15 Places That Make Bisbee, Arizona So Special

Bisbee, Arizona is a unique historic city located in the Mule Mountains, southeast of Tucson, Arizona. This old mining town was threatening to become a ghost town until artists and historians brought it back from the brink. Today, it is a tourist destination featuring mining tours, art galleries, fine dining, restored hotels, and unique museums.

The History of Bisbee, Arizona

In 1877, while on a reconnaissance mission searching for renegade Apaches, a tracker named Jack Dunn found some very interesting minerals instead. Copper, silver, gold, you name it, the miners came out to the Mule Mountains in droves and the first mining claim was staked and became known as the “Queen of the Copper Camps.” The city was built quickly and became a bustling mining hotspot, eventually becoming the wealthiest mining city east of San Francisco.

Now let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. There are many amazing places to visit in Bisbee, Arizona. You could easily throw a dart and hit a building with a rich and unique history. So, let’s take a look at some of these historic places that make Bisbee, Arizona so special.

1. The Bisbee Seance Room

Bisbee, Arizona is referred to as the most haunted town in America. Its rich history of mining, outlaws, and debauchery has left a spectral mark on the city. The perfect place to conjure up the ghosts who haunt the city is none other than The Bisbee Seance Room.

Allow Magic Kenny Bang Bang to take you back on a trip through the haunted history of Bisbee, Arizona. This family-friendly seance is a must for anyone who wants to explore interdimensional space and communicate with spirits from the other side.

Here’s a video of Magic Kenny Bang Bang introducing The Bisbee Seance Room:

2. Bisbee Lavender Jeep Tours

The drivers of the Lavender Jeep Tours don’t just drive you around, they also act as tour guides. They’ll take you through all the back alleys, main streets, and tourist destinations while giving a comprehensive explanation of the history of everything you see.

So, ride around in style while you take a tour of the historically rich city of Bisbee, Arizona.

3. Old Bisbee Ghost Tours

If you want to learn about the haunted history behind various old buildings, alleyways, and streets in the 19th Century city of Bisbee, then you have to take a tour with the Old Bisbee Ghost Tour.

6 different tour guides who know all of the haunts will guide you through the dark Bisbee streets after the sun goes down. But the Old Bisbee Ghost Tour isn’t the only haunted tour they offer. They also offer the Paranormal Experience Tour, the Haunted Pub Crawl, and the Bisbee Historic Ghost Walk.

4. Queen Mine Tour

The Queen Mine Tour is a must if you truly want to learn more about Bisbee’s history. The Queen Mine was one of the richest copper mines in the world during its prime. Today, the mine is open for visitors and has become an extremely popular tourist destination in Bisbee, Arizona.

What makes this destination so unique, is that the tours are conducted by miners who worked at the Queen Mine before it closed. They’ll tell amazing stories of their experiences and how important the mine was to the country’s economy.

Tours are offered 5 times a day and 7 days a week. The tours last about 1 hour and 15 minutes. The tour times are as follows:

• 9 a.m.
• 10:30 a.m.
• Noon
• 2 p.m.
• 3:30 p.m.

5. Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum

This museum was once the corporate hub of the Copper Queen Consolidated Mining Company. This building now acts as the museum for the mining industry that put the city of Bisbee, Arizona on the map.

Unique artifacts abound throughout the museum where you can learn the whole story of Bisbee and its once very important mining industry.

6. Screaming Banshee Pizza

This old gas station was repurposed to house the most unique pizza joint in all of Arizona. The striking look of the exterior may make you think that this can’t be that complete of a pizza parlor, but you would be absolutely wrong. Screaming Banshee Pizza has everything a pizzeria should have and then some. They offer wood-fired pizzas, calzones, salads, sandwiches, pasta, and a variety of delicious desserts. Screaming Banshee Pizza also serves drinks and cocktails from a fully stocked bar.

7. Muheim Museum Heritage House

This Queen Anne house was constructed in 1898 and continuously enlarged until 1915. It was built for Carmelita and Joseph Muheim. Today, you can take tours through the entire restored house. You can see artifacts from Bisbee’s early days and get a feel for how wealthy people lived back in the early 20th century. The gardens also offer excellent views of the house’s beautiful surroundings.

8. Copper Queen Library

The Copper Queen Library is the oldest continuously-operating public library in the state of Arizona, and it is the Library Journal’s Best Small Library in America Award winner for 2019. The library opened to the public in 1882 and has been operating ever since.

This marvelous library has three floors worth of surprises. Its Rare Books Room that contains Reverend Pritchard’s historic collection of books. It also has an art gallery called the Pritchard Gallery, which exhibits four different artists’ works throughout the year.

9. Room 4 Bar – Bisbee, Arizona’s Smallest Bar

Bisbee, Arizona has more claims than just mining and ghosts. It also claims to have the smallest bar in Arizona. There are only four stools to choose from in this tiny bar. There still are plenty of spirits to choose from, however, you’re not going to have much space if you like to drink alone. If you’re a social drinker, it just might be the bar you’ve been looking for.

10. St. Elmo Bar

St. Elmo Bar is the oldest continually run bar in the state. It was opened in 1902 during the golden age of Bisbee, Arizona. This fun bar is also a popular tourist attraction. It is located downtown Bisbee amidst the famous Brewery Gulch. For fun, there are live music performances, a punching machine, a jukebox, and pool tables.

11. Bisbee Hot N’ Spicy

If you’re looking for the greatest variety of hot sauces and spices you need not look further than Bisbee Hot N’ Spicy. Offering over 150 products including habanero popcorn, salsas, hot sauces, stuffed olives, gift packs habanero peanuts, and multiple pepper-based spices. This unique store will follow you wherever you and your smart device is through its online store.

12. Bisbee Grand Hotel

This amazing Old West Victorian-style hotel in the heart of Bisbee, Arizona was constructed back in 1906. The Bisbee Grand Hotel Bed and Breakfast is an elegant place that will take you back in time to the early 20th century.

The hotel consists of 7 suites and 6 hotel rooms filled with antique art and various time-accurate artifacts. The 7 suites include The Victorian, The Oriental, The Captain’s, The Hacienda, The Western, The Hollywood, and The Garden. Each decorated its own unique way.

13. Bisbee’s Historic Copper Queen Hotel

One of the older hotels in Bisbee, Arizona is none other than this quaint masterpiece known as the Copper Queen Hotel. This hotel consists of 48 quaint hotel rooms and 7 unique specialty rooms. It also is home to the legendary 1902 Spirit Room restaurant serving fine-dining entrees.

This hotel may be old fashioned in many ways, but one way that brings it into the 21st century is the seasonal solar-heated pool. The Copper Queen Hotel is the perfect place for travelers to stay and experience Bisbee’s unique nightlife and explore the city’s history.

14. School House Inn Bed and Breakfast

During the prime of Bisbee’s mining industry, there had to be a school for local children to attend. Enter this old schoolhouse. It was constructed in 1918 and originally called the Garfield School. In 1989, it reopened to the public as a bed and breakfast. Today, it is a very popular location for tourists who want to stay in a unique building with an old and interesting history.

Every room in the Inn has is school-themed. There are 9 rooms in total. They are the Art Room, the Geography Room, the Music Room, the History Room, the Writing Room, the Reading Room, the Arithmetic Suite, the Principal’s Office Suite, and last but not least, the Library Suite.

15. The Inn at Castle Rock

Looking for a grand place to stay in a historic area in Bisbee, Arizona? Then look no further than the Inn at Castle Rock. Located at the foot of Castle Rock, this historic hotel is also attached to the Apache Springs Well. Also, if you want to experience an incredible lodging experience set back in the late 1800s, then you’re in luck because that’s exactly what the Inn at Castle Rock provides.

There are 14 unique themed rooms, an area that used to be home to a restaurant but is now home for the well, and a beautiful wood-framed reception hall for parties, weddings, and other get-togethers. So, take a step back in time to the year 1895 when this Inn was constructed, and experience the magic and excitement of the Wild West.