History

Adventures in Yuman History begin as you drive into Yuma. Right next to Interstate 8, the Yuma Territorial Prison sits high on a granite outcropping, on the eastern side of the Colorado River. Probably the most known landmark in Yuma, Arizona, the prison was recently named the “Best Haunted Destination in the U.S.” by USA Today. Enclosing the history buffs, ghost-hunters, and kids asking, “what’s a stagecoach?” the tall two-foot-thick adobe walls stand testament to the hundreds of prisoners who endured this legendary location. But that’s not the whole story; Yuma has many more tales to tell when it comes to history. The Colorado River State Historic Park, Sanguinetti House, St. Thomas mission, and a little farther out there, Castle Dome Mines Museum and Ghost Town.

Don’t forget the Museum of History in Granite at the Official Center of the World, for goodness sake! History doesn’t stop there, either, as other landmarks around town point to the early days of men taking to the air… The First Flight into Arizona came from California to Yuma in 1911, then in 1949 the “City of Yuma” Aeronca Sedan stayed aloft for 48 days straight, a new world record, with help from volunteers below who lifted cans of gasoline and food up to the plane from a speeding convertible. Yuma’s “The Crossing” has been at the crossroads of history for at least hundreds of years, come learn what makes Yuma where so many people have come to meet up by the Colorado River!

About Yuma

Yuma, Arizona was first incorporated as Arizona City in 1871, and was then renamed in 1873. Nestled between Phoenix, Arizona, and San Diego, California, Yuma features extraordinary outdoor activities from tubing on the Colorado River to off-roading at the Buttercup Sand Dunes. 

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