Bisbee AZ Getaway: The Queen Mine Tour
Visiting Bisbee Arizona? The Bisbee Mine Tour is one of the best activities you should plan to do! With cool temperatures year round and lots of history, the Bisbee AZ Queen Mine Tour is a must! Here’s all the info you need for your tour.
Post updated January 2025 with Queen Mine tour updates and travel recommendations.
Bisbee Mine Tour Info
Where: Bisbee Mine Tour in Bisbee Arizona
Price: $16 for Adults / $8 for ages 6-12 (five and under not allowed to tour)
Location: Bisbee Arizona (Southern Arizona)
Website: Bisbee Queen Mine Tour Website
Bisbee AZ Mine Tour
When we heard it would be 112 in Phoenix and 98 in Bisbee, it kind of sealed the deal we wanted to go the weekend we went! The main reasoning behind this was the Bisbee Queen Mine Tour where you can go down in the mines and learn all about the copper mining industry. The mine boasts of a 47-degree temperature year-round. Sold and sold!
We even packed pants, sweaters, and jackets to wear down there. I know if you’re not from AZ 47 doesn’t sound too bad, but being used to about 107 and then dropping 60 degrees instantly feels pretty cold without your body being able to adapt. But this drop is one of the best reasons to visit and do the Bisbee Mine Tour!
How to Prepare for the Bisbee Queen Mine Tour
Bisbee visitors will want to prep just a little bit for this tour, and that means starting with your clothes.
After we went touring in our shorts and a lightweight dress, we went and changed for the Bisbee Queen Mine tour. It felt weird to add a bunch of layers and then suit up in mining gear while it was warm above the surface, but we’re glad we did! I’d highly recommend at least a jacket when you do the tour.
At the entrance, you’ll share your reservations and pre-purchased tickets, and get put with your tour group to dress for the Copper Queen Mine tour.
They’ll outfit tourists in coats, hard hats, and some have miner’s headlamps since it really is quite dark in the mine tunnels.
What to Expect on the Queen Mine Tour
The Bisbee mines are famous for being one of the greatest copper camps to mine copper during the late 1870s. When San Francisco had the gold rush with people racing our west to mine for ounces of gold, Bisbee popped up as the place you could mine pounds of copper.
It was among the richest copper mines in the US and has a tour and historical museum to enjoy.
Train Ride to the Tunnels
We jumped on the “train” to take us down to the mines excited to stop sweating and go enjoy some history! It’s just a small train that transports you from Queen Mine Tour building out to the mine entrance.
Bisbee Mine Tour Experience
You’ll love the tour, led by miner-turned-tour guides who understand the history and explain the mines with a personal touch. They will recount the mining days in all their glory, and what happened when the price of copper dropped overnight, leading to a ghost town.
Our Bisbee mine tour guide stopped once we were in to talk about the tight quarters, the shift of a worker, and to warn us that Bisbee is indeed a ghost town and that we may encounter “Headless John” or other miners down there. He really cracked us up, he worked in the industry for so long and really knew the ins and outs.
He even gave us tips on how to “cheat the management” which was particularly funny to people who currently are and have been managers. We smiled at the other perspective greatly! The recount the mining days and history the United States has with precious metals. You can expect a great guide who will know their stuff and love the Queen Mine in Bisbee immensely.
Yes, we’re very aware that we look a little cat-eyed in these pictures. It was really really dark, and our pupils just so happened to be ginormous! There’s not a lot of light to look at the quarry areas, so I’d bring a flashlight if you have difficulty seeing. You can wear your own head lamp too if you’d like.
Ever wonder how they went to the bathroom? Meet the bathroom car.
Is it Worth It?
The Bisbee Mine Tour is definitely one of the better ways to beat some serious heat during the Phoenix summer!
It’s also a really interesting history lesson and nice peak into the wild west and western expansion in the United States. It’s one of those unique destinations we think is definitely worth a visit!
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Super cool! You do the coolest things….!