Tours and Programs
Please Note: Some sections of the tour are not ADA accessible at this time. Special arrangements can be made in advance by calling (520) 724-5375 or via email at canoaranch@pima.gov
If you are unable to make a reservation online, or during business hours 8-5, Monday thru Friday, please show up for the Saturday morning tour and we will accommodate you.
Sign up for a tour by clicking the register now button. You can also purchase an Annual Tours and Outdoor Activities Pass to get free or reduced cost for tours and programs.
Call (520) 724-5375 or email canoaranch@pima.gov for additional information.
Tours
Tour of Historic Canoa Ranch
Join a walking tour of the Canoa Ranch headquarters. Visit the historic buildings and corrals and enjoy the special exhibits of the people of Canoa. All ages welcome.
Free with Membership, Non-Member $5 fee. Online registration required.
Every Saturday in July and August • 8:30-10:00 a.m.
Anza Tour at Historic Canoa Ranch
Learn about Colonel Juan Bautista de Anza and the group of Spanish colonial settlers who, in 1775, made their first stop at Canoa Ranch as they began an epic 1200-mile journey from Sonora, New Spain to colonize the port of what is now San Francisco. A 5-mile segment of the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail extends through Historic Canoa Ranch. All ages welcome.
Free with Membership, Non-Member $5 fee. Online registration required.
Wednesday, August 14 • 9:00-10:00 a.m.
Restoration Tour
From deteriorating ruins to functional buildings: take a behind-the-scenes tour with Architectural Preservationist Simon Herbert to examine the processes and materials used in the restoration of the structures at Historic Canoa Ranch. All ages welcome.
Free with Membership, Non-Member $5 fee. Online registration required.
Wednesdays, July 24 and August 28 • 9:00-10:30 a.m.
Gardens of Canoa
Enjoy a guided tour of the gardens of Historic Canoa Ranch with Raydine Taber from the Green Valley Gardeners. All ages welcome.
Free with Membership, Non-Member $5 fee. Online registration required.
Wednesdays, July 17 and August 21 • 8:30-10:00 a.m.
Programs
Living with Urban Wildlife
Learn about our local wildlife, their habitat needs, and why they may be attracted to your yard or neighborhood. Discuss ways to design and manage your property to benefit both you and wildlife, and get practical tips for living in harmony with our fellow desert inhabitants. Free with Membership, Non-Member $5 fee. Online registration required.
Tuesdays, July 16 and August 6 • 9:30-11:00 a.m.
Desert Night Shift
When most people retreat indoors, our desert comes alive! Join Pima County naturalists on an easy hike to discover “who” is out and about in the desert at night. Learn why many animals, and even some plants, are nocturnal and how they manage life in the dark. Bring a headlamp or flashlight. All ages welcome. Children free. Adults free with Membership, Non-Member Adult $5 fee. Online registration required.
Saturday, July 20 • 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Monsoon Mysteries
Explore the interesting events that occur during the monsoon, including weather phenomena and how plants and animals respond to them. We also discuss the outlook for this year’s monsoon. All ages welcome. Free with Membership, Non-Member $5 fee. Online registration required.
Friday, July 26 • 3:30-4:30 p.m.
Bat Biology Workshop
Bats are amazing mammals. They are the only mammals capable of flight, are able to capture small insects in flight in total darkness and are very diverse in species, diet, and lifestyle. Join us for an in-depth presentation of these remarkable, but sometimes misunderstood, creatures. We cover bat diversity, echolocation, diet, migration/hibernation, and other facets of bat biology in preparation for our upcoming outdoor bat programs. All ages welcome. $10 with membership. $15 Non-member fee. Online registration required.
Saturday, July 27 • 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Family Nature Night at Historic Canoa Ranch
Pima County and Tucson Audubon Society invite you to an evening of fun for all by the lake at Historic Canoa Ranch. We uncover the mysteries of nighttime nature through play, hands-on and discovery-base activities, crafts and food vendors. Bring a headlamp or flashlight and dress appropriately for the weather. Free, donations encouraged. All ages welcome.
Friday, August 9 • 6:00-9:00 p.m.
Astronomy Lecture: Ridge Telescopes at Historic Canoa Ranch
Hidden beyond the private gates of the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory lies the Ridge telescope. From supernovae to exoplanets, learn what happens on the Ridge. Free with Membership, Non-Member $5 fee. Online registration required.
Wednesday, August 14 • 10:00-11:00 a.m.
Venomous and Poisonous Animals of Arizona
Learn about the biology and adaptations of some of Arizona’s amazing creatures including rattlesnakes, scorpions, spiders, Gila monsters, and toads. Free with Membership, Non-Member $5 fee. Online registration required.
Saturday, August 17 • 11:00 a.m.-Noon
Wondering About the Wild Things
Naturalist Jeff Babson shares “Frogs and Toads: Night-time Vocalists” in an informative hour-long talk followed by a Q and A session on any nature topic that you may have been wondering about. If the weather is nice we will be outside, feel free to bring a lawn chair. All ages welcome. Free with Membership, Non-Member $5 fee. Online registration required.
Friday, August 23 • 7:00-9:00 p.m.
Birding Canoa Ranch
Join birding enthusiast Brian Nicholas to see a wide variety of sparrows, raptors, and the possibility of waterfowl on the pond at Historic Canoa Ranch. All ages welcome.
Free with Membership, Non-Member $5 fee. Online registration required.
Saturdays, August 24 and August 31 • 7:30-9:30 a.m.
Anza Exhibit
Come view our exhibit about the Anza Expedition. Canoa Ranch was a camp site for the Anza Expedition on their journey to San Francisco, CA.
To learn more about the expedition visit these websites:
www.nps.gov/juba
www.anzahistorictrail.org
Mexicano Vaquero Families Exhibit
The Salcido's, the Murrieta's, the Ahumada's and the Grijalva's were just a few of the hard working Mexicano families that lived and worked at Canoa Ranch.
Baca Float #3 Exhibit
Learn what the Baca Float #3 was and how it effected homesteading families in the area.
George Redondo Proctor Western Heritage Collection
Enjoy of the George Redondo Proctor Western Heritage Collection.
Scotch Farms
How Scotch Farms played a role in bringing purebred Herefords to Canoa Ranch.
Ranching Families and Ranching History
The Manning's, the Schnaufer's, the Gayler's, and day to day life on the ranch.
Tools of the Ranch
See many of the different tools that were used on the ranch.
Volunteer Opportunities
Call 724-5375 or email CanoaRanch@pima.gov for more information.
Tour/Visitor Greeter
Greeters are stationed inside the heritage area on the days public tours are scheduled. Greeters help visitors sign in for the tours and assist visitors with directions to restrooms and answer other general questions.
Interpretive Tour Guide
Volunteer Tour Guides interpret Historic Hacienda de la Canoa’s preserved and restored historic buildings and landscapes, cultural history, and natural resources at Raúl M. Grijalva Canoa Ranch Conservation Park for scheduled groups and the general public.
Exhibit Stewards
Stationed in historic buildings, stewards help keep display areas, artifacts, and other ranch memorabilia safe. Stewards are trained on information related to a specific display and are available to answer questions pertaining to a collection.
Restoration Aide
Volunteers assist NRPR staff with light restoration/construction work on the buildings inside the historic heritage areas. Projects will include painting, light woodworking, repair and restoration of the corral areas, and other light construction, repair, or maintenance work as needed.
Landscape Restoration and Maintenance Volunteer
Volunteers assist NRPR staff with clearing the areas around the historic buildings of unwanted vegetation and establishing and maintaining plantings and trees that are correct for the site. Opportunities are also available to join The Green Valley Gardeners; Jack Davis Jack@greenvalleygardeners.com
Please help support Canoa Ranch, one of the most historically and culturally significant ranches in Southern Arizona. Monetary donations for Historic Canoa Ranch can be made through
Pima County Parklands Foundation at
http://pimaparklands.org. You can donate using PayPal or a debit/credit card via this site. Donations are tax-deductible, within the limits of the law. If you would like to make a donation by check, please make check out to
Pima County Parklands Foundation with
Canoa in the memo line and mail check to:
Parklands Foundation
3500 W. River Rd
Tucson, AZ 85741
The Parklands Foundation is the
ONLY website authorized to accept donations for Historic Canoa Ranch. Currently we’re seeking funds to restore the Tradesman House for a future visitor/story center and gift shop.
If you have any questions or need more information, please call 520-724-5220 or email
mhellon@aol.com
Please donate now!
Thank you for your tremendous support!
Commemorative Tree Program
Dedicating a tree or group of trees is the perfect way to honor your special person or organization. The first 39 commemorative trees will be planted along the entryway to the Historic Hacienda de la Canoa, the ranch headquarters for Canoa Ranch. The Entryway Grove has the important role of re-establishing the trees that lined the road into Canoa Ranch.
For more information and the purchase form click here