A new Tucson park, La Expedición de Anza 1775, is open to the public!
Located at 850 West Speedway Boulevard, Tucson, the park is within the Santa Cruz River Park of Pima County. It is situated between the Santa Cruz River and the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind, with a public entrance on West Speedway Blvd.
The park is designed to be accessible, interesting, and informative for everyone,
including persons with disabilities of sight, hearing or mobility. Students and staff from the adjacent Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind plan to use it as an outdoor classroom. The park contains short trails, seating areas, and landscaping with native plants.
The focus of the park is a Spanish colonial expedition of 240 people, led by Capitan Juan Bautista de Anza, which passed through Tucson and camped near this park on October 26, 1775. Park experiences emphasize the lives of those people, and the cultural heritage of Tucson. The multilingual park uses English, Spanish, Braille, and American Sign Language.
The park has been planned and constructed by a community alliance which includes The Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail; Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind; The Anza Society International; Pima County Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation; Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program, National Park Service; The National Park Foundation; The Anza Trail Foundation; Ironwood Tree Experience; Union Pacific Foundation; Barrio Hollywood Neighborhood Association; and the School of Landscape Architecture and Planning, University of Arizona.
More features will be added to the park in coming months, particularly works of
local artists.
La Expedición de Anza, 1775 