Academic Activities in Tucson, AZ

Scott, your tour guide, has a passion for good story telling! Hear the historic stories, fascinating tales & my interesting tidbits of Tucson History on this guided walking tour! We discuss Tucson's founding in 1775 as a Spanish Colonial Presidio & learn of our 4,000 years of Native American History! We see a historic Sonoran Row House & learn how these mud adobe structures were built for our desert climate. We stroll past charming historic mansions, three by the famous architect Henry Trost, learning the fascinating tales of our Pioneer Founders...one story is a real hoot! We visit the historic Pima County Courthouse to learn of the Dillinger Gangs capture in Tucson in 1934. Learn of a famous gunfighter & the fascinating story of Tucson’s first cathedral! We stroll past a historic theatre, see a stunning former department store, see Tucson's first skyscaper, and learn of a former luxury hotel, as we hear of Tucson's mid century shopping scene that gains national acclaim!

Scott, your tour guide, has a passion for good story telling! Hear the historic stories, fascinating tales & my interesting tidbits of Tucson History on this Strolls and Stories Tours guided walking tour! We begin with the St. Augustine Cathedral and a discussion of Tucson's Spanish Colonial founding & 4,000 years of Native American history! We stroll historic Scott Ave seeing several buildings by the famous architect Henry Trost, and learn the tale of the Temple of Music & Art. Next we visit the Barrio Viejo, the largest concentration of mud adobe structures in a single neighborhood anywhere in the United States! We discuss how our Sonoran Row Houses were built for our desert climate, learn of corner mercantiles & Chinese Grocers! We learn of the melting pot of cultures who lived in the Barrio! We visit the El Tiradito Wishing Shrine dating to the 1870s, & learn the tale of Juan Oliveras, and how some good comes of his sexual sinful ways, & stroll past the Teatro Carmen!

A visit to the rugged, bold west! Hear the stories of the sometimes violent and storied past of Tucson. Visit the historic Presidio, where a man named Hugo O'Connor, the Red Captain of the Spanish Military fathered and named the City of Tucson. Find out how the University of Arizona almost didn't happen, but a Saloon owner and 2 gamblers saved the day! Learn about the Apache Indians and their reputation as pirates of the desert, and their raiding, pillaging, ruthless ways. View the exquisite White Dove of the Desert and see where the Dillinger Gang was captured in the 1930s and so much more!

*Featured in the New York Times' 52 Places to Go in 2023 & Time Magazine's The World’s Greatest Places of 2023* Learn about the origins of one of the most important cities of the American Southwest, Tucson on this cultural heritage itinerary. Walking downtown Tucson’s El Presidio and the Barrio Viejo districts, we will explore the history and architecture of the community through the themes of the Native American, Spanish colonial, Mexican, and American Territorial eras, and also explain Tucson’s UNESCO designation as a City of Gastronomy. This is an opportunity to discover what makes Tucson such a unique and special place that forms part of America's tapestry. A former National Park ranger leads this tour with a background in historic preservation and heritage interpretation in the southwest. I have also worked on the effort to make the Barrio Viejo neighborhood a National Historic Landmark and at the nearby historic mission of Tumacacori National Historical Park.

Your tour guide, has a passion for story telling! On your Downtown Tucson Tour we stroll the charming sidewalks of Downtown! We begin with Tucson's founding as a Spanish Colonial Presidio in 1775. Then we stroll by a historic Sonoran Row House dating to the 1850s, and learn how these structures were built for our desert climate! Next, we visit the Historic Pima County Courthouse to hear of the Dillinger Gang's 1934 capture in Tucson. Next, we learn the tale of Tucson's first cathedral, and hear of a famous gunfighter who partied in Tucson! We stroll by the historic Fox Tucson Theatre, and see Tucson's first skyscraper! We visit the Hotel Congress & discuss the Rialto Theatre, both with storied pasts! Then we visit the Railroad Depot seeing a steam locomotive used in the movie Oklahoma and learn the tale of Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp visiting the depot! We end at Jacome Plaza to learn of a luxury hotel and the downtown department store scene that gained national acclaim!