Get out and enjoy our beautiful winter weather on one of the Presidio. Museum’s new walking tours. Pre-registration is required at www.TucsonPresidio.com/walking-tours/. All of these tours will be offered February through April. (The February dates are provided below. Other dates can also be found on the walking tours page.)
The Presidio Museum’s popular walking tour offerings will grow in February. The Mainly Murals Walking tour, led by tour guide Dorothy Yanez, will be held on the first Saturday of the month as usual, but a second new tour will be offered that day that ends with a wine tasting experience of regional wines in the Monsoon Room at JoJo’s restaurant. Participants on both the morning and afternoon tours on Saturday, Feb. 3, will enjoy viewing murals found north of Congress Street and learning about their history and many of the artists’ inspirations behind the pieces. The morning Mainly Murals Walking Tour runs from 9-11 amand costs $30/person or $20/Presidio Museum member. The Mainly Murals + Wine Tasting Tourfollows the same route as the morning tour and runs from 1-4 pm and costs $60/person or $50/member.
A newer walking tour offering, the Modern Streetcar & Walking Tour will be held on Tuesday, Feb. 13, from 9 am- 1 pm. Attendees on this tour, led by tour guide Alan Kruse, will ride the streetcar from one end to the other getting on and off at various points to walk and further explore the history and culture of the area. The cost of the tour is $40/person or $30/member.
The slightly shorter version of the Turquoise Trail Tour will be held on Sunday, Feb. 18, from 9-11 am. This 2-mile tour is led by Yanez and follows about half of the Turquoise Trail through downtown Tucson where attendees will learn about Tucson’s fascinating history and see some architectural gems. A new Shortened Turquoise Trail + Wine Tasting tour will also be offered in the afternoon that ends with a tasting of a variety of Sonoran Wines, a southeastern Arizona winemaker, at Maynard’s Market. Light refreshments will also be served. This tour runs Feb. 18 from 1-4 pm and costs $60/person or $50/member, including the wine tasting and refreshments.
A completely new tour being offered this month is Murals & More + Margaritas in the 4th Avenue District. This tour, also led by Yanez, will be held on Sunday, Feb. 25, from 11:30 am-2 pm. Attendees will explore the unique blend of art, culture and history painted through the murals of the historic 4th Avenue District. The tour wanders through alleyways adorned with striking murals that showcase the city’s diverse artistic influences, from traditional southwestern motifs to contemporary urban expressions. After the tour, the group will enjoy a margarita of their choice (included in the tour price) at Corbett’s. Food may be purchased for an additional fee. The cost of the tour is $46/person or $36/member. A tour without the margarita tasting will also be held on Feb. 25, from 3-4:30 pm. The cost of this tour is $30/person or $20/member.
The Museum’s many other walking tours will also be offered in February. All tours are $30/person or $20/member unless otherwise indicated:
Standard Turquoise Trail Tour – Feb. 10, 10 am-12 pm
Presidio District – Feb. 16, 10 am-12:30 pm
Barrio Viejo – Feb. 17, 1:30-3 pm
Santa Cruz River History – Feb. 23, 10 am-12 pm
Public Art & Murals – Feb. 24, 9-11 am
Public Art & Murals + Wine Tasting – Feb. 24, 1-4 pm ($65/person, $55/member)
Evergreen Cemetery Tour – Feb. 25, 10 am-12 pm
The Presidio San Agustín del Tucson Museum is located on the northeast corner of the original Presidio at 196 N. Court Ave. The Presidio Museum is a reconstruction of the original Tucson Presidio built in 1775. Docent tours give visitors a glimpse of what life in the Presidio was like for soldiers and other residents. Additional highlights include an original 150-year-old Sonoran row house and a 2,000-year-old prehistoric pit house. Admission is $9 for adults, $6 for children ages 6-13 and free for children five and under and Presidio Museum members. Pima County residents, seniors 65+ and members of the military receive a $3 discount with ID. The Presidio Museum is managed by the Tucson Presidio Trust for Historic Preservation, a not-for-profit entity whose mission is to guide and aid in the interpretation of history at the Presidio San Agustín through research, education and living history experiences.
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