Tucson Tourist Attractions
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Situation and characteristicsTucson, the "City of Sunshine" and metropolis of the desert-like region of southeastern Arizona, lies in the wide valley, flanked by high hills, of the Santa River. The main pillars of the local economy in the past were the railway workshops, foodstuffs and textile firms and cattle-rearing. In the surrounding area copper, silver, lead and other minerals are mined. Lucrative irrigated farming (citrus fruits, winter vegetables, cotton) has also developed in the immediate surroundings of the city. In recent years, too, various high-tech industries (anti-aircraft missiles, electronics, etc.) have been established. The warm, dry climate has long attracted tourists, convalescents and people seeking an escape from winter in less favored areas.HistoryA Jesuit mission station was established here at the end of the 17th century. In the 18th century a permanent settlement was founded which in 1857 became a posting station on the route from San Antonio in Texas to San Diego in California. In the second half of the 19th century Tucson was for a time capital of the territory of Arizona. The construction of the Southern Pacific Railroad increased the importance of the town, in which the University of Arizona was founded in 1891. After the Second World War Tucson developed at an explosive pace, its population rising from 46,000 in 1950 to six times as much in the mid seventies.
Kino Sports Complex
The Kino Sports Complex, also known as the Stadium District, includes the Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium and a collection of ball fields, along with various other structures. The complex hosts spring training for the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Chicago White Sox. Since its opening in 1998, this complex has been the venue for concerts, festivals, and various community events. The baseball stadium, which is the center piece of the park, has seating for 11,000 people, that includes lawn seating. The entire complex covers approximately 155 acres.
El Presidio Historic District
The El Presidio Historic District features a mix of architectural styles, including restored colonial period adobe homes.
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Postal History Foundation
The Postal History Foundation is dedicated to postal history through displays of stamps, postmarks, and books. There is special emphasis on the collection of Civil War literature and memorabilia. A turn of the century post office located at the Postal History Foundation highlights the postal service on the frontier.Originally the facility was called the Western Postal Museum, but the name was later changed to "Foundation" to emphasize the scope of the establishment, which also includes outreach programs. A philatelic library was also created when the foundation received a generous private donation.
Temple of Music and Art
The Temple of Music and Art in Tucson dates from 1927, in the Southwestern style, and is home to the Arizona Theatre Company. The theatre company is the professional resident theatre of Arizona and has been performing since 1983.The spacious Alice Holsclaw Theatre with its 623 seats is a marvelous place to see either Shakespeare or concerts. The Cabaret Theatre is a smaller, more intimate setting. The Temple of Music and Art Gallery hosts several different shows throughout the year.
Charles O. Brown House
The Charles O. Brown house in downtown Tucson is a Mexican territorial-style building blended with Victorian ornamentation. It is a typical example of a late 19th C home in Tucson. Located amid modern day buildings and high rises, the house offers just a small glimpse of the former years of residential Tucson.The building is now home to the El Centro Cultural de Las Americas.
Sosa-Carrillo-Fremont House
At 151 South Granada Avenue, in the Community Center complex, is Frémont House, an attractive adobe building of about 1870 which is now a museum run by the Arizona Historical Society.The home was owned and occupied by the Leopoldo Carrillo family. It was rented by the fifth Territorial Governor Fremont and his daughter in 1881.
Garcés Footbridge
The Garcés Footbridge in downtown Tucson is a memorial to Francisco Garcés, an explorer and Franciscan pastor. It runs over Congress Street between Church and Granada Avenues. Nearby is a 14-foot bronze statue of Pancho Villa by Mexican sculptor Julian Martinez.
St Augustine Cathedral
The St Augustine Cathedral in Tucson was designed in Mexican Baroque architectural style. Built in 1896, the cast stone facade completed in 1928 is similar to the Cathedral of Queretaro in Mexico.The facade and towers are all that remain after the cathedral was rebuilt in the late 1960s.
Tucson Children's Museum
The Tucson Children's Museum is housed in a 1901 building designed by architect Henry Trost. This was originally the location of a national library program financed by Andrew Carnegie. The hands-on, interactive exhibits include life-size dinosaurs, an ocean discovery center, science exploration, art studio and wall of wonders.
Bank One Building
The Bank One Building in downtown Tucson was the city's first skyscraper completed in 1929. Inside are giant murals depicting the area from prehistoric to Old West times.
Congress Hotel
The Congress Hotel was built in 1919 and partially destroyed in a 1934 fire that also led to the arrest of John Dillinger and his gang. The 40 guest rooms feature vintage radios and antique iron beds.
Cushing Street Restaurant
The Cushing Street Restaurant in Tucson is named for military hero Howard Cushing. The building is comprised of the Joseph Ferrin home and a 19th-C country store with the main rooms dating back to the 1860s.
El Tiradito
El Tiradito is on Main, south of Cushing Street, in Tucson. According to legend, it is the burial site of a young herder killed in a lovers' triangle. A bronze plaque indicates that the monument is dedicated to a sinner!
La Placita Village
La Placita Village is a colorful collection of adobe, brick, and wood frame buildings located in downtown Tucson. The Village has shops, the Tucson Visitors Center and a courtyard used to show films outdoors.
Samaniego House
Samaniego House is a townhouse typical of the 1880s in Tucson. It was the residence of civic and political leader Mariano G. Samaniego. The home features 3-foot adobe walls and saguaro rib ceilings.
Tucson Convention Center
The Tucson Convention Center features a 9,000 seat arena, exhibit hall, grand ballroom, galleria, meeting rooms, concert hall, little theater, gardens and pavilions.
El Fronterizo
El Fronterizo, on South Stone Avenue in Tucson, was the printing office of a Spanish-language newspaper founded by Carlos Y Velasco in 1878.
Tucson Police Department
The Tucson Police Department displays antique police equipment and memorabilia from the capture of John Dillinger.
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Arizona Inn
The Arizona Inn was built in 1930 by Isabella Greenway, the first congresswoman in the state. Still owned by her family, the inn is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and features a display of the family's African art collection.The Arizona Inn features an onsite cabinet-making shop with a master craftsman who creates custom furniture pieces for the Inn. Isabella Greenway had a furniture factory known as The Arizona Hut, which ran into financial trouble in 1929 so she arranged for the workers to be part of the construction of the Inn. Today the Arizona Inn along with much of the furniture has been restored and is protected as per Isabella's original mission.
Arizona History Museum
The Arizona Historical Society Museum in Tucson, near the University of Arizona, documents the history of the area from prehistoric times to the 20th C with the main focus on Spanish colonial times onward. The Tucson Main Museum features an underground copper mine, ranch, and town life of the 1870s, Victorian period rooms, the archaeology displays of Tucson, an original stagecoach, and a 1923 Studebaker.The Main Museum of the Arizona Historical Society Museum also houses an extensive library and archives, and artifact collections.
Fort Lowell Museum
The Fort Lowell Museum in Tucson is housed in the fort that was abandoned in 1891 following the surrender of Geronimo and the end of the Indian wars. Exhibits include a reconstruction of the old officers' quarters and details of life for the military on the Arizona frontier.The buildings are Mexican Sonoran style with thick adobe walls, pine logs, and hard packed dirt roofs.Contact the Arizona Historical Society to inquire about tours of the site.
Davis-Monthan Air Force Base
The Davis-Monthan Air Force Base east of Tucson has the largest outdoor aircraft storage facility in the country. Approximately 6,500 personnel are stationed at the base, which is open for public tours.
Pima Air and Space Museum
The Pima Air and Space Museum in Tucson is the largest privately funded air museum in the world, with more than 300 aircraft as well as spacecraft. The collection includes historical aircraft as well as some of the most advanced. Featured attractions include John F Kennedy's presidential plane and a replica of a 1903 Wright Brothers Flyer.For an additional fee visitors can take a bus tour to the adjacent "Boneyard", the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center.
Tucson Botanical Gardens
The Tucson Botanical Gardens includes wildflowers, vegetables, a tropical greenhouse, and presentations of herbs, cacti and succulents.
Tucson Mountain Park
Tucson Mountain Park takes in a beautiful stretch of desert. Located within the park is the famous Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and Old Tucson Studios.
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Mission San Xavier del Bac
This mission station in the southwest of Tuscon was established by Spanish Jesuits in 1770. The mission buildings of San Xavier del Bac, in particular the richly furnished church, are fine examples of the Baroque architecture of the colonial period.Also known as the "White Dove of the Desert", it is still used by the Tohono O'odham Indians as a spiritual center. Visitors can walk through the old church.The museum contains artifacts and features a 20 minute video highlighting the history of the Mission.
Gene C Reid Park
Gene C Reid Park is a 131 acre park which Tucson Parks and Recreation has deemed one of its "Special Places". It includes lakes, gardens, and numerous outdoor recreation activities.The most scenic areas of the park are around the lake and the pond, which also contains a waterfall. The Rose Garden, with a covered gazebo, is a pleasant area, with benches and a walkway. The garden contains more than 100 species of roses. Also located within the park is the Reid Park Zoo, with a surprisingly large collection of animals that include elephants, lions, jaguars, giraffes, rhinos, and many others.In the northeast corner of the park is Hi Corbett Field, where the Colorado Rockies hold spring training.
Reid Park Zoo
The Reid Park Zoo is a relatively small zoo with a surprisingly good collection of exotic animals. It houses more than 300 animals from around the world, including, elephants, polar bears, and lions, and many others. The facility is spread out on 17 acres with naturalistic exhibits.Some of the interactive experiences available at the zoo include Giraffe Encounters, where for a small fee you can hand feed a giraffe. There is also the Reid Park Zoo Express train, a wet play area, and changing daily activities.On a more global scale, zoo is actively involved in large scale conservation projects around the world.
Garden of Gethsemane
The Garden of Gethsemane in Tucson is the work of artist Felix Lucero, who was wounded in WWI and vowed that if he recovered, he would create religious sculptures. In the garden can be seen his works of Christ at the Last Supper, on the Cross, and with the Holy Family, among others. The park also has a walking path, potted plants, and a fountain, along with kneeling benches. Across Congress Street is Tucson's largest tree.The Garden of Gethsemane has been a Tucson landmark since 1945. It was originally maintained by the Knights of Columbus and later taken up by the City of Tucson.
International Wildlife Museum
The International Wildlife Museum in Tucson has exhibits and dioramas of nearly 400 species, featuring mammals, birds, and insects from all over the world. Some portions of the collection are more than 100 years old.The museum allows visitors a close up look at various species and to learn about wildlife and wildlife management. The focus is on helping the public develop an appreciation for wildlife.The museum has a permanent collection and features temporary exhibits of varying themes. There is a self guided tour or a fully guided tour available.
Tohono Chul Park
Tohono Chul Park on the northwest side of Tucson is a reverse oasis, a piece of the desert inside the city. Nature, arts, and culture are all brought together for a chance to explore the flora and fauna as well as learn about the cultural traditions of the area.The park promotes the conservation of arid regions but it is more than just the gardens. The gallery showcases a variety of art through temporary exhibits in three well laid out gallery rooms. Tohono Chul Park is also known for the Tohono Chul Tea Room, with a variety of dining options.
'A' Mountain (Sentinel Peak)
'A' Mountain is a small peak west of downtown Tucson, named for the letter that gets painted on it every year by college freshmen. The tradition dates back to October 23, 1915 (prior to that the hill was known as Sentinel Peak) when the local university football team was celebrating a victory over Cal State Pomona.
Tucson Greyhound Park
The Tucson Greyhound Park provides family entertainment including greyhound and chihuahua racing.
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