When you look up “top small towns to visit in America” Bisbee Arizona is commonly on the list. I have always wanted to visit because the vibes looked super artsy, and it’s not that far from where I live. Bisbee looked like the kind of place that feels both artistic and slightly haunted in the best possible way. Gritty, if I had to put a name on it.
You drive right past the massive Copper Queen Mine going into Bisbee, a huge open mining quarry that operated from the late 1800s until 1975. It’s an attraction that we saw many people stopped at and taking pictures. It reminded me of other small mining towns that I had visited and thought it was going to be a dusty old timey town, like the others. But I was completely wrong.
Once we reached the actual town, the vibe shifted completely from dusty old mining town to surreal artistic escape that made me question if I was even living in reality. This was a short trip but left a big impression.
Staying at the Warner Hotel
We booked our accommodation at the Warner Hotel, a converted hotel from an old miners boarding house. It’s definitely hidden, and you can’t really see the hotel from the road at all, which I liked. It also has an attached café, the Earl Café. Once we found the parking lot, we grabbed our bags and headed to enter the hotel from the Earl Café alley way entrance.
Like many historic towns, Bisbee also has a rougher edge to it. When we found the hotel, we ran into a man with a thousand-yard stare lingering near the entrance, which caught us off guard a bit. Later, a hotel employee told us that because of a nearby jail, some recently released people end up passing through town. It added to the strange energy that Bisbee seems to embrace rather than hide.
The hotel itself was beautiful. The owner did a really good job renovating the space, keeping its historic charm and character, in a European mid-century style. I loved that they kept as many original details as possible. You are greeted with a gorgeous staircase as soon as you enter the main space. The top floor has a balcony that overlooks some of the homes in Bisbee, giving an incredible view and a nice place to sit with a bottle of wine at the end of the day.
The attached Earl Café was wonderful and always seemed to be busy. We were able to spend some time there early for our morning coffee. There is a recessed seating area with an atrium feel to it, full of plants and a water feature. Places like that make me feel like I am being wrapped up in a warm hug. I loved the feeling it gave me.
Exploring Bisbee on Foot
We dropped our bags at the hotel and walked the main drag. I loved that our hotel was right in the center of town, but still hidden in a little nook. It made it easy to walk anywhere we wanted to. First order of business was getting some food….tacos and tequila it is. We got a table right in the front window, perfect for people watching, and Bisbee does have some interesting people watching.
It was starting to get dark after dinner. Lights are strewn all along and across main street, giving it a warm, carnival-like glow. Galleries had their doors open with the artists working right there in front of you. Some painting, some chatting with patrons, and some screen printing onto tees. All of them had something unique to offer, but at last, I did not take anything home. You know my rule, I have to really really love it, to make space in my home.
Every building seemed to have the kind of old-world architectural details that you just don’t see anymore. Even the sidewalks have gemstones cemented into the ground, apparently for a colorful skylight into the basements. We decide to take a dark alley short cut back to our hotel street, because why not take a dark alley at night?
Walking back up to our hotel, we realize the alley is covered in murals along the walls. Were they commissioned? Or did a street artist decide to do it without permission? Either way, the murals turned the alley into an open air gallery, when it could have just been another trash can filled alley.
Is Bisbee Worth Visiting?
Bisbee is not polished like you would find in Scottsdale or Sedona, and that’s exactly why it stands out for me. It’s like stepping into another dimension. It almost felt like a real life meow wolf installation dropped in the desert. Like not a real place. A place that makes you say, “Is this place even real?”. How can a place this artistic and colorful be in the middle of the desert? It really feels like a hidden gem to me.
I would love to go back again when they have an event going on and stay for longer. It was perfect in a gritty and colorful, but in a dark and strange type of way. My favorite kinds of places. Absolutely worth the drive.
Bisbee feels less like a tourist destination and more like accidentally stumbling into another world. It’s imperfect, artistic, historic, and strange enough to stay with you long after you leave. And that’s what makes Bisbee unforgettable.
