Barrio Viejo & Scott Avenue Walking Tour

Service Description

On this tour guests learn the rich history of the Barrio Viejo and historic Scott Avenue! The tour begins with a stroll past our stunning historic St. Augustine Cathedral as we learn what the cathedral looked like when first built! Then we head down historic Scott Avenue to see prominent structures designed by the famous architect of the Southwest, Henry Trost, including the Scottish Rite Cathedral and our Carnegie Free Library! Next we stroll past a charming historic Inn that dates to 1878, then we see the Temple of Music & Art with it's quaint courtyard plaza and learn of the theaters twin! From there we stroll through the Barrio Viejo, historically the working class neighborhood. The Barrio Viejo features the largest concentration of mud adobe structures in the United States! We will discuss how these structures were built for our harsh desert climate and learn of the three styles of Sonoran Row Houses, and what brings about the style changes. We will walk past these bright colored structures, some beautifully restored, others in a vintage state, and still others in a state of ruin where we can see the exposed mud adobe blocks and construction techniques! We will stroll through several charming corner parks in this neighborhood and hear the tales of the residents of the Barrio Viejo over the years! We see where corner stores once stood and learn of Chinese Grocers as we stroll past new shops and galleries opening in the neighborhood. Next, we visit the location of the El Ojito Spring where Spanish Soldiers and their wives would fetch water during the the Spanish Colonial days, and learn of Tucson's first park! Here we will discuss our 4000 years of Native American History and our days as a part of New Spain! We visit the El Tiradito Wishing Shrine and learn the tale of Juan Oliveras and his sinful ways...and learn how a century later this shrine would help save the neighborhood...ohhh, this is a good tale! We finish by strolling past the Teatro Carmen dating to 1915 as a Spanish language theater and learn of a Jewish family that ran a corner merchantile and how the lady of the house helped found the first Jewish Synagogue in the Arizona Territory! Tour starting point address will be emailed with tour reservation confirmation and receipt email. Three separate emails will be sent. This tour involves 2 miles of walking and is 2 hours long. Suggested: Wear sunscreen, comfy shoes and a hat, and bring a bottle of water.