​ Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum, Bisbee, AZ

​Last weekend, my daughter Katie visited from Michigan. One of our excursions was to Bisbee, AZ, an old mining town. This quaint town is nestled into the mountains a couple hours Southeast of Tucson. Bisbee is touted as a bohemian town with street performers and a laid-back vibe. Here you will find art galleries, antique shops, mine tours, ghost tours, restaurants, unique shoppes, and breweries. On this trip, we opted to visit the Mining and Historical Museum. The admission is $8 for adults, $3 for children and $7 for seniors. On the first floor, visitors will find a picturesque tour of the history of Bisbee and the surrounding areas, a well-stocked gift shop, and a bonus room featuring an oak office and a display of copper high school diplomas. The upstairs is where I enjoyed myself the most. There were numerous displays of minerals and crystals commonly found in the Bisbee mines such as Malachite, Azurite, Calcite, even some Silver, and Gold, and of course, Copper. There is a cut away of what the inside of a mine looks like as well as many interactive displays representing miners on the job. You can even play with Tonka Trucks! After our tour, we visited the gift shop. There were several books that I wanted! I ended up purchasing Rock and Gem by Ronald Bonewitz. This is a remarkable book, 360 pages bursting full of photos of minerals, crystals, gems, and fossils. Rock and Gem is a comprehensive guide which contains geological, archaeological and descriptive  information. I cannot wait to dig in! Of course I couldn't leave without also purchasing some gemstones. I opted for three chipstone bracelets: malachite, amozanite, and ruby in zoisite. Overall, I enjoyed the Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum and will include it in my future trips to Bisbee.