Fort Lowell Museum’s History in the Park returns Saturday, Jan. 25, combining history, leisure, and the timeless game of baseball. The game will spotlight how 19th-century soldiers found camaraderie and entertainment through sports while engaging the community with hands-on historical exploration.
The museum, a recreation of the officers’ quarters from the late 1800s, provides visitors with a vivid look into the past. These galleries highlight various aspects of fort life, including exhibits on military life, civilian contributions, and the Apache. Exciting new additions, such as a hospital-focused gallery set to open later this year, are on the horizon.
This month’s theme, focusing on leisure and baseball, will recreate the sport as it was played in the 1860s with a classic matchup between the Tucson Saguaros and the Bisbee Black Sox. Vintage baseball is played differently from modern baseball, with players using period-appropriate equipment, wearing historical uniforms, and following 19th-century rules. For example, players do not wear modern gloves, typically catching the ball barehanded.
“Baseball was one of the more zpopular pastimes for the soldiers at Fort Lowell back in the 1800s,” explained Kate Avalos, director of interpretive programming. “It was one of the things they could do. In the museum, there are pictures of Fort Lowell’s baseball team.”
Ginger Thompson, education and community engagement manager noted that the sport provided more than just entertainment.
“Originally, it was to keep the soldiers out of trouble, but then they built a relationship between the fort and the city.”
Soldiers formed teams to compete with one another at Fort Lowell and then created the best team to represent the fort against teams from Tucson, Fort Huachuca, or Phoenix.
The museum will also offer a variety of activities blending history with fun. Attendees can try their hand at traditional 1800s games like horseshoes, cornhole, and lotería — a Mexican bingo game.
“If they really want to, they can challenge one of our volunteers to a game. If they win, they can get a prize. It’s all interactive,” Avalos said.
In addition to the games, historical interpreters will bring the past to life. Among them is an interpreter portraying Martha Summerhayes, an officer’s wife who lived at Fort Lowell and wrote about her experiences. Visitors will also have the opportunity to interact with working 19th-century technology, including a telegraph and heliograph. “In a way, everything on the walls comes off the walls and comes to life,” Avalos exclaimed. “You read about their lives, but we have an interpreter here, and you can actually talk to her.”
This event is just one of several on the museum’s busy calendar. On Feb. 22, the museum will host “Progress! The Science of History,” which explores historical technology, including the heliograph and telegraph. This will also serve as the grand opening of the isolation ward so people can get an idea of what the hospital actually looked like. The annual Fort Lowell Day celebration follows on March 8, featuring drills by Fort Huachuca’s cavalry and other historical demonstrations.
History in the Park provides a unique opportunity to explore Tucson’s rich history. According to Avalos, this is more than just an event. It’s a way to connect people with the stories, traditions and individuals who shaped the region. “It really takes everything off the walls and makes it into living, breathing people,” she said.
History in the Park
WHEN: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25
WHERE: Udall Park Field 4, 7290 E. Tanque Verde Road, Tucson
PRICE: $5
INFO: tucsonpresidio.com
