53rd Annual Tubac
Festival of the Arts
February 8 - 12, 2012, daily from 10 am to 5 pm. Free Admission. $6/per car parking.
All parking proceeds benefit Tubac Non-profit Organizations. This is a big fundraiser for Tubac Presidio State Historic Park. Please visit us at parking lot E or the park itself, parking lot C.
Open Now!
A limited time Exhibition
ENCOUNTERS
A Native American Ethnic Costume Exhibit
December 1, 2011 to February 26, 2012,
Daily 9am-5pm
In a special exhibit created for the Tubac Presidio museum, The Castañeda Museum of Ethnic Costume of Tucson presents ENCOUNTERS –
a glimpse into the lives of the Yaqui, Seri, Tohono O'odham and Yuma Indians. Featuring apparel, artifacts, dolls and historic photographs of these four indigenous peoples the Spaniards encountered in the 1500's and who are our neighbors today. Exhibit included with park admission $4 adult, $2 youth (7–13), children free.
Welcome to Tubac Presidio
State Historic Park!
Arizona’s first State Park,
Arizona’s oldest European community,
and the largest and best preserved
18th century Spanish Colonial Presidio
in the world.
Tubac Presidio State Historic Park preserves the site of the oldest Spanish presidio, or fort, in Arizona. Established in 1752, the Presidio San Ignacio de Tubac was the first European settlement in what later became the state of Arizona. No visit to Tubac is complete without a stop at Arizona’s first state park located in the heart of Tubac village.
The Tubac Presidio is one of only three presidios in Arizona and is one of the rare sites where the story of New Spain’s presidios can be adequately told. (A presidio is buried under downtown Tucson and another is near Fairbank in Cochise County.)
Park Attractions and Exhibits
Underground Archaeological Exhibit
Visitors can view excavated portions of the original adobe foundation, walls and plaza floor of the 1752 Commandant’s quarters, as well as artifacts discovered during the Presidio’s excavation.
Presidio Museum
Explore the timeline of human settlement in the Santa Cruz River Valley, dating back to the Pima Indian settlement in the 1500s. The time periods exhibited include Native American, Spanish Colonial, Mexican Republic and Territorial.
National Register of Historic Places
The Park preserves three significant buildings on the National Register of Historic Places: Arizona’s second oldest Territorial School House (1885), the Otero Hall (1914) and theRojas House (1890).
Washington Hand Press
The printing press used to print the Arizona’s first newspaper in 1859, The Weekly Arizonian, is on display in the Presidio Museum. The press is still operational and volunteers print a commemorative edition of the paper
for visitors.
Anza National Historic Trail
The Park serves as a trailhead for a 4.5-mile section of the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail, which follows the Santa Cruz River to the
Tumacácori National Historical Park.
Cavalcade of History Collection
The new Alan B. Davis Gallery in Otero Hall exhibits 16 paintings from the “Cavalcade of History” Collection originally published in Arizona Highways magazine. The canvas giclées of paintings by renowned Western artist William Ahrendt depict scenes covering three centuries of Arizona’s wildly glorious history.
Wingfield Collection
The Tubac Historical Society’s new collection features artifacts from the private collection of rancher and amateur archaeologist Geoffrey Wingfield (1948-2009), whose family ranch included the site of the 17th century Spanish mission at Guevavi. The artifacts are exhibited in the Presidio Museum and in a “Virtual Exhibit” at the
Tubac Historical Society’s website.
Special Events
A variety of cultural events are held on-site throughout the year, including Anza Day in October, Los Tubaqueños living history presentations, archeological tours, nature walks and concerts. See our Upcoming Events here.