Trejo's Walking Tours

01/22/2025

Tucson Presidio Museum Walking Tours Groups of 10 or more are welcome at the Presidio Museum and receive a discounted rate for tours Calendar Tucson Presidio Museum offers the best Tucson Area Walking Tours We have a variety of tours with experienced and friendly guides. Information on all our walki...

01/20/2025

Martin Luther King spoke in Tucson in 1959. During the Q & A portion of the talk, he related the story of how, on their way to Tucson, he and his group had to sleep in their cars after being refused rooms in Phoenix. The next morning they were refused service at a Phoenix diner.

One of the most important things that the Civil Rights Movement gave all Americans was the right to acknowledge their social, personal and historic contributions to the creation of this country.

Despite this, Arizona was the last state to adopt the MLK holiday and a couple of states still recognize the holiday with cynical dual-recognition of the day with Robert E. Lee Day.

Remembering, on this day of transition, the legacy and vision of Dr. King as well as the hope that the civil rights movement gave us for a greater, more inclusive nation that strove to live up to it’s eventual potential and promise for itself and the world.

01/14/2025

In partnership with Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block and Mauro from Trejo's Walking Tours, we invite you to a free history talk on the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail at TMA on Thursday, February 6 at 5:30pm!

Mexican American Heritage & History Museum in Tucson AZ

01/11/2025

01/07/2025

https://www.youtube.com/live/qL-EGsVrBtQ?si=t8gHevCYnU3GC96o
Starting now!

01/02/2025

01/01/2025

UPDATE:
There will be a history social tonight! With Tucson’s semiquincentennial this year, we will cover the origins of the modern city, the river, the people who founded it, and how we transitioned from Spanish to Mexican and to US, Confederate, then US again. Talk starts at 5:30pm at the Tucson Museum of Art!

There will not be a History Social tomorrow due in part to its closeness to the holiday.
They will resume on Thursday February 6 and the topic will be an overview of the Anza Expedition. I’ll post an event listing soon.

Hi, I’m Mauro Trejo, a Walking Tour Guide and Tucson historian. I offer private and group tours as

12/25/2024

Lalo Guerrero was born on this day, December 24, 1916.
Lalo is probably the most famous person to come out of Tucson’s Barrio Libre/Viejo/Meyer or whatever name you know it by.
Born on Meyer Street (the house is still there), he has been dubbed “The Father of Chicano Music”, a blend of various Mexican and American styles that sometimes incorporated Pachuco “Calo” lyrics and were a big hit with the “Zoot-suitors” of the time.
He also marched with Cesar Chavez, wrote Mexican classic songs like “Nunca Jamás” and “Canción Mexicana”as well as countless other Spanish and English language parody songs.
Lalo said that the night he was born, his mom suffered complications during the delivery and had to be immediately tended to. After she was stabilized, someone remembered that a baby had just been born and looked to the foot of the bed and saw a newborn Lalo turning blue. He too was then tended to and he recovered but he would often say that it was the reason he went into show business; He never wanted to not be the center of attention as it had almost cost him his life!
His mom taught him to play guitar at 9 years old and he went on to gain worldwide recognition for his activism and music. He won the National medal of the Arts, was named a national folk treasure by the Smithsonian, and received many other awards and titles for his body of work.
Lalo loved his barrio and Tucson. He died on March 17, 2005.
For more on on Lalo check out his autobiography “Lalo, My Life and Music”

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1291967.Lalo

12/17/2024

On Thursday, December 17, 1846, the American flag is said to have been raised for the first time over the Mexican Presidio of Tucson by members of the Mormon Battalion.
While it’s certainly possible, there is scant evidence of it. A soldier named Philemon Merril, years later said “Against the blue desert sky the stars and stripes were raised.” There is no other mention of it in the numerous other diary entries at the time. Like many stories, this may just be history written by the victors.
Months after the start of the Mexican American war, the U.S. created the Mormon Battalion, the only military unit created on the basis of a religion. Their mission: To forge a trail to California & secure it for the U.S.
The 2000 mile march from Iowa to San Diego, took them through what was then Mexico. They arrived near Tucson, Sonora on December 16, & made camp on the banks of the Santa Cruz River, within sight of the presidio.
Low on provisions, Lieutenant Colonel Cooke made the decision to stop at the Mexican presidio to resupply his group of over 500. Shortly before arriving, Cooke communicated through emissaries that he meant no harm to the small community of soldiers and civilians living inside the Presidio & asked to trade with the Presidio.
Captain Comaduran, with less than 150 soldiers in service (including reinforcements from other Presidios) wisely declined, knowing he was greatly outnumbered & at war with U.S.
Cooke insisted so Comaduran retreated his soldiers & as much equipment as he could to San Xavier to await the passing of the Americans (the story is actually a little more complicated, with hostages taken & shots fired. For purposes of brevity, I’m omitting those details).
About 100 civilians stayed behind & on the afternoon of Dec 17th, welcomed the Americans into the presidio with offers of food & water.
The Tucsoneses traded beans, flour, salt and tortillas in exchange for cloth, buttons, and clothing.
The Americans left the next day and Comaduran and his troops returned.
While Tucson would remain a part of Mexico for another 7 years & under Mexican control for 9 more, the occupation was a harbinger for what would be a much larger change for Tucson.

12/17/2024

Three historic motels on Drachman Street in Tucson face demolition by Pima Community College despite a temporary restraining order filed by the Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation and Arizona Preservation Foundation. https://buff.ly/3D72Y1T

12/13/2024

12/03/2024

Get in the holiday spirit at our Frontier Christmas event on Sat, Dec. 14 from 10 am - 2 pm.

Take a selfie with Santa 11 am - 1 pm!

11/27/2024

The Tubac Presidio will be closed tomorrow (11/28) in observance of the holiday.
We will resume our normal operating hours on Friday, Nov. 29. Thank you.

El Presidio de Tubac estará cerrado mañana (28/11) en observancia del día festivo.
Reanudaremos nuestro horario normal de atención el viernes 29 de noviembre. Gracias.

11/27/2024

Thank you all for coming out and supporting our very first Farmer’s Market! We’re so grateful for your participation, and we had an amazing time! Your support means the world to us and to our local vendors—thank you for shopping locally and helping make this event a success.
A special thank you to the Greater Green Valley Foundation for partnering with us to make this event possible. We couldn’t have done it without you!
Here’s to many more events like this in the future! 🌱💐

¡Muchas gracias a todos por asistir y apoyar nuestra primera Feria de Agricultores! Estamos muy agradecidos por su participación, ¡y nos divertimos muchísimo! Su apoyo significa el mundo para nosotros y para nuestros vendedores locales. Gracias por comprar de manera local y por ayudar a que este evento fuera un éxito.
Un agradecimiento especial a la Greater Green Valley Foundation por colaborar con nosotros para hacer posible este evento. ¡No lo hubiéramos logrado sin ustedes!
¡Por muchos más eventos como este en el futuro! 🌱💐

11/24/2024

Last week was so good to have my team from the Tucson Presidio meet with my team from the Tubac Presidio on a tour of both the Tubac Presidio State Historic Park and Museum and Tumacácori National Historic Park. The shared story of our sites is the story of Southern Arizona and it was so nice to see us meet and learn about each other.
I’m fortunate to be able to work alongside, share, celebrate and learn about our collective history from so many incredible and passionate people.

11/24/2024

Happy Hour with National Trails conference attendees at Whiskey Del Bac.