Queen Mine Tour
4.8(4.1K)google
4.6(252)yelp
HistoryGuided Tour
Overview
Located in the historic town of Bisbee, the Queen Mine Tour provides a captivating underground journey into one of the premier copper mines of the early 20th century. Visitors don hard hats, miner's headlamps, and yellow slickers to ride a factual mine train deep into the subterranean shafts. Guided by retired miners, the tour delivers authentic first-hand accounts of the perilous and grueling conditions endured by workers who excavated millions of tons of copper ore. The chilly underground atmosphere and historic mining equipment left in place vividify Bisbee's rich industrial heritage, making it an educational and deeply evocative cultural landmark.
Practical Info
Mon8:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Tue8:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Wed8:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Thu8:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Fri8:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Sat8:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Sun8:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Suggested Duration1.5-2 hours
Best TimeYear-round. The old tunnels deep underground stay around a constantly dry, chilly 11°C (53°F), so no matter how hot the desert is outside, [you must bring your own long-sleeve sweatshirt or thick jacket] to go down. Tour slots are extremely tight and must be reserved in advance with your real name on the official website
Getting ThereLocated at 478 Dart Road in the historic town of Bisbee, about a 90-minute drive south of downtown Tucson. The mine gate is right next to US-80, with grand, conspicuous signage for the drive, and a very spacious, completely free open-air parking lot in front of the relic building
Travel Tips
- This was once the base of a hugely prosperous old "king of copper mines" worth billions of dollars in U.S. history; today its real abandoned mine pit has been converted into a famous hardcore industrial-relic adventure destination in the Southwest
- Before descending, all visitors must don heavy high-grade canvas yellow miner suits and hard hats with real headlamps, then straddle and ride the genuine century-old brass narrow-gauge open miner's train
- The old train rumbles along, carrying everyone thrillingly and perfectly straight into the spotless, deep, cold rock depths 1,500 feet down the "Queen Mine," where veteran miner volunteers who served in this mine for decades reveal the historical secrets of the great copper-mining era on the spot
Reviews
Positive
- The ultimate paradise for machinery buffs, heavy-industry fans, and road-trip veterans! Straddling that historic narrow-gauge train and riding into the pitch-black tunnel, motor roaring, the steel-beast sense of pressure and visual impact is so hardcore that your adrenaline instantly spikes—super thrilling and fun
- A high-caliber cultural-history journey! The guides are all white-haired retired miners who operate antique pneumatic drills with their own calloused hands and tell of the underground collapses and the golden age, full of authentic Western road-history gravitas. Spotlessly clean and well worth it
Heads up
- Some sections of the old tunnels deep in the mine are cramped and low, the lighting is very dim, and it's constantly extremely cold. It's not recommended for people with severe claustrophobia, or for restless elderly people and young children who don't understand English