We headed north from Coronado National Memorial on our way to Tucson and hopped on I-19 to Tumacacori National Historical Park. The site was home to a mission in the Spanish colonial era. It’s an interesting ruin that witnessed several revolts and changes in the political world of southern Arizona.
Address and Location
You’ll find Tumacacori National Historical Park at 1891 East Frontage Road in Tumacacori, Arizona. It sits off Exit 29 of I-19 and is about 40 minutes south of Tucson. Be sure to note that I-19 marks distances and exits in kilometers, not miles.
Cost
Adults ages 16 and older can purchase a pass for $10 that is good for seven days. You can purchase an annual pass for $35. As always, America the Beautiful pass holders can get in for free.
What to Do
You can either start inside in the museum area or start outside at the mission. We opted to explore the museum first. Some of the exhibits were closed off or unavailable during our visit (spring 2021).
Then head outside to explore the mission. The state of the church was interesting. While the exterior of the building is reasonably intact, the inside is pretty bare bones. The site is also home to a few other structures, including a recreated O’odham home, the remains of a convento (a mission office), and the foundation of one of the Jesuit churches. The grounds are quite pretty, and it was a nice opportunity to stretch our legs after several hours in the car.
And, if you’re really lucky, you may get to visit with Shadow. Shadow lives at the bar across the highway but likes to come into the park to get lovins and scritches from visitors to Tumacacori.
Arizona National Park Service sites: Fort Bowie National Historic Site | Chiricahua National Monument | Coronado National Memorial | Saguaro National Park
