"L a   F i e s t a   de los   V a q u e r o s"
T u c s o n   R o d e o   P a r a d e   Museum

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The Tucson Rodeo Parade Museum

 

The Tucson Rodeo Parade Museum is located on the northeast corner of South Sixth Avenue and Irvington. Here there are there buildings housing the exhibits. The large metal building was originally the first city airport hanger, established in 1918 and dedicated November 20th, 1919, Tucson Municipal Flying Field. This was the first municipally owned airport in the U.S. In later years it was leased by Charlie Mayse and referred to as  Mayse Field

Read More About Tucson Municipal Flying Field's Colorful History
Charles Lindberg Lands in Tucson. The Old Hanger at Mayse Field is in the background.

The idea of the Museum for public visitation was developed in 1962 by Pete Waggoner, a long time member of the Parade Committee and one of the original charter members. While the Museum is not yet finished, it can be improved only as the funds are developed. It has been open to the public each year in January and February.

The museum opened in true Western style in 1965 with Rodeo Queen
Kathleen Graf riding ‘Limoncito’ through the stockade gate

In the future it is hoped that it will be open year around. There are now over one hundred fifty buggys and wagons on display and additional artifacts of the old west are being collected continually. There is a typical western street with various shops that an old western town might have and historical memorabilia of Tucson.

Museum inventory includes 150 vehicles, ranging from small Buggies, Wagons, Surries, Coaches and Historic artifacts from pioneer days and a re-created Western Main Street representing what early Wild West Tucson would have looked like and what it offered in terms of businesses and services.

FIRST WESTERN AIR EXPRESS SERVICE from LOS ANGELES to PHOENIX and TUCSON .
"The old Hanger" at Mayse Field  the plane is a Fokker F-VII. photo  from Albert Condron's scrapbook Read about the beginning of Transcontinental and Western Air, or TWA.  President of Western Air,  Jack Frye Pilots Passenger Carrying Plane In On Time, Inaugurating Service; Early Transportation Event Recalled...November 28, 1927

This website was designed for the Tucson Rodeo Parade Committee inc. by Jake Jacobson 2005
 grandson of, Albert H. Condron,  secretary of the "L a   F i e s t a   de los   V a q u e r o s" committee 1925

Each February since 1925, Tucsonans saddle their horses, hitch up their buggies and shine their cowboy boots for the “Celebration of the Cowboys.”

Looking Around The Museum

Mud Wagon

The Spirit of St.Louis

Historic Down Town  Tucson

Bunk House

Black Smith Shop

Coach

Calliope

Lilly Langtry

Royal Palace Saloon

Railroad Office

For further Rodeo Information
Call 520-741-2233

or go to tucsonrodeo.com

Links