La Pilita Museum
420 S. Main
Tucson, AZ
882-7454    
lapilita.com

Gift Basket from La Pilita Museum featurin a T-shirt, mug and notecards featuring Barrio Viejo images of Main Avenue, Convent Avenue and Meyer Avenue.

About La Pilita Museum
This traditional adobe building is located in the heart of Tucson-Barrio Viejo. Walk a few steps south of the mammoth Tucson Community Center and you will enter the historic Barrio Viejo. La Pilita shares the south wall of El Tiradito Shrine-a National Historic site. The museum is a living repository of photos and oral histories of Barrio Viejo and El Hoyo. Come to La Pilita and you will stand on the ground that was the entrance Tucson’s upscale parks of the late 1800s - Carrillo Gardens and Elysian Grove. With a vivid imagination you can hear the waters of El Ojito Spring that cooled the thirst of ancient Hohokam people, explorers, Spanish soldiers and Apaches before it disappeared below the ground in the early 1900s.

    
Mission Statement
It is the mission of La Pilita Association to restore and maintain the historical integrity of La Pilita site and to develop it as a center for research and learning of regional history. It will serve as an extended classroom for students, the neighborhood, and the Tucson Community, providing a deeper understanding of early Tucson.

    
Gallery/Store Hours
The gallery and tiendita are open from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm Tuesday through Saturday. Weekend special tours and visits are arranged by appointment. Call the museum. The tiendita features candles for El Tiradito, books about the local area, and designer T-shirts and posters.

General Admission
$2.00 per person suggested donation.
Special lectures, workshops, and concerts have special admission prices as noted.

Membership
Your membership in La Pilita will directly support the programming and exhibits for the community. La Piita is a non-profit corporation that relies on community support. La Pilita solicits memberships at several levels and will be launching its charter member campaign soon. To inquire about membership, make a donation, or add you name to our mailing list please call 882-7454 or e-mail at lapilita@qwestoffice.net.

    
Permanent Exhibit of Historic Photos
The north section of the gallery is reserved for a permanent exhibit of historic photos of the site. Images of Carrillo’s garden and early Elysian Grove activities fill the walls and help the visitor move back in time at this historic place.

        
Educational Programs
Self-Guided Tours: La Pilita has free pamphlets with which visitors may take an informative walk on the grounds. During open hours La Pilita volunteer staff answer questions and assist visitors in the gallery and tiendita.


Student Docent Tours: Tours of the site and its history are available by student docents. La Pilita trains a group of student docents from the nearby elementary school as part of their service learning activities. Those tours are available by appointment and include El Tiradito, the history of the mural, and the story of El Ojito. For a tour e-mail lapilita@qwestoffice.net         


School Tours: La Pilita maintains an education staff and Content Area Tutors who host site tours as well as deliver ½ day lessons/experiences in local history and folklore.
          

Walking Tours of Barrio Viejo: Several excellent commercial tours begin or include La Pilita. See Alan Kruse Tours & AZ Historical Society

    
Directions to La Pilita
La Pilita is located immediately south of the Tucson Community Center on South Main. From I-10 take the Congress Street exit. Turn south on Granada. Travel due south around the Community Center and turn left on Cushing Street. At El Minuto restaurant turn south on South Main. La Pilita is within the first block on the west side of Main street. Click here for a map.