Take a step back into the city’s past with three new walking tours hosted by the Presidio San Agustin del Tucson Museum.
The cost for each tour is $25 for non-members and $20 for members. Preregistration is required at tucsonpresidio.com/walking-tours.
The 3/8-mile-long Pioneer Women of Main Avenue tour focuses on the pioneer women who contributed to Tucson’s history, according to a news release. 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
The next tour is scheduled for March 11 from 10 a.m. to noon.
There’s also the Walking the Wall of the Original Presidio tour, which is less than a mile long. Attendees learn just how large the original Presidio San Agustin del Tucson actually was, along with the interesting history of several buildings and stories of some of Tucson’s most prominent citizens, the news release said.
Highlights include Old Town Artisans, the Sam Hughes House, the historic Pima County Courthouse and the location of the old Presidio San Agustín Cemetery.
The tour is held on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to noon on Feb. 16, Mar. 16, April 13 and May 18. It will also be held from 9 to 11 a.m. on April 13 and 8 to 10 a.m. on May 18.
Lastly, the Presidio Museum is managing Tucson’s Fort Lowell Museum, providing the perfect opportunity for new tours and events.
First up will be a walking tour of the area with historian and preservationist Ken Scoville, a news release said. He will explain how physical features, cultural layers and political decisions have shaped not just the story of the district but the development of Arizona as well, from Apache wars to development wars.
The tour will be held Feb. 22 from 1 to 3 p.m. and on March 22 from 10 a.m. to noon.
Take our latest video quiz to test your knowledge of Tucson history and facts.
