Tucson, AZ -- Cooler temperatures mean the return of events at Fort Lowell Museum. Our popular Fort Lowell Neighborhood Walking Tours will begin on Oct. 7, and will be held every every other Monday through March. Historian and preservationist Ken Scoville leads this tour that explains how most of the cultural layers of Tucson are present here. The oasis of water and trees at the confluence of the Pantano Wash and the Tanque Verde Creek, which became the Rillito (little river) was a draw for many residents in the area. As early as the first century AD, the Hohokam and later historic agriculturalists farmed the area. In the 19th century, water again brought settlers from Mexico and the United States military in 1873. The last years of that century and the first decades of the 20th century brought a new wave of farmers and a small community named El Fuerte. Artists and dreamers would join in the teens and twenties to restore adobe ruins from the fort as the early farmers had done. By the 1950s, the automobile and air conditioning would bring huge population growth and pressures for change. Fort Lowell would become a historic district to help preserve this unique area. If you understand the history of the Fort Lowell area, you understand the history of Arizona. The cost of the tour is $30/person or $20/Fort Lowell Museum member. Pre-registration is required at www.TucsonPresidio.com/walking-tours.
History in the Park events resume this month on Saturday, Oct. 26, from 10 am-1 pm. The theme for October is Crime, Death and Hauntings in Historic Tucson. Take a look into the notorious crimes that shook Arizona during Territorial Times and learn about some of the forensics techniques that emerged during the 1800s. The day will also focus on the funeral customs and traditions to honor the dead during the 1800s and the famous Fort Lowell Ghost that was making the news in 1901! Several children’s activities will be included in the event, and the 4th Cavalry Regimental Band of Fort Lowell will perform at 11 am. This event is included in admission.
Fort Lowell was a military supply post active from 1873 to 1891. The museum is located in Fort Lowell Park at 2900 N. Craycroft Rd. in an 1880s reproduction adobe commanding officers’ quarters. Visitors see displaysabout the purpose and history of the fort, its soldiers and their families, In addition, displays are included about the Apache of the region and the pre-history of the area seen at the nearby Hardy site. The museum is open from 10 am to 3 pm Wednesdays through Saturdays. Admission to the museum is $5/person and free for those five and younger and Fort Lowell and Presidio Museum members are free.
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