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Copper Queen Mine in Bisbee one of the largest underground mines in the world

Posted at 5:55 AM, May 07, 2018
and last updated 2018-05-08 07:49:41-04

Bisbee definitely qualifies as "small town America" and since 1877, the Copper Queen Mine has called one of Arizona's southernmost cities home.

With over 2,000 miles of tunnels, the mine ranks as one of the five largest underground mines in the world.  

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For almost a century, more than eight billion pounds of copper were hauled out of the mine, along with 100 million ounces of silver -- and quite a bit of lead, zinc, and manganese, also. 

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Throughout the mine, you'll see signs of a bygone era: old tools, a shift boss's desk, even the "sanitary cart," where miners would've taken care of their "other" business.  

Today, around 50,000 people a year visit the mine in Bisbee, which opened to tourists in 1975. Visitors from all 50 states and 30 countries have taken the train ride underground to see what miner life was like.  

The Copper Queen Mine is open for tours seven days a week, five times a day and only closes on Christmas and Thanksgiving.

The tour cost is $13 for adults and $5.50 for age 6-12. For more information about the Copper Queen Mine or to plan your visit to Bisbee, call 866-432-2071 or 520-432-2071.

The Copper Queen Mine is located at 478 North Dart Road in Bisbee.

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