The fruits of the Bisbee community's talented residents are evident in the many galleries and shops that fill the historic shopping district, along Main Street and Brewery Gulch. Galleries and cooperatives show the work of local and regional talent in many mediums. The Galleria showcases imaginative black and white photography and multimedia artwork. Landscape artists being the wide-open feel of Cochise County to canvas, while other artists in a wide range of mediums bring cosmopolitan flavor to the diverse offerings at Jane Hamilton Fine Art.

At Óptimo Custom Hatworks shoppers can treat themselves to custom-formed woven-straw hats by local milliner Grant Sergot. Sergot personally advises customers on the shape, fit, and care of his hats. At the Copper Door Wine Shop (432-1760) visitors enjoy daily tastings of the shop's fine beers and wines, some from neighboring Santa Cruz County wineries. Bisbee also offers antiques aficionados several shops with fine furniture, first-edition books, pottery, glass works, clothes, antique cowboy boots, silver, jewelry, and much more.

For a firsthand look at the town's historic structures, the Bisbee Chamber of Commerce offers a self-guided, illustrated walking tour. Walk Brewery Gulch, which during the town's heyday hosted as many as 47 saloons. See the Bisbee Woman's Club Clubhouse, on Quality Hill, where musicians often perform classical concerts.

The Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum, the Smithsonian Institution's only rural affiliate, is a must-see. It displays minerals found in the Mule Mountains and outlines Bisbee's mining history. Next, try the underground Queen Mine Tour. Visitors don yellow slickers, then a former miner guides them through the now-defunct mine, which ultimately yielded resources work as much as $10 billion at today's prices. Along AZ Hwy 80, stop at the Lavender Pit, one of the world's largest open-pit mines.

The Bisbee Restoration Association & Historical Society offers visitors another chance to explore the town's colorful history. The nonprofit organization preserves the memories of many pioneers who came to the area in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Several area outfitters provide rollicking jeep tours across the yucca-dotted Chihuahuan Desert and up to the pine-topped peaks of the area's many mountain ranges. These outfitters provide valuable local expertise, and some even let patrons design their own trip and timeframe.

Chiricahua Stage Lines, Wilcox, 384-2875
Geronimo Educational Travel Studies, Bisbee, 432-5534
Getaway Tours, Huachuca City, 456-0032
High Desert Adventures, Benson, 586-9309
S & S Tours, Sierra Vista, 803-1352
San Pedro Expeditions, Benson, 212-7667
Southern Arizona Adventures, Bisbee, 1-800-319-7377

Several historic buildings house first-class bed & breakfast inns. At the Hotel La More/Bisbee Inn, 432-5131, friendly staff help make visitors comfortable in the 24-room building, constructed in 1916. The School House Inn, 432-2996, offers comfortable, themed B&B lodging in a converted 1918 brick schoolhouse. The Inn at Castle Rock, 432-4449, turns an 1890s miners' boarding house into an unforgettable stay. The property includes a mine shaft, fishponds, and an acre of hillside gardens. Antique furnishings and Western memorabilia accent the Bisbee Grand Hotel, 432-5900, where rich Victorian reds set the mood. The Copper Queen Hotel, 432-2216, is a stately full-service hotel where Teddy Roosevelt once stayed.

For those interested in a more quirky stay, the Shady Dell, 432-3567, offers accommodations of a different sort. A lineup of vintage travel trailers (complete with vintage furnishings) serves as rooms for adventurous guests. Dot's Diner, 432-2046, a 1957 Valentine 10 art deco model, offers guests and curious visitors alike home-cooked breakfast and lunch Tuesday-Saturday.

For a more upscale dining experience, visitors should not miss Cafe Roka, 432-5153, on Main Street. This world-class restaurant specializing in Italian and California cuisines has been mentioned in Sunset, Zagat Southwest, and many other national publications. With decadent desserts and an original dinner menu, the eatery is almost always packed. Reservations are strongly suggested. Other Bisbee eateries, including café-style, Mexican, and all-American dining, round out the area's offerings.

The Southeastern Arizona Bird Observatory, 432-1388, based in Bisbee, offers guided bird walks, tours, and themed packages including lodging at area bed & breakfast inns.

To learn about desert flora, visit Arizona Cactus & Botanical Garden, 432-7040, six miles south of Bisbee, with more than 800 varieties of high-desert plant life. A free guided tour shows visitors how to identify plants and explores Native American uses, as well as lending low-water landscape ideas to gardeners.

Visitors can cross the international border into Mexico at the small town of Naco, about seven miles south of Bisbee.

River/Campbell Office
1890 E. River Road
Tucson, AZ  85718