Old Pueblo Archaeology Center, Tucson

About Old Pueblo Archaeology Center

Old Pueblo Archaeology Center in Tucson offers hands-on learning about southwestern archaeology and Native American cultures. Visitors participate in the Arrowhead Making and Flintknapping Workshop to create stone tools using prehistoric methods. The Public-Assisted Volunteer Excavation and Research Program allows guests to join professional archaeologists in real fieldwork, learning excavation, preservation, and current research techniques. Educational tours visit significant archaeological and historical sites, including Picture Rocks, where ancient Hohokam petroglyphs created between A.D. 650 and 1450 depict human figures, animals, and astronomical markers for solstices and equinoxes. The facility also features an archaeology laboratory where visitors study and reconstruct pottery and artifacts. Programs emphasize the importance of protecting archaeological sites as nonrenewable resources while fostering appreciation for diverse cultures. The center suits students, families, and adults interested in hands-on discovery and understanding the ancient peoples who inhabited the American Southwest.