Events & Activities
Lecture with Linda Gregonis: The Hohokam and Their World
Traveling around the Sonoran Desert we see the traces of an ancient society, the Hohokam, through their pottery, shell ornaments, carved stone, and rock imagery. Learn what icons and objects mean.
Where Columbus Almost Met Cortés and Montezuma
Join the Arizona Historical Society and Dr. Matthew Restall vai zoom for an installment of AHS Summer History Talks: Spanish Period in Arizona! This is a virtual program.
LECTURE with MAURO TREJO: The Life and Diary of George Hand
Pre-register at tucsonpresidio.com
Tickets: Members $10, Non-members $15
Cash bar will be available. Visit Ceres Restaurant for pasta (plan time to order).
In the 1870s and 1880s, former Union Soldier George Hand found himself in Tucson. During that time, he worked as a bar owner and a courthouse janitor.
He also kept a diary chronicling the people and events of territorial Tucson. It remains one of the best glimpses we have into what life was like for the people of Tucson in that era. Learn about the life of George Hand and his neighbors.”
Mauro Trejo is a 7th generation Tucsonan descending from Elias’s and Gallegos. With a passion for local history, he has poured over the Tucson “classics” becoming a popular walking tour guide and lecturer along the way. He is a member of the Board of the Tucson Presidio Trust.
The Actual Road to Cibola: Archaeology's Unique Contribution to Understanding the Coronado Expedition in Arizona
Join the Arizona Historical Society and Dr. Deni Seymour via zoom for an installment of AHS Summer History Talks: Spanish Period in Arizona! This is a virtual program.
Lecture with Dr. Tom Sheridan
Tucson is a historically multi-ethnic community of Tucson. Learn a brief history of the O’odham, the Spanish presidio and its related settlers, and the regional Apache.
Apache History and the Long Shadow of Spanish Colonialism in Arizona and the Southwest Borderlands
Join the Arizona Historical Society and Dr. Paul Conrad via zoom for an installment of AHS Summer History Talks: Spanish Period in Arizona! This is a virtual program.
Tucson History Social - Crosses in the Desert: True Tails of Death in Territorial Tucson
Co-hosted between the Tucson Museum of Art and Los Des’s MexAm Museum, these History Socials celebrate the rich history and diverse culture of Tucson and the surrounding region and will form part of a year-long celebration honoring over 4,000 years of history, heritage, and culture in Tucson and Pima County.
This event is free courtesy of Trejo’s walking Tours. Registration is suggested.
Rationality, Brutality, Insanity: Visita General to the Sonoran Frontier
Join the Arizona Historical Society and Dr. Nick Myers for an installment of AHS Summer History Talks: Spanish Period in Arizona! This is a virtual program.
Tucson History Social - Tucson, A Place Like No Other
This month’s talk features an overview of how our history, culture, and identity were formed.
Co-hosted between the Tucson Museum of Art and Los Des’s MexAm Museum, these History Socials celebrate the rich history and diverse culture of Tucson and the surrounding region and will form part of a year-long celebration honoring over 4,000 years of history, heritage, and culture in Tucson and Pima County.
This event is free courtesy of Trejo’s walking Tours. Registration is suggested.
Spiritual Geographies and Imperial Borderlands in the Sonoran Desert
Join the Arizona Historical Society and Dr. Cynthia Radding for an installment of AHS Summer History Talks: Spanish Period in Arizona! This is a virtual program.
Tucson Trivia Night
An Evening of Droll Humor, Random Tucson Tidbits and a Celebration of Community In Honor of the 250+ Anniversary of Our Fair City With local celebrity, troublemaker, and mildly disrespectful emcee: David Fitzsimmons And featuring local author: David Devine: Resident game show judge and expert on all things Tucson. Join us for this unique trivia game show event focusing on Tucson's rich history. (Warning! This event includes audience participation.)
This event will be outside in the summer evening breeze. Dress accordingly. (In the event of rain, site will be moved to the Arizona Historical Society.)
Tickets: $10 www.TucsonPresidio.com Cash bar will be available. Local books for sale.
An American Language: The History of Spanish in the United States
Join the Arizona Historical Society and Dr. Rosina Lozano for an installment of AHS Summer History Talks: Spanish Period in Arizona! This is a virtual program.
Tucson Mayor and Council Official Plaque Unveiling
Mayor Regina Romero and Council will unveil an official plaque to be hung outside City Hall recognizing the 250+ Anniversary of founding of the City of Tucson.
Tucson Birthday 250 Postcard Contest Reveal
Join the Tucson Postal History Foundation for the unveiling of winning artwork created by kids as a part of the Tucson 250 Postcard contest. The art reflects what kids love most about Tucson.
A Tucson Birthday pictorial postmark will be available for people who are sending special mail pieces in the post office. This USPS postmark is specially designed for the birthday celebration and reflects Tucson’s iconic saguaros and the 250th birthday.
Tucson 250: Desert, Culture, and Community
Attend the opening of the Postal History Foundation’s exhibit Tucson 250: Desert Culture and Community. This exhibit celebrates the heritage and history of Tucson through colorful vintage postcards, historic mail items, and beautiful USPS postage stamps issued in Tucson. The exhibit will be open through March 31st, 2026.
Summer History Talks: Hugo O’Conor and the Importance of Tucson
Join the Arizona Historical Society and Mark Santiago at the Arizona History Museum for a presentation on Hugo O'Conor and the strategic importance of Tucson!
Celebration of Tucson / S cuk ṣon
Celebrate All Things S-cuk Sọn / Tucson 250+
Presented by the Tucson - Pima County Historical Commission with support from the offices of: Mayor Regina Romero and City Manager Tim Thomure and hosted by the Presidio Museum and support from the Pima County Cultural Resources and Heritage Preservation Office.
While the Tucson basin has been inhabited for thousands of years, the formal inception date of the City of Tucson is August 20th, 1775. Today, we use this date to celebrate our rich TucSonorense culture and its many inhabitants. Did you know the name Tucson originates from the native O’odham word “s -cuk son” which means “at the base of the black hill”?
Spanish Mining Activities in North America and the Chinese “Sink”
Join the Arizona Historical Society and Dr. Andrés Reséndez via zoom for an installment of AHS Summer History Talks: Spanish Period in Arizona! This is a virtual program.
Tucson History Social - Chaos in the Old Pueblo: Historic Disasters in Tucson
Co-hosted between the Tucson Museum of Art and Los Des’s MexAm Museum, these History Socials celebrate the rich history and diverse culture of Tucson and the surrounding region and will form part of a year-long celebration honoring over 4,000 years of history, heritage, and culture in Tucson and Pima County.
This event is free courtesy of Trejo’s walking Tours. Registration is suggested.
Speakeasy x Koyaanisqatsi Screening | Bar Clandestino x Proyección de Koyaanisqatsi
Join TMA, the Loft Cinema, and the Chinese Chorizo Project in an evening of place and community featuring extended viewing hours for Divergence of Legacy, a screening of the film Koyaanisqatsi, and small bites and drinks curated by the Chinese Chorizo Project’s Feng-Feng Yeh.
$20 non-member / $15 TMA and Loft members
Adult 21+ Only Event – ID Required
Silver Spike Jubilee
Hosted by the Southern Arizona Transportation Museum. Celebrate the first Southern Pacific train’s arrival in Tucson. The U.S. Cavalry Band plays, Folklorico Dancers perform to music by a local Mariachi group. Descendants of the people who greeted that train perform a brief skit and the Museum honors those individuals who have made key contributions to its success.
La Reunion de El Fuerte & Fort Lowell Day
La Reunion de El Fuerte is a gathering of the descendants of the Mexican-American settlers of the Fort Lowell neighborhood (El Fuerte 1900-1960) who return for Mass at the San Pedro Chapel.
Fort Lowell Day begins at noon as a free public event and features artists and historic preservation with exhibits in Fort Lowell Park and a self guided walking tour of Old Fort Lowell.
The public event covers the 1000 years of history of habitation at the mouth of the Rillito including the Hohokam, Fort Lowell military presence, and the village of El Fuerte.
Dusting Off the Butterfield Trail, documentary film screening
The Butterfield Overland Mail, 1858-1861, was a short, but very pivotal event that created faster, reliable communication and sparked U.S. expansion and population growth that profoundly changed Tucson and the surrounding region. Its influence is still reflected in transportation routes like I10.
Join us for a free public screening, and panel discussion, of Dusting Off the Butterfield Trail, a documentary delving into the history of this short-lived but momentous antebellum stagecoach route and how it continues to shape the Tucson region today.
What's For Dinner: Northern Pima County, 1000 B.C.
Join the Oro Valley Historical Society on November 20 at 1 p.m. at the Oro Valley Public Library (1305 West Naranja Drive) for a talk by award winning local author Carolyn Niethammer. Carolyn's talk, entitled "What's For Dinner: Northern Pima County, 1000 B.C." will be based on her recent book A Desert Feast, Celebrating Tucson's Culinary History.
Carolyn has written books on women's studies, travel, ethnobotany, and even recipes, so you may come way with something very unique to prepare for holiday events!
There is no charge for the presentation (although donations to the Oro Valley Historical Society are welcome), and Carolyn will have her books available for sale.
Amerind Museum Autumn Fest
Amerind's 13th Annual Autumn Fest will celebrate the history, culture, and arts of the Apache Community. Apache teachers, artists and musicians will hold a day-long celebration at the Amerind Museum in Dragoon, Arizona, with public talks, artist booths, demonstrations, music, and food.
A Story of the Camp Grant Massacre
Hosted by the Oro Valley Historical Society. Venetia Hobson Lewis, author of "Changing Woman, a Novel of the Camp Grant Massacre", will discuss her award winning novel about this horrific 1871 event. Hear how her fictional characters interact with the actual perpetrators both during the massacre and in their private lives.
Mexican American History Celebration
Los Descendientes, Latinos in Heritage Conservation, and the Tucson Wagon & History Museum present:
Fiesta Mexicana
Fiesta Mexicana
On the occasion of commemorating Mexico's Independence Day, the Consulate of Mexico invites the community in southern Arizona to enjoy food, snacks, and Hispanic-inspired products from local traditional and small businesses at the esplanade of the Linda Ronstadt Music Hall. Vibrant folklórico dances, mariachi, and norteño music will also be performing from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm.
Until 1854 the territory of what is now southern Arizona was still part of Mexico. This means that Tucson was part of Mexico when the country gained its independence in 1821. This event celebrates the continuing bonds that unite generations of Mexicans and Americans across our shared border.
Celebration of All Things S cuk Son/ Tucson
Presented by the Tucson-Pima County Historical Commission and hosted at the Presidio Museum.