Tombstone
Tombstone & Bisbee are two old mining towns an hour and an hour and a half southeast of Tucson. Both are major destinations in their own right.
Here the history of the Old West is palpable. Tombstone, of course, is world-famous for the 1881 Gunfight near the OK Corral. Bisbee’s old town is a classic example of a thriving mining camp that became an unbelievably prosperous little city in the middle of a vast desert.
There is no way to fully enjoy Tombstone and Bisbee in one day. We recommend two days at least. And if you have the time, we recommend several outstanding side trips, such as Kartchner Caverns, Ramsey Canyon Preserve, and the ghost towns along Ghost Town Trail, particularly Gleeson.
- If you want to know the real history of Tombstone, and not just the tourist version, call ahead for a reservation on Dr. Jay’s Walking Tour.
- If you’re looking for excitement, try to arrange your visit to Tombstone on a day when Tombstone Vigilante’s and Vigilettes are in the middle of Allen Street recreating the Old West: Helldorado Days; Wyatt Earp Days; Vigilante Days; etc. Check our Events Calendar.
For more ideas of things to do in Tombstone, see our Tombstone article on Things to do in Tombstone or read about some Local Tombstone History.
Bisbee
In Old Bisbee, at the very least, visit the Bisbee Mining & History Museum and the Queen Mine Tour. You can view a video of each above. And then either walk or drive up into the hills above the old town just for the history and the view. For more things to do see our Bisbee Page.
- Like Tombstone, Bisbee puts on several special events during the year. Brewery Gulch Days; Bisbee Blues Festival; etc. Check our Events Calendar and try to time your visit accordingly.
For some background history on Bisbee see our Local History page. For our recommended places to stay or avoid in Bisbee, see our Bisbee Lodging Reviews. Click on the link for our Bisbee Dining Reviews.
The Earp Vendetta Ride Revisited; Steve Shaw’s Great American Adventure
The Earp Vendetta Ride is your chance to ride where Doc and Wyatt tracked down the men who wounded Virgil and murdered Morgan following the most famous gunfight in American history.
Continue readingTombstone Times Monthy Publication
Our thanks to Keith Davis of Goose Flats Graphics and Janice Hendricks of the Tombstone Times for providing historic photographs of Tombstone and Bisbee. We will be using more of these priceless images in upcoming features. You can subscribe to the Monthly Tombstone Times! Receive the Tombstone Times paper edition … Continue reading