El Tiradito (Wishing Shrine)

About

El Tiradito, also called the Wishing Shrine, is an open-air shrine on South Main Avenue at the edge of Barrio Viejo. The city describes it as the only shrine in the United States dedicated to the soul of a sinner buried in unconsecrated ground. There is no gate or fee, and the small park around it is open from 6am to 10:30pm. People light tall glass candles here and tuck folded notes and prayers into the cracks in the wall. The legend changes depending on who tells it, and folklorists have collected more than twenty versions. In 1971 it became the first Arizona property listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its traditional cultural value.