Great guided tour - Great, detailed tour from a history buff, Mark. We learned a ton and it made the time in history totally come alive- would recommend highly

Tucson Environs, History, Cultures Revealed in Artifacts & Recreations by an Exceptional Docent - A docent engaged us in front of the museum as we wondered whether to enter just to get walking tour maps. She was so authoritative and knowledgeable about the area, the history, the culture etc that we ended up buying the $12./person tour of the museum…and the $2. walking tour map. What could have been a 30 minute walk through the museum was for us a 90 interactive, graduate level class in the natural and human history, native populations, cultures and events of the city and the area. Why was Tucson settled in this location? Who did it? When? How did they live? Who came next? Why? How did they get along? What happened next? Were Western Europeans religious reformers, looters, conquerers or what? How did they get along with the native populations? What changed? Why are there walls everywhere? What were they made from? If you want sensible culturally knowledgeable information about native tribes, their language, their relations, the motivations for their interactions with European cultures and the events that unfolded here over the past millennium or two and more, come here. If you will be satisfied with canned speeches about how the area was ‘civilized by Europeans’ and how it’s now a great place to retire with a vibrant forward looking economy, this should probably not be your first stop. Do you know what ‘Pima’ and ‘Tucson’ mean in the native tongues? How did this area come to be called ‘Arizona’? When you are done at this museum, get lunch at El Charro or at some equally fabulous place close by. Then use that walking tour map to help you stay interested as you walk off all those tasty extra calories. It’s a great little guide to downtown as it is and was.

Knowledgeable and friendly docents - Though small, this museum has a wealth of information from the native and Spanish periods of Tucson history. Interesting tour with a knowledgeable and friendly docent - ask questions!