Tucson, Ariz. -- Arizona is known as “The Valentine State” because it became a state on Feb. 14, 1912.  This month, the Presidio Museum’s Living History Day will celebrate that statehood with:

  • Docent-led tour of the Presidio Museum at 10:30 am
  • A performance by the 1870s-1900s Town Band at 11 am
  • Lecture on Atanacia Santa Cruz at 11:45 am.  Atanacia was born inside the Presidio walls in 1850 and married Sam Hughes at the age of 12.  The re-enactor portraying Atanacia will discuss life inside the Presidio walls and will also be available throughout the event.
  • A lecture on Arizona’s Road to Statehood at 1:15 pm– A brief discussion of the journey from our territorial independence from New Mexico to becoming the 48th state in the US
  • Ongoing performances of traditional Spanish music by El Camino Ancho  
  • Re-enactments by the Presidio Garrison of soldier drills and cannon fire
  • Demonstrations of weaving, sewing and blacksmithing
  • Meet a re-enactor portraying Maria Wakefield Fish who came to Tucson in 1873 and was Tucson’s first professionally trained teacher

The event will be held on Saturday, Feb. 11, from 10 am-2 pm and the cost is $10/adult, $5/person ages 6-13, and free for those five and younger and Presidio Museum Members.  Pima County residents, seniors, and the military receive $3 off with ID.

 

The rodeo has a rich history in Tucson, and the museum’s Fourth Saturday Family Funday will celebrate that history with a variety of family-friendly activities, including:

  • Horseshoe tournaments
  • Roping demonstrations
  • A rodeo display from the Rodeo Parade Museum
  • Other hands-on activities

The event will be held on Saturday, Feb. 25, from 10 am to 1 pm, and is included in admission.

 

The museum’s Salon & Saloon Lecture Series continues this month with “Levi’s and Lace: Arizona Women Who Made History” by author Jan Cleere.  Cleere will discuss her book of the same title in which she presents more than 35 heroic women.  From teachers to entrepreneurs to artists to healers, Jan provides informative text that highlights historic Hispanic, African American, Native American and Anglo women who made their mark on the intriguing history of Arizona. The lecture will be held across the street from the Presidio Museum at the pub at LaCo restaurant on Feb. 25, at 2 pm.  The cost is $5.  Attendees can pay at the door or pre-register at https://tucsonpresidio.com/calendar/salon-saloon-lecture-military-wives-in-arizona-territory-a-history-of-women-who-shaped-the-frontier/.
 

Our popular walking tours continue this month.  Tours are $25/person or $20/Presidio Museum Member.

Armory Park – Saturday, Feb. 11, 10 am-12 pm

Turquoise Trail – Saturday, Feb. 11, 10 am-12 pm

Walking the Wall of the Original Presidio – Thursday, Feb. 16, 10 am-12 pm

Turquoise Trail (A Slightly Shorter Version) – Sunday, Feb. 19, 10 am-12 pm

Fort Lowell Neighborhood – Wednesday, Feb. 22, 1-3 pm

Mansions of Main Ave. – Saturday, Feb. 25, 10 am-12 pm

Public Art & Murals – Saturday, Feb. 25, 10 am-12 pm

See https://tucsonpresidio.com/walking-tours/ for tour descriptions and to register.

 

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 $8 for adults, $5 for children ages 6-13 and free for children 5 and under and Presidio Museum members. Special events have separate rates. 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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