Tubac Presidio State Historic Park

Preserved Structures and Artifacts Spanning Native American, Spanish Colonial, Mexican Republic, and Anglo Territorial History.

Tubac, Arizona
Santa Cruz County
South of Tucson

Volunteer operated, this state park – Arizona’s first – welcomes you with a walking tour that includes 13 unique stops. I didn’t expect to spend much time here, but the visit soon turned to hours. Tubac Presidio presents one of the more captivating, historic sites you can hope to find. The 11-acre campus includes several buildings, outdoor sites, and a museum spanning Native American, Spanish Colonial, Mexican Republic, and Anglo Territorial history.

The first images below show the inside and outside of the Tubac schoolhouse, a one room school dating to 1885. As you can see, the schoolhouse remains well-maintained with historic artifacts that lend the feel that the school bell might ring at any moment – better take your seat!

An image of St. Ann’s church follows, and you will also note the round stones pictured. These are grindstones used for making flour from wheat and corn. I’ve also featured a small selection of the museum artifacts.

The gallery here begins with a panorama of the Rojas House, and the last image features the bedroom of this enchanting, colonial home. Build in the 1890s by Reymundo and Inez Rojas, their daughter Luisa lived here until her death in 1989 as a caretaker of the schoolhouse. This may be my favorite part of the tour, offering a snapshot of rustic life up to the 1980s with a hefty dose of nostalgia.

I hope you enjoy these images and consider stopping at this great historical destination in southern Arizona.

Find below pictures and a Google Map.

Trail Images Below

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Preserved Schoolhouse

Inside Schoolhouse

Items

Grinding Stones

Work Bench

Woven Baskets

Morion Helmet Worn by Spanish Conquistadors