Once its own, stand-alone town about 5 minutes from the old mining town of Bisbee, present-day Lowell, Arizona is a neighborhood trapped in time. Essentially now a ghost town, it’s a relic of a long-forgotten past, a memory of a much simpler time, a massive time capsule stuck in place. Lowell used to be a bustling residential area, home to miners from countries such as Serbia, Finland, and Montenegro who came to the United States to work in the Lavender Pit Mine, located a stone’s throw from downtown.

It’s now the town that fell asleep in 1950 and never woke up.

While Lowell could be considered a ghost town, it’s technically not, as people do live there. They are just not considered residents of Lowell (officially), but rather, Bisbee, Arizona. Lowell was originally settled in 1880, at approximately the same time as nearby Bisbee, and once had a sizeable population. It was incorporated into Bisbee in the early 1900’s, with many residents clinging to their own Lowell identity (and still do). Furthermore, a significant portion of the original town was destroyed by the ever-expanding Lavender Pit mine during the 1950’s. What is left is Evergreen Cemetery, Lowell Middle School, a subdivision called Saginaw, and the downtown strip, which has been locked in time, never leaving the 50’s.

The main attraction, aside from the Lavender Pit Mine, is Erie Street, which is what I imagine a town would look like if abandoned in mid-20th century during a zombie apocalypse. The buildings, the artwork, the cars, the objects outside are all remnants of the past. There was practically nobody around, other than one man taking photos, and a couple of shopkeepers packing up their antique shop for the day. It truly felt like walking down Mainstreet of a small town in the Walking Dead, save for having to watch your back for flesh-eating zombies. Almost all the stores were closed, except for the antique shop Old Lady Pickers (please see below), which was filled to the brim with artifacts of the past, an appropriate store for its environment. I was able to score a cool Tombstone Helldorado (an annual celebration event of the town Tombstone) poster from 2010.

Aside from visiting the maybe-open, maybe-not shops, there is unfortunately not much to do in Lowell. One can admire the old cars, appreciate the artwork sprawled across the buildings, or take photos with objects from 75+ years ago. As mentioned, there is also the nearby Lavender Pit mine, which is nothing short of a giant hole in the ground, and honestly, not that captivating.

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Overall, while there is not much to do in Lowell, it’s still well worth a visit. It’s only a short, 5-minute drive from Bisbee (Bisbee, Arizona: “Queen of the Copper Camps”.), making it a perfect little side quest. Depending on how many stores are open, or how many pictures you want to take, it’s not more than an hour-long trip, easily fitting into any Bisbee day-trip itinerary. Truthfully, it’d be silly to miss, as it really is like stepping into a time capsule and briefly reliving the 1950’s. For those born well after that time, it’s a fun experience. Come and take a walk through the mid-20^th century for yourself!