Mines in Southern Arizona produced valuable silver, gold, copper, and the highly sought-after copper-related minerals turquoise, azurite, malachite, chrysocolla, and cuprite. For the gem and mineral lover, Bisbee is a must-visit destination. Start at the Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum (a Smithsonian Affiliate) which offers exceptional mineral and photographic exhibits. For a first-hand experience of an authentic underground mine, head across the street to the historic Copper Queen Mine.
The town of Bisbee, mostly built on the hillsides, is unique with its historic hotels and restaurants, and art and antique shops. Bisbee became a booming mining community in the 1880s after rich copper deposits were discovered. Today, the well-preserved Victorian-era style buildings offer an insight into its past grandeur.
The Copper Queen Mine
The Copper Queen Mine was purchased by San Francisco’s Mr. DeWitt Bisbee and a group of investors in 1880, five years after Hugh Jones discovered copper but left disappointed because it was not silver. The mine was one of the most productive copper mines of the 20th century, producing eight billion pounds of copper, 2.8 million ounces of gold, and seventy-seven million pounds of silver!
Phelps Dodge Corporation acquired the mine in 1885 but closed it in 1975. Following extensive volunteer work to clean the site and re-timber the old workings, the Copper Queen Mine Tour opened to visitors in 1976.
The Copper Queen Mine Tour
The Copper Queen Mine Tour is an adventure deep into the mine. Visitors are outfitted in a yellow slicker, hard hat, and a miner’s headlamp. After a brief introduction and safety briefing, guests mount an original mine train that takes them 1,500 feet deep into the mine. Most tour guides are retired Phelps Dodge employees who share first-hand accounts of their mining days, along with tales and history of the Bisbee mines. They also explain the purpose and operation of the mining equipment inside the mine.
This incredible tour lasts approximately one hour. The cost is $16 for adults and $8 for children ages six to twelve; children under five are not permitted underground. There is also an excellent exhibit of rocks and minerals, many of them local; and some are available for purchase. For tour times and directions visit www.copperqueenmine.com.
Before leaving the area make sure to stop at the overlook, just south of the mine, where you can view the impressive Lavender open pit mine (now partly underwater). Through 1974, it produced eighty-six million tons of copper, gold, silver, and turquoise ore!
