tumacacori national historical park

a real gem. Some missions are "restored" so nothing much original is left but this one is totally authentic and very real. We had a free docent tour and it was absolutely fantastic - he really bought it alive with his wonderful interpretation. The mission itself is very atmospheric and unspoilt but the grounds are huge and there are many other remains to be seen. The setting is fabulous in a rural location and worth a long enough stay to explore the gorgeous grounds.

Father Keno was the first priest to visit the area and establish a mission after being invited by the Pima settlement of Indians. In 1691, the Pima who were living peacefully on the Santa Cruz River had heard that the 'black robes', as the Jesuit priests were called, had brought a better life to the people south of them. They introduced new foods and taught the natives how to provide an abundance of food for their people and the Pima hoped to achieve the same. This became a thriving mission. In 1767, the Spanish King banished the Jesuits and replaced them with Franciscans. Over subsequent years, the use of the mission diminished due to the Apache tribe who raided and murdered the peaceful Indians and settlers living in the area. People don't often hear of this side of the story when discussing the events of early frontier Indian encounters. By 1828, a Mexican decree forced all Spanish born citizens to leave the country and that included the priests from this area. Although the local natives tried to maintain their way of life at the mission, the Apache raids continued. By 1848 the mission was abandon as the native population diminished due to the raids. The property is now managed by the National Park Service and, while the mission is in ruin, they are doing a wonderful job in telling the story of the people who lived here. They are maintaining the property from further destruction. I previously visited these grounds in 1957 and they have made some nice improvements for visiting this small National Park.

Beautiful grounds, nice museum, very interesting. The brochure guide was informative as were the ruins and exhibits.

Another great Mission to visit. Very old. Mission was abandoned before the Civil War. National Park Service has done a good job of restoring the ruins. Excellent examples of how it was constructed by looking at the remains of the Mission. If you enjoy visiting Missions, don't miss this.

We enjoyed our visit here - but wished we had skipped the guided tour and bought the $1 guide book instead. Unfortunately our guide was not very knowledgeable and I felt most of the tour was not worthwhile. The 15 minute film at the start is quite dated but still useful though it refers to the Spanish missionaries coming to Tumacacori to "civilize" the native people ....not quite the point of view I expected. But the buildings are interesting and I enjoyed walking down to see the new gardens being planted.Later in the day we went to the Tubac Presidio and found the staff to be more knowledgeable, a much more interesting museum and lots of information presented in the free guidebook. The introductory film is better here too. Overall this was a better venue to learn about history of the area than the Tumacacori mission.....though one should visit both.

Preserved, not restored which was very interesting. Museum is being updated at this time. I loved the movie that was a reenactment of Indian and Mission life from that time period.

When traveling through this area, you should definitely make this a stop if you have time. They offer guided tours, but we were on a tight schedule and bought the guide book for $1.00, which was a great bargain. Although there is much remaining of the mission, you have to use your imagination a little to understand what it would have looked like during the 1600-1700's when the mission was active. Although it isn't as well intact (no elaborate church interiors remain), the history is quite fascinating. A walk through the cemetery in the back is a somber reminder of the hard times of the people that made this their home.Kudos to the National Park Service for keeping this lovely place and its history alive!

An old mission sits by the side of the road with a long history. A tour of the grounds makes for a short stop and a chance to stretch your legs.While it's nothing really special, it's worth a couple bucks to wander the grounds and reflect on Arizona's history.

We decided to take the Docent led walk & talk through the remains of this very early Spanish/Native American village. The Docent was very knowledgeable of the history of this site. There was much to be learned about the Spanish Jesuit Priest conversion of the Native Americans to the Spanish lifestyle and Catholicism. The remnants of the site provide a good vision of life in this village 300 years ago. Also the affect of Apache raids on the village.There is a small visitor center and items to purchase related to the site. A National Park Pass will allow entry free or there is a minimal $3.00/person charge for entry. Overall, we found this site to be worthwhile. Two hours is probably enough time for this site.NOTE: the Anza Trail passes through the Park Property and provides an easy access point for the trail. The trail is well marked and nearly flat. A one way hike from Tumacacori to Tubac is just over 3 miles.

Lovely guided tour of an old mission. Lots of birds and beautiful vistas. The structures have seen the effects of the elements but have held up remarkably well. Well interpreted museum with lots of good information. The 14 minute film was dated and sort of boring. I recommend the guided tour (about an hour).

This is a piece of history for sure. Take the tour with a ranger/guide and you'll get far more from the experience. It is hard to imagine living here in the 1600's when the Spanish arrived. I highly recommend it!

We visited this mission and were surprised by the history it has. Make sure you walk through and outside the mission.

We had combined a trip to the Tubac 'Festival of the Arts' and a visit to Tumacacori (which is only 3 miles south of Tubac). We knew nothing about Tumacácori (“Too-mah-kah-core-ee”) until we looked for attractions near Tubac … what a great discovery! Tumacácori has an incredible history, beginning as one of the oldest European civilization outposts in the US. It started when Father Eusebio Francisco Kino first visited the area in January 1691 (over 324 years ago). The foundation of the 1st 1757 Jesuit Church is still visible. The construction if the present-day Franciscan Church began around 1800; but due to few instances of lack of funds and Indian attacks, the church wasn't dedicated until 1822. The final building phase started in 1823, but was never completed. Apparently the area was abandoned after the winter of 1848.When we were there, they had demonstrations of O'odham basket weaving and traditional tortilla-making (and eating). Tumacácori was well worth the time and $3.00 entrance fee (if you don't have one of the Park Passes).

If you are in the area be sure to stop at the Tumacacori National Historical Park. National Park passes are accepted. They will even give you a self guided tour brochure to borrow and if you like it you can buy it for $1. The visitor centre had a basket weaving display which occurs on certain days of the week. There was also a volunteer making fresh tortillas. Donations were encouraged. We took the ranger lead tour and would highly recommend it. Lots of interesting stories.

This was our 2nd visit here and definitely did not disappoint. As noted, National Park passes are accepted. The visitor center is small but informative and the rangers are clearly passionate about educating you about the site The site is well marked with multiple structures. Ranger-lead tours are informative. Both times we were there, there were people re-enacting the skills of the time. This time there was a docent making fresh tortillas - free, but a donation is encouraged. Another gentleman had leather crafts. The buildings are scenic - great photography. Lots of benches to just sit and enjoy the views.