Welcome to the Park of the Month newsletter for September 2026. In honor of US National Hispanic Heritage Month, this month we’re featuring a small park set at the crossroads of several unique cultures.
Tumacácori National Historical Park
Location
Southern Arizona, US
Claim to fame
Established by President Theodore Roosevelt as a national monument in 1908, Tumacácori National Historical Park is one of the oldest federally protected cultural sites in the US. The park oversees three historic Spanish missions and preserves the history and heritage of several distinct cultures.
Reason to visit
Though Tumacácori National Historical Park is small (only 360 acres or 146 ha) it packs a large historical and cultural punch. The picturesque Mission San José de Tumacácori is open to the public, and there visitors can tour the chapel ruins as well as a museum and visitor center. The museum building was constructed in 1937 and is itself a National Historic Landmark and an excellent example of Mission Revival style architecture. The other two missions sites can be visited via special ranger-led tours.
Wild Fact
Nestled in the Santa Cruz River Valley amid the foothills of the beautiful Tumacácori Mountains, this park has been the home of the O’odham people since time immemorial. The area has also long attracted migrants, like the Yoeme and Apache peoples, as well as Spanish missionaries, settlers, and soldiers.
The mission ruins seen today are evidence of the Spanish influence in the region, which began when the first missionaries arrived in the late 1690s. For around a century and a half, the Spanish forced their culture and religion onto the local community, and their impact on the land and its people remains. The park hosts annual events like the La Fiesta de Tumacácori and other cultural celebrations to keep the diverse heritage of the site alive.
Want to learn more about Tumacácori National Historical Park? Visit the park’s website.
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