Downtown Tucson's History

Downtown Tucson has been a focus of history for centuries. It lies directly on the longest continuously inhabited site in the U.S. The earliest documented residents are the mysterious Hohokam, a tribe that vanished hundreds of years ago. The area has seen Spanish Conquistadors and missionaries, Mexican and U.S. armies, Wild West legends, and modern heroes and villains. Come explore the centuries concentrated in Downtown Tucson.

Hotel Congress
The infamous bank robber, John Dillinger, stayed at the hotel (311 E. Congress) in 1934. He was arrested and extradited. The hotel built in 1919 is still operating and retains its early charm. The hotel's original "taproom" is home to many paintings and drawings from cowboy artist, Pete Martinez. There is also a Dillinger exhibit at the Downtown Tucson Police Station.

Carrillo Intermediate School
(410 S. Main Ave.) The site was Tucson's first park, Carrillo Gardens. In 1912 the first airplane in Tucson landed here and Theodore Roosevelt spoke at this site.

Southern Pacific Railroad Station
The railroad reached Tucson in 1880. The current building is the "new" station that was built in 1907. Legend has it that Wyatt Earp pursued and shot the man he accused of murdering his brother, Morgan, on the tracks here.

Presidio San Agustin del Tucson
(Southwest corner of Church Avenue and Washington Street). The new Presidio San Agustin del Tucson museum allows visitors to experience what life was like in Tucson from the American Revolution through the Civil War. This hands-on interpretive center is located on the same site where Spain set up the original adobe-walled fort that was the largest in a chain of forts that stretched from the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of California. It is a replica of the northeast corner and features a 20-foot-tall lookout tower, 10-foot-high walls and an interior home. Additional information, artifacts and displays provide insight into what life was like inside the compound.
Hours: 9 a.m to 4:30 p.m., Wednesday - Sunday
Closed on Monday and Tuesday
Phone number: 520-884-4214

Carnegie Library
Opened in 1901, this historic building (200 S. 6th) was originally part of the National Library Program. It was designed by renowned architect Henry Troast. The building is now home to the Tucson Children's Museum.

El Tiradito "The Wishing Shrine"
(Main Ave. and Cushing St.). Created in the late 1800s and is the only shrine in the U.S. dedicated to the soul of a sinner. El Ojito, a nearby spring, was Tucson's first water supply.

El Charro Café
In operation since 1922, El Charro is the oldest continuously family owned Mexican restaurant in the USA. El Charro is located in the historic El Presidio district in the heart of downtown Tucson. It occupies a home built in the 1890s (311 N. Court Ave.) that is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.

Armory Park
The original site (6th Ave. and 13th St.) of the U.S. Army's Fort Lowell. The plaza holds the Mormon Memorial commemorating the first time the U.S. flag flew over Tucson in 1846.

Fox Theatre
Tucson's historic theater (17 W. Congress St.) built in 1929. The ornate movie palace was closed in 1974. The theater is currently being restored to its original glory.

The Statue of General Francisco Villa
The controversial 14-foot bronze statue (Congress St. and Church Ave.) of Mexican revolutionary "Pancho Villa" was a gift to Arizona from Mexico.

La Casa Cordova
Built in 1848, within the Presidio walls, this is the oldest existing residential building in Tucson (175 N. Meyer Ave.). The five-room adobe structure has been restored to its original style and is open to the public.

The Historic Downtown Walking Tour
A self-guided walk of just a few blocks takes you past the homes of Tucson's early elite.

For more info:
Check out our self-guided Heritage & Culture Excursions in Southern Arizona and see what's going on downtown at www.downtowntucson.org.