Tucson Area Walking Tours
Tucson Presidio Museum offers the best Tucson Area Walking Tours. We have a variety of tours with experienced and friendly guides.
Information on all our walking tours are listed below 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
The Armory Park neighborhood is south of Broadway and east of Stone. Buildings started to go up in this area with the arrival of the railroad in 1880. The tour led by Alan Kruse covers a half-mile in two hours and includes the outsides of public buildings on the west side of the neighborhood, no homes. These include the Blenman Inn, the Carnegie Free Library, the Scottish Rite Cathedral, the Safford School, the Willard Hotel, and the Temple of Music and Art. Personalities discussed include Charles Rivers Drake, Charles Blenman, Isabella Greenway, Mattie Dreyfus Heineman, and renowned architects Henry C. Trost and A. G. Rockfellow. This is a good tour for people who want more information and less walking.
***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.
$20/member, $25/non-member
Sunday, September 17, 8-10 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.
Pre-registration is required.
October 28, 5:30-7 pm
November 18, 10-11:30 am
December 16, 10-11:30 am
$20/member, $30/non-member
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Congress Street – NEW TOUR
Every town has a “street of dreams” where shopping, dining and entertainment flourished and then floundered. Congress Street is now being reborn thanks to past preservation efforts to save from demolition the Fox and Rialto Theatres, the Congress Hotel and early masonry commercial buildings. Presidio Museum tour guide Ken Scoville will lead the group east on Congress, explaining how each block reflects ongoing changes in downtown commercial development from the 19th and 20th centuries. Discover the struggle between west and east merchants to attract customers with saloons and gambling, later with restaurants, theaters and hotels, to capture the tourist and even John Dillinger. The tour finishes at the end of Congress Street at the restored train station.
***This tour begins at Washington Street and Church Avenue on the northeast corner of the Presidio Museum (not at the front entrance).
$20/member, $30/non-member
Pre-registration is required.
Tour Dates:
Friday, November 3, 10 am-12 pm
Friday, December 1, 10 am-12 pm
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Court Street Cemetery Tour
Archaeologist and historian 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 where bodies have been found and reveal the history of this forgotten place.
***This tour begins at the southwest corner of Stone and Speedway.
Pre-registration is required.
$20/member, $30/non-member
Tour Dates:
Sunday, October 29, 10-11:30 am
Sunday, October 29, 1-2:30 pm
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Evergreen Cemetery – NEW TOUR
After a general overview of Tucson’s cemeteries, Presidio Museum tour guide Alan Kruse will lead attendees through several Evergreen Cemetery gravesites and hear the stories of a number of historical characters including Sam Hughes, Henry Buehman, Larcena Pennington, Harry Arizona Drachman, Sarah Herring Sorin and Thomas Jeffords.
***This tour is about 1/4 mile long and meets one block in from the cemetery entrance at N. Oracle Road and W. Fort Lowell Road. Free parking is available at the meeting spot.
Pre-registration is required.
$20/member, $30/non-member
Click on the date below to register:
Saturday, November 4, 9-11 am
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Fort Lowell Neighborhood
The Fort Lowell area is much more than just the territorial fort and staging area for the final Indian campaign against Geronimo. Historian and preservationist Ken Scoville leads this tour that explains how most of the cultural layers of Tucson are present here. The oasis of water and trees at the confluence of the Pantano Wash and the Tanque Verde Creek, which became the Rillito (little river) was a draw for many residents in the area. As early as the first century AD, the Hohokam and later historic agriculturalists farmed the area. In the 19th century, water again brought settlers from Mexico and the United States military in 1873. The last years of that century and the first decades of the 20th century brought a new wave of farmers and a small community named El Fuerte. Artists and dreamers would join in the teens and twenties to restore adobe ruins from the fort as the early farmers had done. By the 1950s, the automobile and air conditioning would bring huge population growth and pressures for change. Fort Lowell would become a historic district to help preserve this unique area. If you understand the history of the Fort Lowell area, you understand the history of Arizona.
***This tour is 1.5-miles long and begins at the San Pedro Chapel at 5230 E. Fort Lowell Rd.
Pre-registration is required. Click on the date below to register.
Monday, October 9, 9:30-11:30 am
Monday, November 13, 10 am-12 pm
Monday, December 11, 10 am-12 pm
$20/member, $30/non-member
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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.
Pre-registration is required. Click on the date below to register.
October 7, 8-10 am
November 4, 9-11 am
December 2,10 am-12 pm
Wednesday, December 27, 10 am-12 pm
$20/member, $30/non-member
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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 covers 1/4 of a mile in two hours and meets in front of Cafe a la C’art, 150 N. Main Avenue. This is a good tour for people who want more information and less walking.
Pre-registration is required. Click on the date below to register.
Saturday, October 7, 9-11 am
Sunday, December 10, 10 am-12 pm
$20/member, $30/non-member
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Modern Streetcar & Walking Tour – NEW TOUR
Potentially, one of the most significant events to occur in Tucson in many decades is the Modern Streetcar. Attendees on this tour, led by Presidio Museum tour guide Alan Kruse, will ride the streetcar from one end to the other getting on and off at various points to walk and further explore. The tour begins at the Mercado, the most western terminus, with a short history of the modern streetcar before boarding. The first stop will be to see the artwork on the Gutierrez Bridge. The next stop is in the Downtown area to look at some streetcar art and take a walking tour down Congress Street and on to Fourth Avenue. After boarding the streetcar again, the group will stop at the U of A’s Main Gate to learn about the history of the early streetcar (1897-1930). Back on the streetcar, the group will travel through the campus, ending up at the eastern terminus at Helen and Warren Streets. Here, attendees will see the head of Poet, the source of all the poetry generated along the line. The tour officially ends here at about 12:30 pm. It takes approximately 30 minutes to ride back to the Mercado. Additional time should be planned if attendees decide to stop for lunch on the way back. This tour will focus on Tucson today but will also include some historical information.
***This tour begins at the Mercado San Agustin, 100 South Avenida del Convento. The total amount of time actually spent on the streetcar (some sitting, some standing) is one hour. The rest is walking (approximately ¾ mile), sitting, and waiting for the streetcar. The ground the tour covers is uneven with multiple curbs and one flight of stairs. Because of this, no canes or walkers are allowed on the tour. There are restroom facilities at the Mercado San Agustin, but there are no more scheduled stops along the way.
Pre-registration is required. Click on the date below to register.
Wednesday, December 13, 9 am- 1 pm
$30/member, $40/non-member
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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. Attendees will view the outside of their homes and learn about their lives. 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 covers 1/4 of a mile in two hours and begins at Café a la C’art at 150 N. Main Ave. It follows the same route as the Mansions of Main Avenue Walking Tour and is a good tour for people who want more information and less walking. On-street parking is available.
Pre-registration is required. Click on the date below to register
Sunday, November 19, 10 am-12 pm
$20/member, $30/non-member
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Presidio District Tour – Why is Tucson the City It is Today? – NEW TOUR
El Presidio Historic District provides many of the answers as to why Tucson is the city it is today. Presidio Museum tour guide Ken Scoville leads this tour, which explains how the geography of the area influenced our changing relationship with water and our desert environment as each cultural group from prehistoric to historic settled in the area. The homes they constructed responded to and later denied the desert environment. The constant pressure for change and real estate speculation in a growing city is also a part of the story as the infancy of historic districts established the desire to preserve the buildings and landscape environment of an area that connects to important past events and people in the community and nation. The historic resources, the decisions and actions of people and the geography allow us to understand past endeavors that impact our present and likely the future of our community and nation.
***This tour begins at the 1928 Pima County Courthouse where we discover the archaeological efforts to find the presidio (fort), two earlier courthouses built at this same location and the beginning of the “Old Pueblo.”
Pre-registration is required. Click on the date below to register
$20/member, $30/non-member
Friday, November 24, 10 am-12 pm
Wednesday, December 6, 10 am-12 pm
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Public Art & Murals – NEW WINE TASTING EXPERIENCE AVAILABLE FOR AFTERNOON TOURS
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.
All tours on Saturdays, unless otherwise noted.
Pre-registration is required. Click on the date below to register.
REGULAR TOUR DATES & TIMES
September 23, 5:30-7:30 pm
$20/ member, $25/non-member
October 28, 8-10 am
November 25, 9-11 am
December 23, 9-11 am
$20/ member, $30/non-member
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TOUR DATES & TIMES WITH WINE TASTING INCLUDED
Enjoy a variety of local and regional wines and learn about Arizona’s wine growing regions inside the beautiful Leo Kent Hotel St. Cruz Restaurant & Bar.
Pre-registration required. Click on the date below to register.
October 28, 1-4 pm
November 25, 1-4 pm
December 23, 1-4 pm
$55/member, $65/non-member
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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.
Pre-registration is required. Click on the date below to register.
September 15, 8-10 am
$25 for members, $30 for non-members includes entry into Mission Garden
October 27, 9-11 am
November 24, 10 am-12 pm
December 22, 10 am-12 pm
$25 for members, $35 for non-members includes entry into Mission Garden
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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 (led by tour guide Dorothy Yanez) are both available through June. 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)
Pre-registration is required. Click on the date below to register.
September 10, 7-9:30 am
$20 members, $25 non-members
October 14, 8-10:30 am
November 11, 9-11:30 am
December 9, 10 am-12:30 pm
$20 members, $30 non-members
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SLIGHTLY SHORTER VERSION OF THE TURQUOISE TRAIL TOUR (This tour will resume in the fall.)
This tour is led by Dorothy Yanez and covers the Turquoise Trail through stop 14 at the south end of Church Avenue, returning to the Presidio Museum by heading north up Church.
Click on the appropriate date below to register.
All tours on Sundays unless otherwise noted (2-mile tour)
Pre-registration is required. Click on the date below to register.
November 19, 9-11 am
December 17, 10 am-12 pm
$20 members, $30 non-members
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University of Arizona
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.
***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.
Pre-registration is required. Click on the date below to register.
November 15, 9-11:30 am
$20/member, $30/non-member
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Walking the Wall of the Original Presidio
Take a walk through downtown Tucson with tour guide Kathe Kubish 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)
Pre-registration is required. Click on the date below to register.
September 21, 8-10 am
$20 members, $25 non-members
Thursday, October 19, 8-10 am
Thursday, November 16, 9-11 am
Thursday, December 21, 10 am-12 pm
$20 members, $30 non-members
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