Bienvenidos -- Welcome. Strong evidence indicates Tucson may well be the oldest continuously inhabited city in America, occupied by Native Americans, Spaniards, Mexicans, and Anglo Pioneers--one civilization overlapping another. Our tour encompasses most of the historic areas of Tucson, from some of the oldest dwellings to the most modern of art galleries and libraries. You will find museums, restaurants, shops, park benches and grassy knolls, where you may rest and learn. We invite you to walk with us through the exciting historic and cultural past that is Tucson -- "The Old Pueblo". Feliz paseo -- Happy walking.

1. Santa Rita Hotel. The five story California mission-style hotel--Tucson's tallest--was opened in 1904, although only one wing of the original building still stands. The hotel's register includes notables from Clark Gable and Rita Hayworth to Paul Newman and Gregory Peck. The hotel is on the site of the Civil War U. S. Army Camp Tucson constructed in 1862 when U. S. troops caused the Confederate Army to withdraw after having occupied Tucson for three months.

2. Enter Armory Park Historic District, a residential district with homes dating from late 1800s to early 1900s. Architectural styles range from Victorian, Queen Anne and Greek Revival to Anglo-Territorial and Sonoran adobe. Listed in National Register of Historic Places.

3. Masonic Temple, 160 S. Scott Ave. Constructed in 1915, it is listed in National Register of Historic Places.

4. Old Carnegie Library, 200 S. 6th Ave. Designed by architect Henry Trost, this 1901 library building was financed by Andrew Carnegie. It is now the Tucson Children's Museum. Listed in National Register of Historic Places. In front is the Bufano Bench, Tucson's oldest piece of public art. Sculpted by Beniamino Bufano and installed in 1920, it is a 22-foot bench of black, pink, beige & gray marble. It was restored in 1975.

5. Military Plaza. From 1863 to 1864, during the Civil War, the Union Army constructed Camp Lowell at this location to prevent Confederate forces from returning to the area. Later, in 1865, it became the first site of Ft. Lowell; in 1873 the fort was moved to its present location at Ft. Lowell Park. There are three monuments in the park dedicated to the Spanish American War, World War I, and the Mormon Battalion of 1846.

6. House, 220 S. 4th Ave. Built ca. 1902, it is a typical turn-of-the-century two-story home for this area. It is now the studio for Tucson's community radio station KXCI, 91.3 FM.

7. Tucson Center for the Performing Arts, 408 S. 6th Ave. It was originally All Saints Church constructed in 1921.

8. Temple of Music & Art, 330 S. Scott Ave. This 1920 two-story stage and movie theater has been refurbished as the new home of the Arizona Theatre Company and other arts groups. The architectural style is Spanish Colonial Revival. Listed in National Register of Historic Places.

9. Enter Barrio Historico District. The area was once called Barrio Libre (free neighborhood), because it was not subject to city controls. The District is the last remaining area of an original, larger barrio (Spanish for neighborhood) where about 150 adobes have survived since the middle and late 1800s. The Tucson Convention Center is located on portions of the property that was one of the region's first "housing developments". Simpson and Cushing Streets were named for W. H. Simpson and Howard Cushing, respectively, who were killed during a raid on Apaches in 1871. Listed in National Register of Historic Places.

10. Ferrin House, 343 S. Meyer Ave. Probably constructed in the 1870s, it was originally Joseph Ferrin's home combined with a general store he ran. Now the Cushing Street Bar & Restaurant, the interior is furnished in 1880s' style.

11. Carrillo House, 363 S. Meyer Ave. Another ca. 1860s adobe house, it was the home of rancher Francisco Carrillo, a brother of Leopoldo Carrillo, once owner of the Soza-Carrillo-Fremont House. Original mesquite and pine beams, saguaro-ribbed ceilings, and wooden door lintels have been saved in the restoration.

12. Teatro Carmen, 380 Meyer. Opened in 1915, and named for its founder Carmen Soto Vasquez, this was one of the first theaters in Tucson devoted exclusively to the presentation of dramatic works in Spanish. There is an historic site plaque in front. It was one of the scenes in the movie "Boys on the Side" starring Whoopi Goldberg.

13. Carrillo School, 440 S. Main Ave. Built in 1930, it is named for pioneer businessman Leopoldo Carrillo. During the 1880s the site contained the city's first park with acres of spring fed lakes and gardens. In 1912 the first airplane in Tucson landed here. The halls of the school are lined with vintage photographs of the Barrio Historico District.

14. El Tiradito, on west side Main Ave. just south of Cushing St. Also known as the "Wishing Shrine", it is called one of the genuine folk shrines of the nation. Legend tells of a young herder who was killed in a lovers' triangle. Because his body was buried at this spot in unconsecrated ground, pious townsfolk lit candles and prayed for his soul. Listed in National Register of Historic Places.

15. Tucson Community Center. The Center, an $18 million complex, encompassing 28 acres, was completed in 1971. It includes a sports arena and convention facilities, a concert hall, little theater, landscaped gardens, and public pavilions. As you walk along the west side of the Convention Center building, look to the west (your left) and you will see a small mountain with a large "A" on it. This is Sentinel Peak (also called "A Mountain"), which gave Tucson its name -- from the Pima Indian word "ts-iuk-shan" or "chuk-shon", which means "at the foot of dark mountain". The original village was located there. Sentinel Peak receives its name from the fact that during the frontier days a sentinel was posted atop it to watch and give signals of approaching unfriendly Apaches. The "A" is maintained by the students of the University of Arizona.

16. Soza-Carrillo-Fremont House, 151 S. Granada Ave. Built by Leopoldo Carrillo, this 1880 house was rented by the well-known explorer and fifth Territorial Governor John C. Fremont as a residence for his daughter in 1881. "Casa del Gobernador" is typical of the Sonoran architectural style and has been restored, furnished and decorated with original period furniture and fixtures. Exhibits about the Territory and lifestyle of Tucsonans and guided tours are offered. Has 200-year-old fig tree in back. Free. Listed in National Register of Historic Places.

17. Music Hall Plaza, between Leo Rich Theatre and Music Hall. In addition to the water falls, there are some interesting art sculptures here, including: "Arrows", by Fred Borcherdt, 1980; "Sphere Field II", by George Ehnat, 1983; and "Three Druids", by David Kraisler, 1982.

18. La Placita Village, 110 S. Church. This complex of offices, shops and restaurants resembles a Mexican market place. It stands on the site of a nineteenth century Mexican plaza, the "Plaza de la Mesilla". After the Gadsden Purchase of 1854, it was the terminus of the wagon road joining Tucson to the territorial capital, then at Mesilla, NM. Along the east side of the village is the Samaniego House, 222 S. Church. Now a private club, this typical 1880 townhouse was the residence of civic and political leader Mariano G. Samaniego.

19. Garces Footbridge and plaque, over Congress St. between Church & Granada Avenues. This is a memorial to Francisco Garces, an explorer and the first Franciscan missionary to the Pima Indian village at the foot of Sentinel Peak ("A" Mountain) in the west part of Tucson. From the bridge look down to the east and you can see the 14-foot bronze statue of Pancho Villa by Mexican sculptor Julian Martinez, a gift from Mexico in 1981. Pancho Villa was either a Mexican revolutionary hero or a bandit, depending on your historical perspective of this colorful figure. At north end of the bridge is the Pima County Governmental Center, 130 W. Congress St.

20. Allende Footbridge and plaque, over Pennington St. Memorial to Pedro Allende, the first resident Commander of the Royal Presidio of Tucson and Captain of the Mexican Dragoons.

21. El Presidio Park, in the 100 block of Church Ave. On Aug. 20, 1775, Lt. Col. Hugo O'Connor of the Royal Spanish Army selected the site for a new frontier presidio and this park is the southern half of that Presidio, the "Plaza de las Armas". The Park has many fountains, sculptures and plaques. The building to the west is Tucson City Hall, 255 W. Alameda St. A bronze statue in front, "Soldado de Cuera" by Buck McCain, 1987, depicts a Royal Presidio soldier. There is a monument to the Mormon Battalion of 1846. At the northwest corner of City Hall next to Alameda St. stands the monument to Fr. Eusebio Francisco Kino. The large bronze plaque is mounted in dark stone quarried from Sentinel Peak. Fr. Kino was a Jesuit missionary to Pimeria Alta, now northern Sonora and southern Arizona, who first visited Tucson in 1692; he was also an explorer, cartographer and scientist.

22. Enter El Presidio Historic District. Listed in National Register of Historic Places.

23. Tucson Museum of Art complex, 140 N. Main Ave. The museum was built in 1975 and its exhibits include contemporary works. Permanent collections embrace pre-Columbian artifacts and Spanish colonial furnishings and paintings. Admission fee for adults. The museum plaza, the "Plaza of the Pioneers", has murals, sculptures and plaques. Also behind the museum, on the corner of Meyer & Washington St., is the Romero House. This 1868 adobe home of Lenardo Romero was built over part of the original Presidio wall. The plaque is on the Washington St. side of the house. On the west side of the museum complex is the Corbett House, 179 N. Main. Designed by self-taught architect David Holmes and built in 1907 for J. Knox Corbett, it is a mixture of Spanish and Victorian styles.

24. La Casa Cordova, 175 N. Meyer Ave.. The bare adobe building just behind the northeast side of the main art museum building is La Casa Cordova. An adobe home dating from early 1850s, this is believed to be the second oldest surviving building in Tucson. Restored as the Mexican Heritage Museum, it is listed in the National Register of Historic Places; the historic site plaque is on the east side of the building.

25. Fish House, 120 N. Main Ave. Built on the site of old barracks, the 1868 home of merchant, entrepreneur and political representative Edward Nye Fish has 15-foot high-beamed ceilings and saguaro-ribs lacings. The adobe building now part of the Tucson Museum of Art complex.

26. Stevens House, 150 N. Main Ave. This 1865 home of Hiram S. Stevens and the Fish House formed the social center of 19th-century Tucson. It is now part of the Tucson Museum of Art complex. Bricks from the Presidio wall were used in construction of both houses. The old pepper tree in front dates from ca. 1875.

27. El Presidio Wall plaque, southeast corner Main Ave. & Washington St. Construction of an adobe wall was begun in 1775 around Tucson to protect the settlers, making it the first walled city in America. The wall was completed in 1783. This plaque marks the northwest corner of the Presidio wall.

28. Sam Hughes House, 221 & 223 N. Main Ave. Now a series of garden apartments, the home was a small adobe when Hughes and his bride moved into it in 1864. It was enlarged to accommodate their 15 children. Hughes was kicked out of town by Confederate forces during the Civil War for being a Union supporter.

29. Kruttschnitt House, 297 N. Main Ave. It was probably built in the late 1860s with 20 inch thick adobe walls and served as the home of Julius Kruttschnitt. It has been restored to its 1886 appearance and now serves as a "bed and breakfast". Listed in National Register of Historic Places.

30. Steinfeld House, 300 N. Main Ave. Built in 1900 of brick stucco in Spanish mission style and designed by architect Henry Trost, this house is a good example of an affluent Tucson residence of the turn of the 19th century.

31. The Owl's Club Mansion, 378 N. Main Ave. [1/2 block off route]. This once grand gentlemen's club building was designed in 1901 by renowned architect Henry Trost. Listed in National Register of Historic Places.

32. Rosalia Verdugo House, 323 N. Main Ave. Built in 1877, the house retains the traditional canales (drain pipes) to take water off what was originally a flat roof. The 24-inch adobe walls are covered with stucco.

33. McCleary House, 245 Franklin. Its 1880 owners were MacTroy McCleary and his wife, Carmen Valenzuela. Like the family, the house embodies Tucson's Mexican-Anglo heritage. Originally it was a flat-roofed adobe, with the Anglo porch and Victorian details added later.

34. Flin House, 311 N. Court Ave. A contemporary version of a longtime favorite restaurant, it is made of the dark stone from Sentinel Peak. It was a late 1880s family home built by Jules Flin, a skilled French stonemason who worked on the St. Augustine Cathedral. It is now El Charro Cafe, and the basement is a gift shop.

35. Adobe house, 223 N. Court Ave. The thick-walled adobe house was built ca. 1880 as a private residence. It served as the Stork's Nest maternity ward from 1922 to 1946. There is a historic site plaque on the front of the building. Listed in National Register of Historic Places.

36. The Pit House Site, south side of Washington St. just west of Church St. [1/2 block off route]. In 1954 University of Arizona archaeologists were given a limited time to dig for the northeast corner of the Presidio wall. They discovered, 18 inches below the wall, a hard-packed floor and remnants of an Indian hut, occupied between 700 and 900 A.D., and part of a Hohokam Indian village. The find was carefully mapped and photographed before being covered for a parking lot. An informative plaque marks the Site and the northeast corner of the old Presidio wall.

37. Old Town Artisans, 186 N. Meyer Ave. Now an artisans' marketplace, the two front rooms, which feature saguaro-rib ceilings, constitute the original adobe built between 1862 and 1875. It may be entered from the Court Avenue side.

38. Soledad Jacome House, 182 N. Court. The two front rooms constitute the original adobe, built between 1862 and 1875, with saguaro rib ceilings and corner fireplaces. In the patio is a beautiful fig tree believed to be more than 100 years old.

39. Tucson Main Public Library, 101 N. Stone Ave. This marble building was occupied in May 1990 and has the capacity to house 250,000 volumes. In front of the library is the large red sculpture "Sonora" by David Black, 1991.

40. Old Pima County Courthouse, 155 N. Church; this building, constructed in 1929, combines Spanish and southwestern architecture in its columns, arches, decorated facade, tiled dome, interior court and fountain. The southeast corner of the Presidio wall is marked on the first floor of the building and a portion of the original wall may be seen on the second floor; it is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

41. Stone Avenue was also U. S. Highways 80 & 89 from 1926 until the early 1990s when those highway numbers were withdrawn from southern Arizona.

42. Southern Pacific Railroad Station, 400 Toole Ave. The building was constructed in 1907 and is the second station on this site. The railroad first reached Tucson on March 20, 1880. Wyatt Earp had a shoot-out with a gunman here. There is an historic site plaque in front of the building next to the sidewalk. On the tracks side of the station is a restored steam locomotive built in 1900.

43. Congress Hotel, 311 E. Congress St. Constructed in 1919, it was opened to serve Southern Pacific Railroad passengers in route from El Paso to Los Angeles. A 1934 fire that partially destroyed this elegant, three-story hotel also ultimately led to the arrest of John Dillinger and his gang. It was restored in 1989.

44. Fourth Avenue Underpass. Built in 1916 under the Southern Pacific Railroad, it is the first railroad underpass in Arizona. Listed in National Register of Historic Places.

45. Coronado Hotel, 402 E. 9th St. This three story Spanish colonial-style building was constructed in 1928. Listed in National Register of Historic Places.

46. Old Pueblo Trolley, at rear of building at 247 N. 4th Ave. Vintage trolley cars may be seen in the fenced in area behind the building. One of them may be seen operating on 4th Ave. and University Blvd.

47. Enter West University Historic District. Most buildings in this residential area date from 1900 to 1930 with architectural styles ranging from stucco bungalows to Greek Revival, and many were designed by Tucson's most prominent architects of the period. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

48. Arizona State Historical Society Museum, 949 E. 2nd St. Exhibits depict and interpret the rich historical heritage of Arizona from the coming of the Spaniards in 1539 to the present; displays include costume hall, period rooms, life-size copper mine, territorial Arizona patio, and Spanish colonial silver. Admission fee. The ornate stone facade reconstructed around the entrance is from the original St. Augustine Catholic Cathedral (originally located in what is now La Placita Village) constructed in 1863 and demolished in 1936. This stone work was crafted by Jules Flin (his house is #34 above). The two bronze statues in front are of Gen. John Campbell Greenway, a roughrider and local prominent pioneer; and explorer Fr. Eusebio Francisco Kino (see #21 above for details on Kino).

49. Enter University of Arizona Campus Historic District. Listed in National Register of Historic Places. The University was founded in 1885. It was given to Tucson to appease the townfolks' anger for having been bypassed as the site for the territorial capital. Today, the University has 138 beautiful buildings on its 321 acre campus with an enrollment of over 30,000.

50. Old Olive Trees, along North Campus Dr. The trees were planted in 1889 for study of their adaptability to Arizona conditions.

51. University of Arizona Museum of Art, west side Olive Rd. [2 ˝ blocks off route]. Provides a special place in Tucson to experience one of the most complete university collections in the Southwest of Renaissance and later European and American art; works by Rembrandt, Piranesi, Picasso, O'Keeffe and Rothko are part of a permanent collection. The Museum also presents continuous temporary exhibitions and special programs. Free.

52. Center for Creative Photography, east side Olive Rd. [2 ˝ blocks off route]. The Center features an outstanding collection of photographs and other material on photography in the 20th century, and is home of the archives of Ansel Adams and Richard Avedon. The Center offers one to three different photographic exhibitions at a time. Free.

53. Engineering Building, between University Blvd. & North Campus Dr. The building was constructed in 1918. In the north wing is the TRIGA nuclear reactor, installed in 1958 by General Atomics Corporation, the first multi-purpose reactor of its type to be placed in any educational institution in the nation. Listed in National Register of Historic Places.

54. U.S.S. Arizona Memorial, in middle of traffic circle, created in 2002 by the Santa Theresa Tile Works, honors the battleship U. S. S. Arizona which was sunk in the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack. Dog tags for each of the sailors on the ship hang from the memorial.

55. Student Union Memorial Building, north side of University Blvd. Battleship USS Arizona Museum, Bookstore, and a variety of restaurants are in the building.

56. Old Main, University Blvd. Mall. The University's first building, construction started in 1887 and first classes were held in it in 1891. Completely restored, it is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The fountain in front was constructed in 1919 as a memorial to the Univ. of Arizona students that died in World War I. It was dedicated by General John J. Pershing. There is a Time Capsule marker, near very large drilled boulder, at southeast corner of Old Main.

57. Petrified wood; northeast corner of Forbes Bldg. The five large pieces of petrified wood form a table and benches, a memorial to William J. Pistor and E. B. Stanley. The fossilized wood is from Milky Ranch, Apache Co., AZ.

58. Arizona State Museum, southeast corner University Blvd. & Park Ave. Special and permanent displays reveal the prehistoric, historic and contemporary cultures of southwestern Native Peoples. The North Gallery, on the opposite side of University Blvd., has additional exhibits. Established in 1893, the Museum's north building was constructed in 1925 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The south building was built in 1935. Free.

59. University of Arizona Main Gate and Wall, east side of Park Ave. at University Blvd. The gate and wall along Park Ave. were constructed in 1916 from volcanic rock from Sentinel Peak ("A" Mountain).

60. University Streetcar Line Historic Site plaque, in front of 990 University Blvd. From 1898 to 1930 this intersection was the eastern terminus of the streetcar line between downtown and the university.

61. Geronimo Hotel, 800 University Blvd. Construction of this hotel started in 1919. Will Rogers Jr. lived here while attending the University of Arizona. It was renovated in 1987 and now houses shops, cafes, and offices.

62. Tucson High School, 400 N. 2nd Ave. The first buildings were constructed in 1924. This school was the setting for the motion picture "Can't Buy Me Love" (1987). The motion picture company built a new athletic field for the school as payment for using it as a movie set.

63. Enter Iron Horse Expansion Historic District. A residential district with homes dating from 1875 to 1949. Architectural styles range from Bungalow/Craftsman to Queen Anne, some designed by the architect Josia T. Joessler. Listed in National Register of Historic Places.

64. The Diamondback Bridge; a multi-award winning concrete pedestrian/bicycle bridge over East Broadway Blvd. constructed in 2002 for $2.3 million. It was designed to resemble a Diamondback Rattlesnake, complete with fangs and rattle. The decorative colored concrete located at the head was placed in the shape of the snake’s tongue.

65. Broadway Tile Murals, on four walls where Barraza-Aviation Parkway meets East Broadway. Called “Windows to the Past, Gateway to the Future” and unveiled in 1999, over a dozen photographs transferred to ceramic tiles show ordinary Tucsonans from the 1920s through the early ‘60s . Many of the photos were taken by shoeshine man & street photographer Arthur Otero between 1930 and 1960. The project was conceptualized by graphic designer Stephen Farley.

66. Tucson Arts District, 100 to 300 blocks of E. Congress St. and adjacent streets. Art galleries, antique shops, book stores, and other interesting shops are located here. On the first and third Saturdays of each month, "Tucson Saturday Night" happens here--on those evenings the shops are open and there are music groups and crafts and food vendors along the streets.

67. Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress St. [1/2 block off route]. Constructed in 1919, it was considered the most elegant theater for its time west of the Mississippi.

68. Old U. S. Courthouse and Post Office, 55 E. Broadway. Constructed in 1929, it is significant for its architecture which is described as "eclectic revivalism". Listed in National Register of Historic Places.

09/16/2005