Tucson, AZ-- There are a variety of ways to experience Tucson’s history in March at the Presidio Museum. As the weather gets warmer, please not our earlier or later times for some events.
Our Living History Day: Horticulture in the Southwest will be held on Saturday, April 13, from 10 am-2 pm. This is the last Living History day of the season! We will take a special look this month at the use of plants from the New Spain period up to the American Territorial Period. Visitors will have the opportunity to learn about cochineal, the red dye that was one of Spain’s most valuable exports. The Presidio will also transform into an escape room for Escape the Presidio: Smuggle out the Cochineal! Visitors will take the role of a smuggler and have to find the cochineal and escape the fort before they are caught by the Spanish garrison. In addition, this event will comprise a variety of demonstrations that may include blacksmithing, soldier drills and cannon fire, handmade tortilla tasting and more. This event is included in admission.
April’s Salon & Saloon Lecture this month is “Fort Lowell: Hell, but Heaven Likewise” held on Saturday, April 20, at 2 pm in the Monsoon Room at JoJo’s restaurant, 201 N. Court Ave., across the street from the Presidio Museum. This talk puts Fort Lowell in context. The fort was connected to Tucson, to Arizona, and to the U.S. It was a reflection of the young nation. The Fort was affected by national happenings and affected the political scene of the nation. National Park Ranger Rick Collins will review the misery, the excitement, and the social aspects of Fort Lowell soldiers during the time the Fort was in operation. Lectures are $5/person and can be paid at the door or online at https://tucsonpresidio.com/civicrm/event/info/?reset=1&id=577.
The Court Street Cemetery Tour will once again be offered this month on Sunday, April 7, at both 10 am and 1 pm. Archaeologist Homer Thiel leads this walk through the Court Street Cemetery, where about 8,000 people were buried between 1875 and 1909. When it was closed, about half were reinterred but the other half were left in place. The tour will lead you through the cemetery, show you where bodies have been found and reveal the history of this forgotten place.
***This tour meets at the southwest corner of Speedway and Stone. The cost is $20/member and $30/non-member, and registration is available at https://tucsonpresidio.com/walking-tours/
Our other popular walking tours will continue this month. The cost is $30 for non-members and $20 for Presidio Museum members unless otherwise noted. Pre-registration is required at https://tucsonpresidio.com/walking-tours/:
Mainly Murals – April 6, 9-11 am
Armory Park – April 7, 9-11 am
Turquoise Trail – April 13, 9-11:30 am
Mainly Murals + Wine Tasting – April 13, 1-4 pm ($50/member, $60/non-member)
Presidio District Tour – April 19, 10 am-12:30 pm
Mansions of Main Avenue – April 21, 9-11 am
Turquoise Trail, A Slightly Shorter Tour – April 21, 9-11 am
Shorter Turquoise Trail + Wine Tasting – April 21, 1-4 pm ($50/member, $60/non-member)
Santa Cruz River History – April 26, 10 am-12 pm
Public Art & Murals – April 27, 9-11 am
Public Art & Murals + Wine Tasting – April 27, 1-4 pm ($55/member, $65/non-member)
NEW TOUR: Murals & More + Margaritas in the 4th Avenue District – April 28, 11:30 am-2 pm ($36/member, $46/non-member)
NEW TOUR: Murals & More in the 4th Avenue District – April 28, 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 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.
--####--