3-Hour Tour - Warren, Old Bisbee, Lowell, Open Pits

Starting from your selected Guest-Choice pickup location, the Bisbee Warren Tour introduces the origins of Bisbee, including its founders and founding reasons. You'll learn about the town's first copper smelter and its environmental impact. Next, the tour takes you to OK Street to explore John Wayne's favorite hangover spot and the miners' historic architecture. You'll pass the first brewery site and go up Brewery Gulch, learning about the miners' flood challenges and driving through the Red Light District with its historical significance. The tour then visits the Lyric Theater and the Central School parking lot, showcasing local history and design. A visit to the Old High School provides insights into the area’s educational past. Climbing High Road, you'll enjoy panoramic views and a thorough history lesson on Bisbee. The tour concludes on Main Street via Quality Hill, highlighting historical and architectural details, with three stops that bring Bisbee’s story full circle.

You'll stop at the Lavender Pit Lookout, just five feet from a 900-foot-deep mining pit, where the guide will explain the mining techniques and equipment used. Next, we'll visit a section of another pit where you can see the remains of old leaching ponds. Here, the guide will talk about how copper is pulled out of the ore by leaching, helping you understand more about how mining works. We'll also touch on the social and cultural stories, talking about nearby mining communities that have closed down, their history, and what might happen with mining in the future. This visit gives you a detailed look at mining operations, from the big machines used to the detailed chemical methods, all in a place with beautiful scenery.

You will visit Lowell, AZ, and stroll down Erie Street. This area, with its 1940s classic cars and old-style shops, is perfect for taking pictures. Your guide will also talk about the history of the Junction Mine. Next, you will go to the Shady Dell Hotel. As you pass through its parking lot, your guide will discuss the hotel's historical and cultural significance. The lot is filled with old cars and vintage items. Your tour then heads to Lowell School, noticeable for its copper roof and doors. The guide will provide historical details and share personal anecdotes related to the school. Another point of interest is a leaching drainage ditch with polluted water. Here, the guide will recount childhood adventures centered around this ditch. The final stop is a drive through the Evergreen Cemetery, a site of national historical importance. Your guide will explain the cemetery's history and its importance to Bisbee.

You will start towards Warren, AZ, first visiting the old Serbian area of Bakerville. Here, you'll see homes moved from mining areas, colorful Muckrock murals, a Serbian church, and a haunted hospital on the hill. Next, you'll explore the historic Warren Ballpark, hearing about its legendary baseball tales. From the nearby railbed, your guide will recount the chilling Bisbee Deportation of 1917. The tour then passes the first Electric Trolley Station that linked to Old Bisbee, still standing and now a unique local shop. You'll drive past quaint bungalow houses to a local celebrity's home known for famous visitors. Finally, you'll see Bisbee's grand mansions and visit a school known for a 1973 lightning strike, with its original playground still in use.