Located 90 miles from Tucson, Bisbee AZ, founded in 1880, is a once booming copper mining town that was once the largest city between St. Louis and San Francisco. Today it is an attractive, small city filled with historic Victorian buildings, cafes, bars, restaurants, galleries, boutiques, antique stores and old time saloons. It is a great getaway for foodies, hikers, birders, wine-tasters and music fans.
In May 2025, I went back for the second time. In February 2014 there was a fire downtown that destroyed two historic buildings and caused damage to other stores and a hotel and closed Main Street and Tombstore Canyon. I wanted to go back to support these local businesses. I was glad to see that everythings was back to normal with only a few vacancies.
My recommendations on what to do include:
Bisbee After 5: This is a monthly Art Walk, from 5pm to 8pm, the second Saturday of each month. Over 20 shops and galleries participate. There are also food, wine, art and music festivals throughout the year.These include Bisbee Chocolate Tasting, Bisbee Pirate Weekend, Brewery Gulch Daze, Bisbee Garden Tour, Blues in Bisbee, Mariachi Festival and Plein Air Festival.
There are number of small shops and galleries to visit. These include
Bisbee Olive Oil at #8 Brewery Gultch offering a full range of olive oils, marinades and balsamics. This is its new location after the 2024 fires destroyed its former location.
Acacia Collectibles at 69 Main St. is a small antique store with many antiques and gifts.
The Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum: This museum is well-worth the visit as it features wonderful displays on the immigrants, the people working the mines and life in Bisbee during the boom. It is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution which explains the reason for the great quality of the collection and displays. I went back on my last trip in May 2025 and enjoyed learing more about the history. 5 Copper Queen Plaza.
If you have time, you might consider the Queen Mine Tours, where you go into the old copper mines for a tour lasting more than an hour.
Not to be missed is Erie Street in the Lowell neighorhood just a five-minute drive outside of downtown. This former ghost town has been transformed into a living museum. Erie Street is lined with restored facades of businesses like an old diner, gas station, and hardware store. Vintage cars are parked along the curb, adding to the illusion of stepping back in time. The highlight is having breakfast or lunch at the original location of the classic Bisbee Breakfast Club. Make sure to take time to walk and take photographs while you are there
