Wander Barrio Viejo's Painted Adobes

About

Barrio Viejo, just south of downtown, has one of the largest collections of 19th-century adobe buildings in the country. Its close-packed row houses, many painted in bright colors, line streets like Meyer Avenue. Strolling the neighborhood is free, and the historic district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Nearly all of these buildings are private homes, so enjoy them from the sidewalk and keep your voice down. Much of the old barrio was torn down in the late 1960s for the Tucson Convention Center, which makes the surviving blocks even more worth seeing. El Tiradito shrine is a short walk away, and Teatro Carmen, opened in 1915 for Spanish-language shows, can be seen from outside.