Barrio Viejo and Historic Scott Ave Guided Walking Tour by Strolls and Stories Tours
Category: Event Calendar
Dates and Times
- Saturday, May 31, 2025 8:30am
- Sunday, Jun 1, 2025 8:30am
- Saturday, Jun 7, 2025 8:30am
- Sunday, Jun 8, 2025 8:30am
- Saturday, Jun 14, 2025 8:30am
- Sunday, Jun 15, 2025 8:30am
- Saturday, Jun 21, 2025 8:30am
- Sunday, Jun 22, 2025 8:30am
- Saturday, Jun 28, 2025 8:30am
- Sunday, Jun 29, 2025 8:30am
- Saturday, Jul 5, 2025 8:30am
- Sunday, Jul 6, 2025 8:30am
- + 20 more
Details
On this tour, guests learn the rich history of Barrio Viejo, a national historic landmark district, and historic Scott Avenue! The tour begins with a stroll past the stunning St. Augustine Cathedral as we learn what the cathedral looked like when it was first built back in 1897. Then, we head down historic Scott Avenue to see several prominent structures designed by the famous Southwest architect, Henry Trost, including the Scottish Rite Cathedral, the Carnegie Free Library, and a historic hotel. Plus, we’ll learn the tale of why a griffin is guarding the sidewalk!
Next, we stroll past a charming historic inn that dates back to 1878. Then, we see the Temple of Music & Art with its quaint courtyard plaza and hear about the theater’s twin and its storied past.
From there, we walk through Barrio Viejo, historically a working-class neighborhood. Barrio Viejo features the largest concentration of mud adobe structures found in a single neighborhood anywhere in the United States! We’ll discuss how these structures were built to withstand our harsh desert climate and learn about the three styles of Sonoran Row Houses, along with what caused each style change. We’ll pass by these bright-colored structures with two-foot-thick walls, some beautifully restored, others in vintage condition, and still others in a state of ruin where we can see the exposed mud adobe blocks and construction techniques.
We’ll stroll through several charming corner parks in this neighborhood and hear fascinating tales of the residents of Barrio Viejo over the years. We’ll also see where corner stores once stood and learn about Chinese Grocers as we pass new shops and galleries opening in the area. Plus, we’ll learn how this neighborhood was a melting pot of cultures and full of lively activity!
Next, we visit the site of El Ojito Natural Spring, where Spanish soldiers and their wives would fetch water during the Spanish Colonial days. Here, we’ll discuss Tucson's first park and our 4,000 years of Native American history, along with our days as part of New Spain! We’ll also visit the El Tiradito Wishing Shrine, dating back to the 1870s, and hear the tale of Juan Oliveras and his sinful ways. Plus, we’ll discover how this shrine would help save the neighborhood a century later—this is a good one!
We finish by strolling past Teatro Carmen, which dates to 1915 as a Spanish-language theater, and hear about a Jewish family that ran a corner mercantile and how the lady of the house helped found the first Jewish synagogue in the Arizona Territory.
All of this and so much more on our Barrio Viejo & Historic Scott Avenue Tour! This tour covers 2 miles of walking and lasts 2 hours. Suggested: Wear sunscreen, comfy shoes, a hat, and bring a bottle of water.
