The Barrio Viejo, Tucson is gaining National Historic Landmark District status in 2024 as it features the largest collection of mud adobe structures found anywhere in the United States! In Tucson we call those mud adobe structures Sonoran Row Houses! As Tucson grew outside the Spanish Colonial Presidio walls, the Barrio Viejo popped up! The original natural spring that fed the presidio is in the Barrio Viejo and so much more!
Conde Nast has named the Barrio Viejo a Best Place To Visit in North America 2024 for good reason! The neighborhood is currently gentrifying and features an interesting mix of restored Sonoran Row Houses and other structures more in a state of ruin. Those that haven't been renovated might have the plaster cracking away allowing the original mud adobe blocks to be seen!
This neighborhood features a rich history with stories of buried treasure, a shrine dedicated to the memory of a sinner instead of a saint...and wow is that a story! Plus Tucson's first Spanish Language Theatre which is currently being restored, Teatro Carmen!
The Sonoran Row Houses feature a Spanish Moorish design with high ceilings allowing the heat to rise and walls that are 1.5 to 2 feet thick...the thickness of the walls visible around the windows and doors! These thicks walls held in the overnight cool temperatures and protected them from the mid-day heat! These mud adobe structures were built for our harsh Sonoran Desert Climate!
When in Tucson you will want to check box that you visited the Barrio Viejo, a Conde Nast Best Place To Visit in North America 2024! Book a Strolls and Stories Tour to stroll the charming sidewalks of the Barrio Viejo and hear the fascinating historic tales of this neighborhood.
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