Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area

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Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area

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The Santa Cruz Valley Heritage Alliance, Inc. promotes the Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area.
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You can donate to the Santa Cruz Valley Heritage Alliance here: santacruzheritage.org/donate

10/15/2026

Join us this weekend, 10/17, for Tucson Clean and Beautiful and United Way Day of Caring & connection clean up event at Verdugo Park in Barrio Kroeger Lane!💧🌵We will be there with partners including: Favor Celestial, Tucson Bird Alliance, Santa Cruz River Refuge, Friends of Danny Lopez Park Pima County Conservation Lands & Resources, Environmental Quality, and Flood Control, Pima County Public Library, Watershed Management Group, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, The Wilderness Society, Sonoran Institute, Children's Museum Tucson, Halsero, and the Pima Connecting Children to Nature (PCCN) Coalition.

10/13/2026

🇺🇸🇲🇽 Today, on Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we’re recognizing the many histories and living traditions that shape the Santa Cruz Valley’s border culture.

Long before the international boundary was established, Indigenous peoples called this region home. The 1854 Gadsden Purchase changed political control of the region and divided ancestral O’odham lands between what are now the United States and Mexico. Today, the Tohono O’Odham Nation and Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona remain an important part of the Valley’s living cultural landscape.

The region’s border culture also reflects generations of Mexican American families, shared traditions, and connections that continue across the border. From Tucson’s historic barrios to local museums, festivals, food, and community traditions, these diverse histories continue to shape the identity of the Santa Cruz Valley.

This Indigenous Peoples’ Day, we honor Indigenous peoples’ enduring presence and recognize the many distinct cultures and histories that make our border region unique. 🌵

The Yoeme Unidos mural pictured, located at 625 W. Rillito St. in Tucson, was completed in 2022 through a partnership between SCVNHA, seven youth from the Pascua Yaqui Clubhouse of the Boys & Girls Club of Tucson, and muralists Ignacio Garcia and Anitra “Yukue” Molina.

10/10/2026

This week’s Valley Voyager stop is the Pima Air and Space Museum! ✈️🚀

Get ready for a day of exploring aviation history!! With more than 400 historic aircraft spread across seven exhibit buildings and 80 acres of outdoor displays, there is definitely plenty to explore. The museum’s story began in 1966, when local Air Force officials and community members worked to preserve historic aircraft that were at risk of being scrapped. After years of preparation and collecting, the museum officially opened to the public on May 8, 1976, with around 50 aircraft, helicopters, and missiles.

Today, visitors can explore military aviation history, learn about the evolution of flight, and discover exhibits highlighting women in aviation and Arizona’s aviation heritage. There’s also a dedicated hangar focused on space exploration and aircraft used in space-related programs! 🛰️ Whether you’re interested in military history, historic planes, or space travel, the Pima Air & Space Museum offers plenty to discover.

📸 Share your visit with and tag us , or email your photos to [email protected] for a chance to be featured!

10/08/2026

🚨 Attention Passport To Your National Parks collectors! 🚨

The Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area has a new location for your Passport To Your National Parks National Heritage Area Cancellation Stamp collection! Stop by the Sky Islands Welcome Center in Patagonia to collect your stamp while exploring this unique visitor center, located inside a decommissioned South Pacific caboose. 🚂 As the gateway to the breathtaking Sky Islands region of Southern Arizona, it’s a must-stop for anyone visiting Patagonia!

We are also excited to celebrate the team who helped make this new stamp location possible! Our photo includes part of the Sky Islands Welcome Center team and Patagonia’s Deputy Town Manager following their Concierge Ambassador training.

Visit The Sky Islands of Arizona Santa Cruz County, AZ Visit Nogales-Santa Cruz County Nogales-Santa Cruz County Chamber of Commerce

Use our Interactive Heritage Experiences Map to locate more NPS Passport Stamp Stations within the Santa Cruz Valley National Heritage Area!
https://santacruzheritage.org/heritage.../interactive-map/

10/06/2026

The ranching landscapes of the Santa Cruz Valley have helped shape the region’s identity for more than 300 years. Since cattle, horses, and other livestock were introduced in the late 1600s, ranching has influenced the land, communities, and traditions that make the Valley what it is today.

Those sweeping open spaces have also made the Santa Cruz Valley a memorable backdrop for Western films over the years. One of the region’s historic ranches, Empire Ranch Foundation, will bring that connection to life this Saturday with a free outdoor showing of Red River (1948) at 6 p.m. 🎬🌵🤠

Established in the 1860s, Empire Ranch is a preserved working cattle ranch within Las Cienegas National Conservation Area, where its historic ranch complex and surrounding landscape continue to tell the story of ranching in the Santa Cruz Valley.

Photo Credit: Taylor Rivera

Find more details for this event, and upcoming events, on our Heritage Happenings Events Calendar. Linked here or in our bio: https://santacruzheritage.org/events-calendar/

Pima County

10/02/2026

This week’s Valley Voyager stop: Steam Pump Ranch

Step back in time at Steam Pump Ranch, one of Oro Valley’s most treasured historic sites. Once a vital stop for travelers, ranchers, and settlers, today it’s a vital stop for Valley Voyagers—connecting visitors to centuries of local history, agriculture, and culture.

The property takes its name from the steam-powered pump, an innovative design for the time, that was installed by ranch-owner George Pusch in the late 1800s. Like today, surface water wasn’t always available then, but the high water table along the Cañada del Oro wash allowed Pusch’s pump the access needed to supply his ranch, and others, much-needed water. In the 1930s, Jack Proctor purchased the ranch and further developed the property. As manager of Tucson’s Pioneer Hotel, his ranch became integral to supplying meat, dairy, and produce to the hotel’s kitchen.

Today, visitors can explore the property, read the educational signs to learn about the area’s Native American origins, early farming and ranching traditions, and join guided tours to experience the rich history that shaped our region.

Have you visited Steam Pump Ranch? Let us know in the comments! 👇

Make a Saturday of it! Enjoy the Heirloom Farmers Market every Saturday morning and take an Oro Valley Historical Society tour to uncover the fascinating stories hidden throughout the ranch.

Looking for more ways to visit Steam Pump Ranch? Check out our Heritage Happenings calendar to find upcoming events hosted at the ranch! 📅
https://santacruzheritage.org/events-calendar/

History, community, and local flavor all in one place!

📍 Steam Pump Ranch, Oro Valley
🌿 Historical tours available through the Oro Valley Historical Society
🛍️ Farmers Market every Saturday morning

Town of Oro Valley - Government Oro Valley Historical Society

10/01/2026

Join us in welcoming Joe L. Machado to the Santa Cruz Valley Heritage Alliance Board of Directors!

Born and raised in Tucson, Joe considers himself a true “desert rat” with a deep love for the Sonoran Desert. A retired attorney, he earned both his undergraduate degree in Business and his Juris Doctor from the University of Arizona.

During a legal career spanning more than 40 years, Joe worked throughout Santa Cruz and Pima counties, serving in a variety of roles in both government and private practice. His connection to the region goes well beyond his professional career. Joe has a lifelong appreciation for Southern Arizona’s history, heritage, and culture—and a strong commitment to preserving them for future generations.

Joe currently serves as a member of the Arizona Supreme Court’s Committee on Character and Fitness. He is also a volunteer pilot with the Flying Samaritans, helping support free medical and dental services for communities in Mexico.

Joe looks forward to contributing his knowledge, experience, and energy toward advancing the mission of the Heritage Area. We’re delighted to welcome him to the Board and look forward to the perspective and deep connection to this region that he brings.

Welcome Joe down below! 👇🎉

09/29/2026

Fall is arriving in the Sonoran Desert! In the Sonoran Desert, fall doesn’t always mean a landscape covered in orange leaves, but there are still plenty of seasonal changes to notice.

From late September through November, cooler temperatures bring new activity across the desert. Many plants produce fruit, mesquite trees begin to brown up and die, while sycamores, and cottonwoods, show fall color in canyons along waterways. Golden grasses appear in desert grasslands, and wintering birds begin arriving in the region. Larger animals, like bobcats and coyotes, will remain active.

The Santa Cruz Valley lies within the Arizona Uplands, this region is the highest and coolest subdivision of the Sonoran Desert. Its mountains, valleys, grasslands, and diverse microhabitats help support an incredible variety of plant and animal life.

So as you explore the Valley this fall, take a closer look at the seasonal changes happening all around you! 🌵🍁

Photo Credit: JC Cervantes

09/26/2026

There’s always more to discover in the Santa Cruz Valley! 🌵✨

This month’s adventures took us to The Titan Missile Museum, Marana Visitor Information Center Discover Marana Marana Chamber of Commerce, and Historic Canoa Ranch Pima County. From exploring fascinating local history to discovering places that help you experience the region, each stop gave us another reason to get out and explore the Valley.

Our September ventures featured (clockwise from top left: 1. Inside the Titan Missile Museum in Green Valley 2. Visitor Center at Historic Canoa Ranch in Green Valley 3. Juan Bautista de Anza information at the Marana Visitor Information Center in Marana 4. Walkway at the Titan Missile Museum in Green Valley 5. Inside the visitor center at Historic Canoa Ranch in Green Valley 6. Marana Visitor Information Center in Marana 7. Emergency shower at the Titan Missile Museum in Green Vally 8. Canoa Lake at Historic Canoa Ranch in Green Valley

Visit a site, snap a photo, and share it with us by using , tagging , or emailing your photos and a short note to [email protected]. We can't wait to see where you explore next! 📍

09/24/2026

Join us this Saturday, September 26, from 3-9 PM at Kennedy Park for a free, family-friendly evening at the Pueblos del Maíz Festival! 🌽🎉

Enjoy live music from Los Apson, colorful folklorico dancers, delicious food trucks, chef demos, kids activities, and much more. 🍴

Come be part of this international celebration of the deep food roots and vibrant traditions of maíz in Tucson and beyond. 🌎💛

Learn more about this event, and upcoming ones, on our Heritage Happenings Calendar: https://santacruzheritage.org/events-calendar/

Photos courtesy of Tucson City of Gastronomy

Address

3482 East River Road
Tucson, AZ
85718

Website

http://santacruzheritage.org/

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