Holiday Tree at Riordan Mansion State Historic Park

Holiday Tours at Riordan Mansion, Flagstaff

December 1 – January 6

Thursdays – Mondays; Tours on the hour. First tour is at 11:00 a.m.; last tour at 4:00 p.m.
The Mansion is festively decorated in turn-of-the-century style with wreaths, garlands, greenery and a towering fir tree trimmed with old-fashioned ornaments. Guided tours include glimpses of folklore and traditions of Christmas, both past and present. Reservations are recommended.
Adults $12.00 (ages 14 years and older); youth $6.00 (ages 7 – 13); ages 6 and younger are free.

Riordan Mansion Annual Christmas Party and Crafts, Flagstaff

9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.

Santa will be on hand to visit with children and Mrs. Claus will read Christmas stories. In addition, there will be crafts for the children to make and take home, as well as Christmas music, cookies & cider. Sponsored by Pioneer Title Agency.

This event is free to the public.  Does not include tour admission to Riordan Mansion.

Brown Bag Lecture: Dinosaur Wars

12:15-1:00pm

Presented by Kevin Schindler

The Gilded Age is remembered as a time of corruption and unscrupulous behavior among businessmen and politicians. This nefarious behavior transcended into science, where two paleontologists—Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh—went from friendly collaborators to bitter rivals. Through thievery, bribery, and bullying, they tried to outdo and embarrass each other at every step. In the process, they led expeditions around the American West that led to some of the greatest dinosaur discoveries ever. Free

Join Arizona Pathfinders for Our Pot Luck Meeting
December 12, 2019 at 6:00pm
“The Pleasant Valley War and the Unspoken Price of Settling the West”
Presented by Dr. Eduardo Pagán.

Born and raised in Arizona, Dr. Eduardo Pagán received a Ph.D. in American history from Princeton University and is the Bob Stump Endowed Professor of History at Arizona State University. He is the author of Valley of the Guns: The Pleasant Valley War and
the Trauma of Violence (University of Oklahoma Press, 2018), Murder at the Sleepy Lagoon: Zoot Suits, Race, and Riot in Wartime LA (University of North Carolina Press, 2003), Remembering Phoenix (Turner Press, 2010), and Historic Photos of Phoenix (Turner Press, 2007). He has appeared in domestic and international documentaries, and co-hosted History Detectives on PBS from 2007-2010.

The Pleasant Valley War?

The Pleasant Valley War is a storied conflict in Arizona’s history, where a small settlement beneath the Mogollon Rim turned on itself with terrible violence. By the time the conflict was over 18 men were dead, four were wounded, and one was missing, never to be found. Valley of the Guns draws upon psychology, literary studies, economics, and trauma studies to explore how several dynamics in the settling of Arizona combined with tragic effect to provoke neighbors in this particular settlement to turn on each other. Eduardo Pagán will share highlights from Valley of the Guns that sift fact from legend, and offer new insight into the causes of this conflict and to the settling of the West.

This is a Pot Luck Meeting. Bring food to share. Board members will provide coffee and dessert. The meeting is free and open to the public. Donations are welcome. Enjoy the free parking that’s available one block west of the Museum in the Arizona Historical Society garage at the northeast corner of East Second Street and North Euclid Avenue. Use the East Second Street entrance; drive straight in, do not turn left.

Ghost Trolley Tour at Christmastime

Thursday, December 12
7pm-9pm
(Arrive 15-minute early)

Tis the perfect time of year to travel through the streets of Yuma aboard a comfortable trolley, hearing tales from our fine city’s dark side.  Enjoy views of historic Yuma dressed up for the holidays. Storyteller, Lorna Brooks will keep you on the edge, sharing stories of murders and mayhem from the century past.  Tickets: $35. Seating is limited. Purchase tickets online. 

Bundle up and enjoy a glass of cheer with Tom Weathers for holiday cowboy poetry and song. The evening is sure to put you in the right spirit as Weathers waxes philosophic and serenades us into the joys of the season. The evening is FREE to the public. Glasses of cheer will be available at a modest price through the Poor Farm Pub.

RSVP REQUIRED, as seating is limited.
[email protected]
928-774-6272

The history of dipped candle making dates back to as early as 500 BC. Have you ever wondered how they did it? Learn how and make your own beeswax dipped candles in this fun, volunteer-led activity. Fun for all ages! $4/person.

This event happens every 2nd Saturday of the month, so don’t miss out. Candle dipping at Fort Lowell is available only during October-March.*
*Craft is subject to weather, may be substituted with Soap Making.

Call the Fort Lowell Museum for more information: (520) 885-3832

‘Twas the Night Before a Week Before Christmas
Children’s Storytime
Tuesday, November 17, 2019
Readings at 6 pm and 6:30 pm
$5 per child

‘Twas the night before a week before Christmas and all through the Sanguinetti House children are seated on a Victorian couch.  Treat your child to a magical visit to the Sanguinetti House Museum for an evening reading of the Christmas classic, “The Night Before Christmas” followed by hot cocoa and cookies in E. F. Sanguinetti’s enchanted gardens.  Pajamas and teddy bears encouraged! Tickets $5 per child, available at door.

Kindly R.S.V.P. to [email protected] or 928-782-1841.

Dec 20, 21, 22, and 23
4:30-6:00 pm
The original 1904 light fixtures with Edison style bulbs provide a beautiful glow in the Riordan Mansion for these evening tours. The tour will focus on the history behind Christmas traditions and guests will have the special treat of seeing the Christmas tree and Billiards room photo transparency windows at night. Weather permitting luminarias will light the path around the grounds.
The tours are recommended for ages twelve and older.

Cost is $15. AHS Members receive a $2 discount.

Space is limited, so reservations are required. Reservations and information can be obtained by calling the Park (928) 779-4395 after November 1st.

Dec 20, 21, 22, and 23
4:30-6:00 pm
The original 1904 light fixtures with Edison style bulbs provide a beautiful glow in the Riordan Mansion for these evening tours. The tour will focus on the history behind Christmas traditions and guests will have the special treat of seeing the Christmas tree and Billiards room photo transparency windows at night. Weather permitting luminarias will light the path around the grounds.
The tours are recommended for ages twelve and older.

Cost is $15. AHS Members receive a $2 discount.

Space is limited, so reservations are required. Reservations and information can be obtained by calling the Park (928) 779-4395 after November 1st.

Dec 20, 21, 22, and 23
4:30-6:00 pm
The original 1904 light fixtures with Edison style bulbs provide a beautiful glow in the Riordan Mansion for these evening tours. The tour will focus on the history behind Christmas traditions and guests will have the special treat of seeing the Christmas tree and Billiards room photo transparency windows at night. Weather permitting luminarias will light the path around the grounds.
The tours are recommended for ages twelve and older.

Cost is $15. AHS Members receive a $2 discount.

Space is limited, so reservations are required. Reservations and information can be obtained by calling the Park (928) 779-4395 after November 1st.

Dec 20, 21, 22, and 23
4:30-6:00 pm
The original 1904 light fixtures with Edison style bulbs provide a beautiful glow in the Riordan Mansion for these evening tours. The tour will focus on the history behind Christmas traditions and guests will have the special treat of seeing the Christmas tree and Billiards room photo transparency windows at night. Weather permitting luminarias will light the path around the grounds.
The tours are recommended for ages twelve and older.

Cost is $15. AHS Members receive a $2 discount.

Space is limited, so reservations are required. Reservations and information can be obtained by calling the Park (928) 779-4395 after November 1st.

All Arizona Historical Society museums will be closed for Christmas. Have a safe and happy holiday!

Closing December 31, 2019
This exhibition explores the African American experience, evoking the power of oration and freedom stories, the brilliance of artistic achievement, and the soaring heights of cultural expression, philosophy, sports, and politics through a series of posters from the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of African American History and Culture. The posters serve as the backdrop for displays telling the story of African Americans in Arizona. From the churches and schools to the boardroom; to the battlefields and to the neighborhood barbershops and beauty shops where important news of the day was discussed – the stories weave a rich tapestry of African American heritage.