The Tucson Presidio Trust

Our History

The Tucson Presidio Trust for Historic Preservation is a non-profit organization that manages the Presidio Museum.  

The Trust was founded in 1984 by Lewis Hall, who had two goals; to raise awareness of southern Arizona’s Spanish and Mexican heritage and to push for the reconstruction of portions of the adobe-walled fortress that stood in what is now downtown Tucson, established in 1775 and in use until 1856. 

Mr. Hall passed away in 1998 before seeing his dream come to fruition. However, with the support of local voters, the City of Tucson reconstructed the northeast corner of the Presidio San Agustín del Tucson in 2007 as part of the downtown redevelopment district known as Rio Nuevo. The property was then turned over to the City of Tucson Parks and Recreation Department. The Tucson Presidio Trust acted as a friends organization, bringing life into the adobe walls with its volunteer-run living history programs.

In 2015 the Trust took over daily operations of the Museum with the goal of creating a fully sustainable cultural and tourist attraction. With the development of educational programs, field trips, family outreach programs, living history as well as history/gastronomy based walking tours. the Trust looks forward to a future of serving our schoolchildren, the Tucson community and visitors from around the world.

In 2024, the Tucson Presidio Trust signed an agreement with the City of Tucson to also run the Fort Lowell Museum, located in Fort Lowell Park on the East side of the City. Learn more here.

Tucson Presidio Trust Board Presidents (from present to past):

  • W. Mark Clark
  • Homer Thiel
  • Rick Collins
  • Margie Cunningham
  • Gayle H. Hartmann
  • Don Laidlaw
  • Warren Edminster
  • Lewis Hall

See a full roster of current Board members here.