Bisbee E-Bike Tour: History, Art & Architecture Ride

4.94

(50 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

The first thing I noticed rolling out from the shop was how the air in Bisbee feels—just a hint of copper dust and old wood, especially early in the day. Our guide handed out these little wireless earpieces (super handy, since traffic can get noisy), and off we went into Old Bisbee’s winding streets. You don’t have to be a pro cyclist; the e-bikes do most of the work, so you can actually look around instead of just pedaling.

We zipped past the Bisbee Post Office and the Copper Queen Library—both tucked into buildings that look like they belong in a European city more than a desert mining town. The guide shared how the library got started, which was way more dramatic than I expected (let’s just say it involved some stubborn locals and a lot of donated books). The Renaissance Revival style really stands out here—if you’re into architecture, you’ll want to snap a photo or two.

Brewery Gulch is where things get lively. You’ll spot St. Elmo’s Bar (yep, still open after all these years) and hear about John Wayne owning the old jail right across the street. There’s always someone chatting outside City Park—funny to think it used to be a cemetery. The ride up towards Castle Rock gets your heart going a bit, but those views over Bisbee are worth every second. We stopped at Fred Albert’s mosaic wall—honestly, you could stare at those tiles for ages and still find something new.

The last stretch took us past restaurants with chalkboard menus and shops selling everything from turquoise rings to vintage postcards. We paused at the Cochise County Courthouse—Art Deco details everywhere—and then cruised over to Rose Johnson’s mural wall. Our guide told us about her life and art; it hit different seeing her work up close after hearing her story.

You get an hour with the guide (ask all your questions—they know their stuff), then another hour to roam wherever you want. I grabbed an iced coffee at Old Bisbee Roasters before heading back—couldn’t resist that fresh-roasted smell drifting down Main Street.