HauntBound archive · catalog record
Reported phenomena, as catalogued
Built in 1895 by Bisbee's first mayor, this boarding-house-turned-inn sits over the Apache Springs Well and carries reports of a gunshot ghost and massacre lore
112 Tombstone Canyon Rd, Bisbee, AZ 85603
Research updated August 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
$$
Call for rates and reservations; 14 uniquely themed rooms. Complimentary morning coffee. Free parking.
Access
Limited Access
Multi-story historic building in Tombstone Canyon; steep terrain typical of Old Bisbee
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1895 · Bisbee Historic District — National Register of Historic Places (1980) · Built by Bisbee's first mayor, John Joseph Muirhead · Apache Springs Well — site of original copper discovery
In 1877, Lt. John A. Rucker and civilian tracker Jack Dunn identified signs of lead, copper, and silver at the rock formation that would give the inn its name. Mining followed quickly, and by 1895 Bisbee had grown enough that its first mayor, John Joseph Muirhead, constructed one of the largest wooden structures in town to house the steady flow of miners working the surrounding claims. He named it Muirhead House.
The building survived Bisbee's destructive 1908 fire and the subsequent floods that periodically scoured Tombstone Canyon. It passed through various owners and uses over the following decades — at some point serving as a hospital for the mining community, though the precise duration and nature of that use is not fully documented in surviving records.
Ownership transferred multiple times before Chris Brown purchased the property in August 2009 and began an ongoing restoration with partner Kirt Dodd. Today the inn offers 14 uniquely themed rooms (including Jungle, Victorian, and Octagon configurations), free Wi-Fi, morning coffee, and a TV room. The historic Apache Springs Well remains visible on the property and is listed as part of the Bisbee Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places, a designation the building received on July 3, 1980.
Sources
The inn maintains a guest journal going back to its current restoration period, and the entries describe a pattern of unexplained sounds and presences rather than dramatic apparitions. The most specific account has a documented historical anchor: the inn's own history records that a soldier sitting on the front verandah was cleaning his rifle when it discharged accidentally, fatally shooting a woman walking on the other side of the road. The incident was covered in local Bisbee news at the time. According to the lore, this woman's ghost still moves through the property searching for an explanation.
A second, more lurid story circulates in Bisbee ghost tour literature: that a group of Chinese miners who refused to leave the area after a dispute were massacred inside the hotel. No contemporaneous newspaper or court record has been located to corroborate this claim, and it should be treated as unverified folk tradition rather than documented history.
Guests have logged doors opening when locked and music heard in empty rooms. The Apache Springs Well, located in the gift shop area, is often mentioned in connection with the property's atmosphere — the natural spring was the original reason for the town's founding and predates any structures by years.
Notable Entities
Fourteen themed rooms in a working bed-and-breakfast built in 1895 at the foot of Castle Rock. The inn sits directly over the Apache Springs Well, visible in the gift shop area. Guests have maintained a house journal of unexplained experiences since the property's current restoration began in 2009. Fireplaces in the lobby, parlor, and the Octagon room; outdoor patio and tiled garden trails.
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