432-1331. F-Sa 5PM-9PM, Su 5PM-8PM. A small and intimate gem of a restaurant. BYOB (unlicensed), reservations strongly recommended. 

• 8 Santiago's Mexican Restaurant, 1 Howell Ave, ☏ +1 520-432-1910. 11AM-9PM Su-Th, 11AM-10PM Fr-Sa. Excellent Mexican food with a modern twist, and excellent margaritas. 

Groceries

• 9 Bisbee Food Co-Op, 72 Erie St, ☏ +1 520-432-4011. Sells organic health food. 

• 10 Safeway, 101 Naco Rd, ☏ +1 520-432-3038. Daily 6AM-midnight. For self-catering this branch has a full-service deli, as well as a pharmacy. 

Drink

• 1 Old Bisbee Brewing Company, 200 Review Alley, ☏ +1 520-432-2739, [email protected]. Has a tasting room and offers tours of the brewery. 

• 2 Stock Exchange Saloon, 15 Brewery Ave, ☏ +1 520-432-1333. 

• 3 Old Bisbee Coffee Company, 2 Copper Queen Plaza, Main St, ☏ +1 520-432-7879. Great ambiance for a delicious cup of fresh roasted coffee. 

• 4 Old Bisbee Roasters, 7 Naco Rd, toll-free: +1-866-432-5063. Offers mostly organic coffee, fresh roasted. 

Sleep

The historic Copper Queen Hotel

• 1 Bisbee Grand Hotel, 61 Main St, ☏ +1 520-432-5900, toll-free: +1-800-421-1909, fax: +1 520-432-9113. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 11AM. Offers individual rooms with a decent breakfast (included in the room price) with a great saloon downstairs. Each room has an unique theme and decor. The hotel is said to be haunted. $79-115. 

• 2 Calumet & Arizona Guesthouse, 608 Powell St (Warren District), ☏ +1 520-432-4815. A bed and breakfast in a beautifully-restored historic home. $50-110/night. 

• 3 Copper Queen Hotel, 11 Howell Ave, ☏ +1 520-432-2216, fax: +1 520-432-3819. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. Offers more expensive accommodations. Used by the mining administration during Bisbee's heyday, the Copper Queen is probably the largest of the hotels in the Old Bisbee area with 52 rooms, nine of which are uniquely decorated. 

• 4 Eldorado Suites Hotel, 55 OK St, ☏ +1 520-432-6679, [email protected]. A former boarding house for miners, now converted into apartment suites. Pets accepted. $125-135/night. 

• 5 Gym Club Suites (Historic Bisbee YMCA), 39 Howell Ave (Two buildings up the hill from Copper Queen Hotel on the right side), ☏ +1 520-234-5921, [email protected]. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Located in the quiet part of historic Bisbee, just steps away from downtown Main Street. Public parking areas are conveniently available for the guests. Each unit at Gym Club Suites has a unique floor plan and furnishings. All have private bathrooms and fully-equipped kitchens including microwave ovens, toasters, coffeemakers, as well as hair dryers, irons and ironing boards. It also offers free cable TV and in-room wireless internet service. An on-site laundry facility and elevator are also available. It's a great place for a longer stay with weekly. $89-210/day; $525-1034/wk. 

• 6 Hotel San Ramon, 5 Howell Ave (next to Santiago's Mexican Restaurant), ☏ +1 520-432-1901, [email protected]. A charming 6-room hotel. Free wifi and breakfast. $79-89/night. 

• 7 Inn at Castle Rock, 112 Tombstone Canyon Rd, ☏ +1 520-432-4449, [email protected]. Originally built for miners in 1895. Free wi-fi and morning coffee service. 

• 8 School House Inn Bed and Breakfast, 818 Tombstone Canyon Rd, ☏ +1 520-432-2996, toll-free: +1-800-537-4333, [email protected]. A charming b&b which was originally built in 1918 as the Garfield School. The original school blueprints are displayed in the stairway. $89+/night. 

• 9 Shady Dell, 1 Douglas Rd, ☏ +1 520-432-3567. An RV park offering accommodation in ten vintage restored trailers. $89+/night. 

• 10 Queen Mine RV Park, 473 N Dart Rd, ☏ +1 520-432-5006, [email protected]. 25 spaces, accepts pets. $30 for two people. 

Connect

• 1 Bisbee Visitor Center, 478 Dart Rd (in the Queen Mine Tour Bldg), ☏ +1 520-432-3554, toll-free: +1-866-224-7233. 

• 2 Copper Queen Library, 6 Main St (located upstairs from the post office), ☏ +1 520-432-4232, [email protected]. M-T 12PM-7PM, W-F 10AM-5PM, Sa 10AM-2PM. Has computers and printers available, as well as free Wi-Fi. 

Cope

• 3 Copper Queen Community Hospital, 101 Cole Ave, ☏ +1 520-432-2042. 

Go next

Routes through Bisbee

Benson ← Tombstone ←

W  E

→ Douglas → Ends at