Since 1975, with the closing of the copper mines, Bisbee has looked to tourism to supplement its economy, which is dominated now by government agencies.
Two projects highlighted the early years of tourism, the Queen Mine Tour and the Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum.
Fast forward to 2009. Some things haven’t changed. The Mine Tour and the Museum still are the premier draws. Government is still the major employer. But the intensity has been ratcheted up.
The Museum, for example, is now affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution. The world’s best exhibit designers came to town and put together the top-floor exhibit, called “Digging In,” which takes the visitor on a tour of Bisbee’s fabulous minerals, the miner’s life in the early days, the demand that drove the copper market over the decades and much more, including the famous “wall” of copper’s use in everyday life.
An overview of this exhibit can be seen in a video I created for the Museum.
The Mine Tour also has been taken to new levels of interpretation and safety, while retaining the wonderful stories of the tour guides, all of whom have worked in the mines.
A number of other opportunities also have come to Bisbee in the intervening years. It’s possible, for example, to seen the entire town — from the top of the mountain all the way to the Mexican border — from the back seat of Lavender Jeep Tours. Or take a guided historic walking tour. Or a ghost tour.
Also over the years, Bisbee has developed some restaurants whose offerings would be a draw in any city.
Since the city began attracting (or should I say “drawing”) artists in the mid-1970s, Bisbee has become known as the place to go to find a wide variety of artistic styles, many of which are created locally. A host of galleries offer a wide diversity of art. Not to mention antique shops. And you can still find jewelry shops that create their own variety of art using Bisbee’s famous turquoise and other stones.
Staying overnight in Bisbee is a treat far removed from the standard cookie-cutter motels of so much of America. The Copper Queen Hotel, one of Arizona’s premier lodging establishments since its opening in 1902, it still going strong, but so are numerous other places, including a number of B&Bs.
More information on all of these, and more, can be found of the websites of the Bisbee Visitor Center and the Bisbee Chamber of Commerce. Or if you’re on the road, go to bisbee.mobi on your cell phone. Then come back here for more details and color.
Loading ...