Bisbee Arizona Photographer Larry Elkins
Fine Art Photography

Bisbee Shopping

The Bisbee Experience: The Shoppers’ Guide to Bisbee, Arizona

The old mining town Bisbee, Arizona is a shopper's dream. Nestled in the Mule Mountains of southeastern Arizona, Bisbee revels in its rich history. Known as the Queen of the Copper Camps, Bisbee was one of the major copper mining towns in the 20th century. For a brief time in the early 1900s, San Francisco, St. Louis and Bisbee were the three largest cities west of the Mississippi River.

When the copper mines closed in the early 1970s, Bisbee almost became a ghost town. Faced with impending doom, Bisbee simply reinvented itself as a unique artists’ enclave.  Wander the streets of Bisbee's Historic District and you'll quickly come to appreciate its old world charm.

Wood-framed houses, some over a century old, cling to Bisbee’s hillsides.  The downtown business district features early 19th-century architecture in the European style.  More than 30 art galleries, antique shops and gift boutiques line Bisbee's Main Street/Subway Street and Brewery Gulch/OK Street shopping districts.

Painters, photographers and sculptors exhibit their work at local art galleries such as BizzArt, PanTerra and 55 Main.  You can also shop till you drop for exquisite locally crafted clothing and jewelry or purchase a genuine Panama hat where the Hollywood celebs buy theirs, at Bisbee’s famed Optimo Hatworks.  In addition, Bisbee's many antique and specialty shops offer treasures from a bygone era.

Bisbee also offers visitors first class and unique lodging and dining accommodations.  Whether your preference is for the early 20th century ambience of Bisbee's renowned Copper Queen Hotel or more adventurous options such as the retro accommodations provided by Shady Dell with its vintage Airstream trailers, you're sure to find what you're looking for.  The oldest trailer court in the United States, Shady Dell is today one of the Arizona's most unique lodging establishments.

When planning your trip to Bisbee, be sure to check out the Bisbee Visitors’ Center website at <http://www.discoverbisbee.com> and the official website of the Greater Bisbee Chamber of Commerce, <http://www.bisbeearizona.com>. Be sure to come to see Bisbee, where the fun never stops. See you soon.

The Old Bisbee Historic District boasts two main shopping areas, Main Street/Subway Street and Brewery Gulch/OK Street.

Main Street/Subway comprises the lower portion of Tombstone Canyon, the main canyon jutting through the Mule Mountains.  Numerous shops and galleries line both Main and Subway streets.

The Brewery Gulch/OK Street shopping area lies in the Brewery Gulch, Bisbee's most prominent side canyon. This area was originally the bad part of town.  In the late 1800s, Brewery Gulch was known as the most notorious street in the Old West. The lower portion of the Gulch was home to numerous saloons, gaming houses and private gentlemen's clubs.  The seedy upper portion of the Gulch sported the infamous red light district consisting of a string of prostitution cribs and opium dens.  The adjacent OK Street was named for the less famous of Cochise County's two OK Corrals. The OK Livery stood at the lower end of OK Street just below the old city jail.

The modern Gulch affords a unique shopping experience.  Be sure to drop in at Bizzart Gallery. This artists’ co-op is located in the charming old building that originally housed a produce outlet and package liquor warehouse. You can still see the meat hooks and a cork lined cold storage unit as well as the vintage Otis freight elevator. 

Another must-see is the Bisbee Bicycle Brothel, a vintage bicycle Emporium on the ground floor of the old Silver King Hotel.  And no trek through the Gulch would be complete without a visit to St. Elmo, Bisbee’s century old saloon. At Vavoom, a specialty shop located at the foot of OK Street, you'll find everything but the kitchen sink.