Tucson History Mansions of Main Street
Walking Tour
Stroll down Main Street to view the beautiful homes of the El Presidio Historic District and hear the fantastic stories of the movers and shakers of early Tucson with your guide, Alan Kruse, as he portrays John Spring, Tucson's second public school teacher. Learn about Hiram Stevens who tried to kill his wife and then turned the gun on himself; Sam Hughes, who is called by some the "Father of Tucson"; Annie Cheyney, whose newly restored 1905 home is the talk of the town; Albert Steinfeld of local department store fame whose son Harold was a top scorcher; Frank Hereford, an attorney who represented the defendants in the Wham robbery; William Herring, who was, at one time, Wyatt Earp's lawyer; and more.
Sample Menu: Pastry and coffee
Cost: $15/person
Attendees: 10 min./30 max.
Length: 2 hours
Contact: Alan Kruse, KruseArizona Tours, 4517 E. Patricia Pl., Tucson, AZ 85712, 520-881-1638, info@KruseArizona.com, www.krusearizona.com
 Heart of Tucson Historic Walking Tour
Retrace the footsteps of Tucson's more colorful early inhabitants on this walking tour through the heart of the city. Familiar places come to life on this tour through historic downtown neighborhoods, led by an experienced local guide dressed in period costume. Start with the popular El Presidio Historic District, or try another unique area. Some examples of neighborhood tours:
El Presidio Historic District Join Tucson territorial pioneers George Hand, Larcena Scott Pennington, Sarah Bowman, and others as they guide you through Tucson's first neighborhood, El Presidio. The years covered-on foot with a costumed guide-begin with the establishment of Tucson as a Spanish fort in the 1770s and end at the residences of turn-of-the-century settlers.
Armory Park Neighborhood The coming of the railroad in 1880 changed everything in Tucson, from an increase in people and the price of goods, to a shift in architectural styles. With the expanding population, and dynamite in Armory Park Neighborhood, it's no wonder the place was booming.
Barrio Histórico Stroll through Tucson's Barrio Histórico (Historic Neighborhood) District and see how Hispanic cultural and architectural traditions typical of early Tucson have been preserved. Featured sites include charming, colorful adobe row homes, the theater Carmen Teatro, and an historic shrine dedicated to star-crossed lovers.
Flash in Time View downtown businesses the way they were in the 1920s and 30s, with stories of the "movers and shakers" of that era such as banks, bandits, and bootleggers!Shady Ladies The women of the red-light districts were as much a part of the Wild West as were the miners, cowboys, and missionaries. Learn about these hard-working women who brightened the dusty landscape and whose specialized services were always in high demand.
Sample Menu: Mexican pastries and hot beverages
Cost: $10/person
Attendees: 10 min./30 max.
Length: 2 hours
Contact: Julia Benites Arriola, Arizona Historical Society, 949 E. Second St., Tucson, AZ 85719, 520-622-0956, jbarriola@vms.arizona.edu
 Southern Arizona Transportation Museum Tour
The first passenger train arrived to Tucson on March 20, 1880, and the Southern Pacific Railroad quickly took hold, becoming a leading employer in the area. The railroad also brought numerous cultural changes. Suddenly the 10-day stage ride to San Francisco was only two days by train. Tucson was no longer a town cut off from the rest of the country by virtue of inaccessibility. By the turn of the century, it had a well-established police and fire department, a university, two daily newspapers, and, depending on the season, a population between 7,000 and 11,000. Visit the historic train depot in Tucson and experience this exciting history. Enter the Locomotive #1673 for a close and personal look at this treasure that was almost lost. Learn about the 1882 Depot incident involving "Doc" Holliday and Wyatt Earp and take your picture next to their life-size bronze likenesses. Listen to audio phones of railroad stories, see a 1907-era depot diorama, and see how the railroad changed Tucson forever.
Cost: $2/person
Attendees: 1 min./150 max.
Length: 11⁄2 hours
Hours: Tues.-Thurs. noon-3 p.m.; Fri. and Sat. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Contact: Laura Caywood Barker, Museum Director
Southern Arizona Transportation Museum at the Historic Depot, 414 N. Toole Ave., Tucson, AZ 85701, 520-623-2223, contactus@TucsonHistoricDepot.org, www.tucsonhistoricdepot.org
More Tucson History Ideas
Arizona Historical Society Arizona's oldest historical museum. Displays and artifacts follow our history from Spanish conquistadors to statehood. The permanent exhibits include period rooms, a life-size copper mining tunnel, and transportation hall. 520-628-5774, 949 E. 2nd St., central Tucson. $5/adults, $4/seniors and students 12-18, under 12 free. Mon.-Sat.
10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Arizona State Museum More than 100 years of research have resulted in rotating, amazing displays of ancient and contemporary Native American cultural exhibits, including a lifelike re-creation of the Yaqui deer dance ceremony. 520-621-6302, Park Ave. and University Blvd., University of Arizona campus. Donations. Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. 12-5 p.m.
ASARCO Mineral Discovery Center Located off I-19 in Sahuarita, AZ. A modern open-pit copper mine featuring mill facility, exhibit center, historic equipment, picnic area, and
extensive gift shop. Group discounts. 520-625-7513. |
