Bisbee Day Trip: Copper Queen Mine Tour, Lavender Pit and the Famous Stairs
If you have never been to Bisbee, picture a mining town that got stuck sideways on a mountain. Old brick buildings line a narrow canyon, colorful houses stack up the hillsides like they were placed there with tweezers, and staircases climb between them in every direction. It is quirky, artsy, a little bit spooky and full of history, and it is one of my favorite day trips in southern Arizona, especially in fall when the weather up there is crisp and perfect for walking.
Bisbee sits in the Mule Mountains of Cochise County at roughly 5,500 feet, so it stays noticeably cooler than Tucson or Phoenix. In this guide I will walk you through how I like to spend a day there: riding a train deep into the Copper Queen Mine, peering into the giant Lavender Pit, learning the town's story at the Mining and Historical Museum, climbing the famous stairs and wandering the shops of Old Bisbee. I will also share planning tips, timing and a few things I wish I had known on my first visit.
A Quick Bit of Bisbee History
Bisbee was born from copper. Prospectors found rich ore in the Mule Mountains in the late 1870s, and by the 1880s the Copper Queen Mine was booming. Over the next century the Bisbee district became one of the most productive copper mining areas in the world, and the town grew into one of the largest cities between St. Louis and San Francisco in the early 1900s.
Mining wound down in the mid-1970s, and the town could easily have faded away. Instead, artists, writers and free spirits moved into the old miners' homes, and Bisbee reinvented itself as a creative mountain town. Today the historic district is packed with galleries, cafes, antique shops and quirky little museums, while the old mine and pit are reminders of where it all started.
Getting There
Bisbee is about 95 miles southeast of Tucson, which is roughly a 1.5- to 2-hour drive, and about 3 to 3.5 hours from Phoenix. The most scenic route from Tucson takes I-10 east to Benson, then Highway 80 south through Tombstone and over Mule Pass into Bisbee. You drive through a tunnel near the top of the pass and pop out right above Old Bisbee.
If you have time, you can easily pair a Bisbee day with a stop in Tombstone on the way. I wrote a full guide to visiting Tombstone if you want to make it a two-town trip.
Ride Into the Copper Queen Mine
The Copper Queen Mine Tour is the must-do in Bisbee, and it is the first thing I book. Run by the City of Bisbee, the tour takes you into the real mine on a small mine train. Everyone suits up in a hard hat, a miner's headlamp and a safety vest, then straddles the bench seats of the train like you are riding a bike.
According to the official Copper Queen Mine Tour page, the train travels about 1,500 feet into the mountain on a half-mile round trip with two stops. At one stop you hop off and walk about 300 feet through a tunnel. At the other, there is a set of 36 steps you can climb, or you can stay on the train with your guide. Guides share what mining life was really like, from the drilling and blasting to the dangers and the daily routines underground. The tour lasts about an hour.
Here are the details I would plan around:
Tour times: 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., daily.
Prices: At the time of writing, $18 for adults and $9 for ages 6 to 12, taxes included. Prices can change, so check before you go.
Age limit: Children 5 and under are not allowed underground.
Reservations: Required. You can book online or call (520) 432-2071.
Arrive early: Plan to be there 30 minutes before your tour. Late arrivals may not be accommodated.
What to wear: Closed-toe shoes are required. The mine stays cool year-round, so bring a light jacket or sweater, even on a warm day.
Pets: Not allowed underground.
The tour building sits at 478 N. Dart Road, just south of the Old Bisbee business district and easy to reach from the Highway 80 interchange. Weekend tours fill up, so book a few days ahead if you can.
See the Lavender Pit
Just past Old Bisbee along Highway 80, a pullout overlooks the Lavender Pit, a huge open-pit copper mine that was worked from the 1950s into the 1970s. The pit is hundreds of feet deep, and its walls are striped in rusty reds, oranges, purples and grays from the minerals in the rock. Despite the name, it is named after a mining executive, Harrison Lavender, not the color.
It only takes a few minutes to stop and look, and it costs nothing. Morning or late afternoon light brings out the colors best. It gives you a real sense of the scale of mining that built this town.
Learn the Story at the Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum
Right in the heart of Old Bisbee, the Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum is housed in the old copper company office building on Copper Queen Plaza. It is a Smithsonian Affiliate, and it does a great job explaining why copper mattered so much, how the town grew and what daily life was like for miners and their families. Upstairs there is a colorful mineral display that is worth the visit on its own.
The museum's website lists these details:
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily, closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.
Admission: $12 general; $11 for veterans, active military and seniors 60 and up; children under 10 free with an adult.
Address: 5 Copper Queen Plaza, Bisbee.
I like visiting the museum right after the mine tour, while the stories from underground are still fresh. Plan on about an hour.
Climb the Bisbee Stairs
Bisbee was built on such steep hillsides that the townspeople connected their homes with hundreds of concrete staircases. Many of them are still in use, and walking them is one of the best free things to do in town. You get great views over the rooftops, peeks at colorful hillside gardens and a serious leg workout at this altitude.
The stairs are famous enough that every October the town hosts the Bisbee 1000 Great Stair Climb, a race and fitness walk that links a bunch of them together. You do not have to race to enjoy them, though. Just pick a staircase off Main Street or Brewery Gulch and start climbing. Wear good shoes, bring water and take your time. Remember these stairs run past people's homes, so keep voices down and stay on public paths.
As a gardener, I always enjoy the little terraced yards along the stairs. People grow roses, iris, agaves, fruit trees and potted herbs in tiny spaces carved out of the rock, and it is a great reminder of how much you can grow on a steep, small lot.
Wander Old Bisbee: Main Street and Brewery Gulch
Old Bisbee's main streets are made for wandering. Main Street winds up the canyon past historic brick buildings now filled with art galleries, vintage shops, bookstores, jewelry studios and cafes. Look for local Bisbee Blue turquoise and copper jewelry, which make fun souvenirs with a real connection to the town's mining past.
Brewery Gulch, which branches off near the museum, was once one of the wildest streets in the West, packed with saloons. Today it is a fun spot for a meal or a drink. The historic Copper Queen Hotel, which opened in the early 1900s, is right in the middle of everything and is worth a peek even if you are not staying the night. It is also famous for its ghost stories, if you are into that sort of thing.
Take a Detour to Lowell and Erie Street
Just a couple of miles beyond the Lavender Pit is the old neighborhood of Lowell, where most of the town was cleared for the pit. What remains is Erie Street, a short block of old storefronts and vintage cars parked along the curb that looks frozen in the 1950s. It is a quick stop, and it is a favorite for photographers.
A Sample One-Day Itinerary
Here is how I would plan a day trip from Tucson:
8:00 a.m. Leave Tucson and drive Highway 80 through Tombstone.
10:00 a.m. Check in for the 10:30 a.m. Copper Queen Mine Tour.
11:45 a.m. Walk into Old Bisbee and visit the Mining and Historical Museum.
1:00 p.m. Lunch on Main Street or in Brewery Gulch.
2:00 p.m. Climb a few of the stairs and browse the galleries.
3:30 p.m. Drive to the Lavender Pit overlook and Erie Street in Lowell.
4:30 p.m. Head home, or stay the night and enjoy dinner in town.
From Phoenix, I would either leave very early and book the noon or 2 p.m. mine tour, or make it an overnight trip.
Tips for Visiting Bisbee
Go in fall or spring. October through April is lovely. Bisbee does get chilly in winter and can even see snow, so check the forecast and bring layers.
Book the mine tour first. It is the one thing that can sell out. Build the rest of your day around it.
Park once and walk. Old Bisbee is compact but the streets are narrow and parking can be tight, especially on weekends. Find a spot and explore on foot.
Wear comfortable shoes. Between the stairs, the hills and the mine, you will be on your feet most of the day.
Pace yourself at altitude. At roughly 5,500 feet, the stairs feel harder than they look. Drink plenty of water.
Check hours before you go. Many small shops keep their own hours and some close early in the week, so weekends and Fridays tend to be the liveliest.
Visit the city website. The City of Bisbee site posts community events, road closures and parking alerts.
Make It a Southern Arizona Road Trip
Bisbee is the perfect anchor for a longer trip through Cochise County. Along with Tombstone, you could add a hike in the Huachuca Mountains near Sierra Vista or head west to the oak and pine slopes of the Santa Ritas. If birding and canyons are your thing, my guide to Madera Canyon covers one of the best spots in the region.
Bisbee is one of those towns that rewards slowing down. Ride into the mine, climb a few stairs, grab a coffee and just watch the town do its thing. If you go, tell me your favorite staircase or the best thing you ate. I am always looking for a reason to head back.
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