2000 Presidents Institute

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2000 Presidents Institute

Tucson, Arizona

Tucson is a fast-growing metropolitan area of more than 725,000 people and an exciting blend of contrasts: a modern city of arts, fine culture and world-class entertainment, enhanced by the influence of centuries of human habitation and breathtaking, accessible natural wonders. Tucson was voted the friendliest city by Conde Nast Traveler magazine, and it enjoys more sunshine than any other city in the United States - approximately 350 days a year.

History

Tucson is the oldest continually inhabited settlement in the United States. The Hohokam Indians ("the vanished ones") farmed the area in the first century. Then they inexplicably disappeared and were later replaced by Pima and Tohono O’odham tribes. Italian Father Eusebio Francisco Kino, who served as a missionary for the Spanish church, made his initial visit in 1694. The Irishman Hugh O’Connor, more notably known as Hugo O’Connor for his explorations for Spain, founded the city of Tucson in Aug. 20, 1775. A walled presidio provided refuge for travelers and residents and was soon nicknamed the "Old Pueblo." Spain’s claim to Tucson ended when Mexico gained independence in 1821. Later, Tucson became part of the United States with the Gadsden Purchase in 1853 and remained so except for a brief period when Confederate soldiers seized the city during the Civil War. Tucson was known as a rowdy frontier town. In 1867, when the Old Pueblo was named capital of the newly formed Arizona Territory, the town’s people invested in what they hoped would become a stable community. The capital was moved north before Arizona became a state in 1912 and Tucson eventually established another prestigious state institution, the University of Arizona.

Highlights of the Tucson Area

Tucson offers a wide range of activities including museums, shopping, skiing, hiking, panning for gold... Here is a list of some of the area’s top attractions.

Colossal Cave: This is one of the largest caverns in the world, and explorers have still not found the end of it!
International Wildlife Museum: features exhibits of nearly 300 species of mammals and birds from around the world, as well as tours, videos, films, souvenirs and exotic foods.
Kitt Peak National Observatory: Tucson is known as the "Astronomy Capital of the World" because of this collection of telescopes.
Mount Lemmon: The southern most ski area in the continental United States.
Old Tucson Movie Studios: The "Hollywood in the Desert" has been the location of over 200 movies, TV shows, commercials and documentaries.
Pima Air Museum: Home to the third largest collection of historic aircraft in the world.
Saguaro National Park: The saguaro cactus, native to the Sonoran Desert, is found in abundance here. Hundreds of thousands of the majestic plants, true symbols of the Southwest, stand like silent sentinels in the Tucson Mountains.

For more information on Tucson, visit these links:
Arizona Guide
Desert USA's Guide to Tucson
Metropolitan Tucson Convention and Visitors Bureau
Tucson Online Magazine
Tucson Visitor Information