Tours are listed in alphabetical order.
If you do not see a date that you were looking for below, the tour on that date is sold out.
Cancellation Policy:
Cancellations received more than 24 hours in advance will receive a refund. Cancellations received less than 24 hours in advance will not receive a refund.
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Armory Park
Led by tour guide Alan Kruse, The Armory Park neighborhood is south of Broadway and east of Stone. Homes started to go up in this area with the arrival of the railroad in Tucson in 1880. Architectural styles vary from California bungalow to Victorian with Henry C. Trost and Annie Rockfellow being the most renowned architects. The Tour is 5/8-mile and includes the outsides of the Blenman Inn, the Carnegie Library, the Scottish Rite Cathedral, the Safford School, the Willard Hotel, and the Temple of Music and Art.
***The tour meets across the street from the Blenman Inn at 204 S. Scott. Free on-street parking is available.
Pre-registration is required. Click on the date below to register.
Sunday, April 16, 9-11 am
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Barrio Viejo (Old Neighborhood)
Experience the rich history of Tucson on the one-mile Barrio Viejo (old neighborhood) Walking Tour, which goes through the largest collection of Sonoran Row houses in the United States. For over 100 years, Barrio Viejo was the heart of Tucson’s social, economic, and cultural life. On this 90-minute walking tour, your tour guide Mauro Trejo will discuss the history of the neighborhood, its architecture, and the individuals, businesses, and cultures that meet there.
***Add-On – (30 minutes) For an additional $10.00 participants have the option of joining their tour guide for conversation, a Margarita (or alternative) and a Cheese Crisp after the tour at the historic El Minuto Café.
This tour begins at El Tiradito Wishing Shrine, 418 S. Main Avenue, just south of El Minuto Restaurant.
All of the following tours are held on Saturdays unless otherwise noted.
$20 for members, $25 for non-members
Pre-registration is required. Click on the date below to register.
May 20, 5:30-7 pm
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Fort Lowell Neighborhood
Historian and preservationist Ken Scoville explains how physical features, cultural layers, and political decisions have shaped not just the story of the Fort Lowell district but the development of Arizona as well, from Apache wars to development wars. Discover why the Fort Lowell area and the State of Arizona are the places they are today on this 1.5-mile walking tour.
***This tour meets at Fort Lowell Park, 2900 N. Craycroft Rd.
All of the following tours are held on Wednesdays unless otherwise noted.
$20 for members, $25 for non-members
Pre-registration is required. Click on the date below to register.
March 29, 11:30 am-1:30 pm
April 26, 9:30-11:30 am
May 24, 8:30-10:30 am
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Mainly Murals
The Mainly Murals Walking Tour, led by tour guide Dorothy Yanez, features many of the murals found in the downtown area, discussing the artist, history of the mural, and many of the artists’ inspirations behind the pieces. OVER 10 NEW MURALS HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THIS TOUR ROUTE SINCE DOROTHY HAS BEGUN GIVING THESE TOURS. The tour begins at the Presidio Museum and is approximately two miles long, including murals north of Congress Street.
All of the following tours are held on Saturdays unless otherwise noted.
$20 for members, $25 for non-members
Pre-registration is required. Click on the date below to register.
May 6, 8-10 am
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Mansions of Main Avenue
Take a stroll down Main Avenue with tour guide Alan Kruse to view the homes and hear the stories of the movers and shakers of early Tucson, including:
**Hiram and Petra Stevens, who were a prominent merchant couple but whose domestic life was less than perfect
**Sam Hughes who is called by some the “father of Tucson”
**Annie Cheyney whose newly restored 1905 home is the talk of the town
**Albert Steinfeld of department store fame whose son Harold was a top scorcher
**Frank Hereford, an attorney who represented the defendants in the Wham Robbery
**William Herring who was at one time Wyatt Earp’s lawyer
***This tour is 1/4-mile long and meets in front of Cafe a la C’art, 150 N. Main Avenue.
Click on the appropriate date below to register.
$20 for members, $25 for non-members
Pre-registration is required. Click on the date below to register.
Saturday, April 22, 9-11 am
Sunday, May 28, 8-10 am
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Pioneer Women of Main Avenue
Led by tour guide Alan Kruse, this walking tour focuses on the pioneer women who contributed so much to Tucson’s history. Some of the women covered include:
**Sarah Sorin – the first female attorney to appear before the U.S. Supreme Court unassisted
**Gladys Franklin – active with historic and artistic endeavors in Tucson, she died in the same room she was born in on Main Avenue at 89.
**Edith Kitt – Ran the Arizona Historical Society for years
**Bettina Steinfeld – wife of Albert Steinfeld, Merchant Prince of the Southwest
**Annie Neal Cheyney – had the Cheyney House built on Main Avenue
**Atanacia Hughes – married to Sam Hughes at age 13 or so, gave birth to 15 children (pictured above)
***This tour is 1/4-mile long and begins at Café a la C’art at 150 N. Main Ave. and follows the same route as the Mansions of Main Avenue Walking Tour. On-street parking is available.
$20 for members, $25 for non-members
Pre-registration is required. Click on the date below to register
Sunday, May 21, 8-10 am
Sunday, June 25, 8-10 am
Saturday, July 29, 8-10 am
Sunday, September 24, 8-10 am
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Public Art & Murals
Recent years have seen an explosion of public art throughout Tucson. The Downtown Public Art Walking Tour, led by tour guide Dorothy Yanez, begins at the Presidio Museum and proceeds into the downtown area, stopping at numerous public art pieces and murals. At each stop you will learn about the artist and the artwork. Several new murals have been added to the tour route since Dorothy began giving these tours about a year ago. The tour is approximately 2 miles and includes stops south of Congress Street. Dorothy will be on a microphone for better hearing and to promote social distancing.
All tours on Saturdays, unless otherwise noted.
$20 for members, $25 for non-members
Pre-registration is required. Click on the date below to register.
March 25, 10 am-12 pm
April 22, 9-11 am
May 27, 8-10 am
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Santa Cruz River History
This two-mile walking tour is led by Mauro Trejo and focuses on our relationship with the Santa Cruz River, how it supported Tucson’s early residents, and the factors in the 19th and 20th century that affected its demise.
The tour begins at Tucson’s Mission Garden and includes the sites of the former Spanish mission and the O’odham village that was the origin of our modern city. Attendees also visit Tucson’s tallest tree and the Garden of Gethsemane, a holy site of statues made by WWI veteran and artist Felix Lucero in the 1940s.
***This tour begins at Mission Garden, 946 W. Mission Lane, Tucson, AZ, 85745
All tours on Friday, unless otherwise noted.
$25 for members, $30 for non-members includes entry into Mission Garden
Pre-registration is required. Click on the date below to register.
April 21, 11 am-1 pm
May 19, 11 am-1 pm
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Turquoise Trail
Presidio Museum Tour Guide Mauro Trejo leads this walking tour, which covers the Turquoise Trail through the heart of downtown. Learn about Tucson’s fascinating history and see some architectural gems. Pre-registration is required.
PLEASE NOTE: A standard-length and a slightly- shorter version of the Turquoise Trail are both available January through April. Make sure you register for the correct tour below:
STANDARD LENGTH TURQUOISE TRAIL TOUR
Click on the appropriate date below to register.
All tours on Saturdays unless otherwise noted (2.5-mile tour)
$20 members, $25 non-members
Pre-registration is required. Click on the date below to register.
April 8, 9-11:30 am
May 13, 8-10:30 am
SLIGHTLY SHORTER VERSION OF THE TURQUOISE TRAIL TOUR
Click on the appropriate date below to register.
All tours on Sundays unless otherwise noted (2-mile tour)
$20 members, $25 non-members
Pre-registration is required. Click on the date below to register.
April 16, 9-11 am
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University of Arizona
April 5, 9-11:30 am – SOLD OUT
$20/member, $25/non-member
After a discussion of the interesting beginnings of the University in 1885, tour guide Alan Kruse will lead attendees to the historic portion of the campus beginning with the Main Gate at University at Park. The history, the personalities, and the architecture will be emphasized in a somewhat chronological order. The architecture of the older buildings varies from Classical Revival to Italian and Spanish Romanesque. The tour will also include newer sites such as the Women’s Plaza of Honor and the Student Union Memorial Center. As we stroll the campus, we will investigate some of the plants – the University is a recognized arboretum – and the public art. The tour will end after a short visit to the front of the Arizona History Museum.
Pre-registration is required.
***This tour is 1.25-miles long and meets in the Arizona Historical Center Parking Lot on the northeast corner of Euclid and 2nd Street.
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Walking the Wall of the Original Presidio
Take a walk through downtown Tucson and discover the extent of the original Presidio Wall. This tour shows attendees just how large the original Presidio San Agustín del Tucson actually was. Along the way, you’ll learn the interesting history of several buildings and hear stories of some of Tucson’s most prominent citizens. Highlights include Old Town Artisans, the Sam Hughes House, the historic Pima County Courthouse, and the location of the old Presidio San Agustin Cemetery.
This tour is less than a mile and takes approximately two hours.
All tours on Thursdays unless otherwise noted (1-mile tour)
$20 members, $25 non-members
Pre-registration is required. Click on the date below to register.
May 18, 8-10 am
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Presidio District Gastronomy Tours
Celebrating Tucson’s UNESCO City of Gastronomy designation, the tour includes stops at four locations in the historic Presidio District of Downtown Tucson. Participants learn from knowledgeable tour guides and experience Tucson’s complex food heritage and the fusion of Old and New World ingredients. You’ll also hear great stories of Tucson’s history in some of it’s more historic locations.
Beginning at the Presidio Museum, participants learn about Tucson’s origins and the food fusions that occurred when the Spanish and Tohono O’odham were first learning from each other through tastings of Old and New World foods,
The next stop is El Charro, where participants enjoy some of their most popular menu items and a margarita. While sitting in their flagship restaurant, tour participants will learn the rich history of the Flores family and hear stories such as how the chimichanga was created.
Next up is LaCo Restaurant/Old Town Artisans, located in the longest-inhabited block in Arizona. Participants will enjoy an appetizer portion of menu items made with both Old and New World ingredients. The stories told here are about the residents and businesses the building has hosted in the past.
The final stop on the tour is Café a la C’art, housed in the historic Fish-Stevens home at the Tucson Museum of Art. Here, participants will enjoy one of their many famous desserts made with historic regional ingredients and learn about the Fish and Stevens families that inhabited the home.
COVID Disclaimer: Presidio District Gastronomy Tours were suspended for the last 20 months due to the COVID surges. We are pleased to now be bringing them back. However, please note, while you will be outdoors while walking from one location to the next, you will be eating indoors in somewhat intimate settings. Please participate in tours at your own risk and based on your own comfort level. Masks will not be required.
All tours will be held from 12:30 – 4 pm.
Pre-registration is required. Check back for Fall 2023 Dates and Rates
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