The Presidio Museum is now open from Tuesday through Sunday, 10 am to 4 pm.
The museum is offering some new demonstrations this season, which are included with admission. Each Tuesday from 10 am-12 pm and 1-4 pm, our Traveler’s Tales Demonstration will show visitors how people found their way around the region before GPS and Google Maps. Navigational objects on display will include maps, compasses, and an astrolabe. Visitors will also hear stories of historic figures of the time who used these instruments from a re-enactor dressed as a Spanish civilian in the New Spain era.
On Saturday, Nov. 3, a cooking demonstration will be held at the comal. Freshly-cooked tortillas and hot chocolate will be shared with visitors, and Old and New World foods will be on display.
Nov. 3 is also the last day to see the display of Dia de los Muertos ofrendas, including ones for veterans, Tucson Presidio Trust friends and family and pets created by the Presidio Museum. Community members and organizations also have ofrendas on display. These include Hearts That Purr, Sky Island Alliance, Parents of Murdered Children, Los Descendientes, the Dalrymple family, the Hartmann - Gordon family, and City High School. This display is included in admission.
A new workshop is being offered on Nov. 6. The Spanish Heritage Sourdough Bread Workshop will teach attendees the process of creating delicious and healthy sourdough bread from scratch. This hands-on event will teach attendees everything they need to know about using sourdough starter made with heritage White Sonora Wheat that the Spanish brought to the Presidio around 1640. Participants will prepare the starter, learn how to make dough and how to bake the perfect loaf. White Sonora Wheat All Purpose Flour from Hayden Mills in Gilbert, Arizona, will be used to make the starter. This flour blends White Sonora wheat with high-protein bread flour to produce loaves with a sweet and creamy texture. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned baker, this workshop is perfect for anyone looking to master the art of sourdough bread making. Attendees will go home with a jar of sourdough starter and a loaf of sourdough bread to bake in their own kitchen, as well as a recipe for maintaining the sourdough starter. Workshop fees are $70/person or $60/non-member. Registration is available at https://tucsonpresidio.com/civicrm/event/info/?reset=1&id=816.
Our Salon & Saloon Lecture this month is Mountain Bikers of the Western Plains. This audio visual and costume/uniform presentation will present the story of the 25th Infantry Buffalo Soldier's epic bicycle ride from Missoula, Montana to St. Louis, Missouri in 1897. This amazing journey by African American troopers enriched the bicycle culture of the time and will inspire the thousands of recreational bicyclists who ride in the upcoming El Tour de Tucson, as well as the law enforcement officers of the Tucson Police Department bicycle corps who ride to protect us each day. Bicycles were a major means of transportation in the 1890's and remain a major source of multiple activities in the Old Pueblo today. This is just one of many stories that the bicycle culture of Tucson will treasure in the years to come. The lecture will be held on Nov. 16 from 2-3:30 pm and costs $5/person. Attendees can pay at the door or register in advance at https://tucsonpresidio.com/civicrm/event/info/?reset=1&id=810. All lectures are sponsored by Long Realty Cares.
An additional special lecture and book-signing will be held in the Monsoon Room at JoJo’s Restaurantacross the street from the Presidio Museum at 201 N. Court Ave. on Nov. 17, at 1 pm. Archaeologist and historian Homer Thiel will present on his book Saloons of Territorial Tucson. What were the saloons of Territorial Tucson like? Were there bar brawls and barmaids in skimpy outfits? Why were saloons so popular? Homer Thiel has researched the saloons of Tucson from 1860 to 1914, preparing a new volume with entries for each saloon, biographies of prominent individuals involved in the saloon industry, and a detailed description of what saloons looked like inside and outside. The event costs $10/person. His book will be available for sale after the lecture for an additional fee. Attendees can pay the lecture fee at the door or pre-register at https://tucsonpresidio.com/civicrm/event/info/?reset=1&id=739.
Our famous walking tours continue this month. The following tours are $30/person or $20/Presidio Museum Member, unless otherwise indicated. Pre-registration is required at https://tucsonpresidio.com/walking-tours/. Tour descriptions can also be found at this link.
Barrio Viejo – Sunday, Nov. 3 AND Sunday, Nov. 17, 10 am-11:30 am
Turquoise Trail – Saturday, Nov. 9, 9-11:30 am
Presidio District Tour – Friday, Nov. 15, 10 am-12:30 pm
Evergreen Cemetery – Saturday, Nov. 16, 10 am-12 pm
Death After Dark – Sunday, Nov. 17, 7-9 pm
University of Arizona – Wednesday, Nov. 20, 9 am-11:30 am
Mainly Murals – Friday, Nov. 22, 9-11 am
Mainly Murals with Wine Tasting – Friday, Nov. 22, 1-4 pm ($60/person, $50/member)
Commerce & Change on Congress Street – Friday, Nov. 22, 10 am-12:30 pm
Santa Cruz River History Tour – Friday, Nov. 22, 10 am-12 pm
Public Art & Murals – Saturday, Nov. 23, 9-11 am
Public Art & Murals with Wine Tasting – Saturday, Nov. 23, 1-4 pm ($65/person, $55/member)
Murals & More + Margaritas in the 4th Avenue District – Sunday, Nov. 24, 11:30 am-2 pm
($46/person, $36/member)
Murals & More in the 4th Avenue District – Sunday, Nov. 24, 3-4:30 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 5 and under and Presidio Museum members. A $3 discount is available for Pima County residents, seniors, and members of the military with appropriate identification. 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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