Three Gateways into Hohokam History
While many Hohokam sites are protected and not open to the public, there are meaningful ways to engage with this history respectfully.
School Field Trip with Paul Canez and Kids in Pit House, October 2025
Pit House Replica at Steam Pump Ranch in the Heritage Garden.
In Oro Valley, the Pusch House Museum at Steam Pump Ranch offers an accessible entry point. Though the historic buildings date to the late nineteenth century, the site itself sits within a landscape long inhabited by Indigenous communities. Interpretive materials and programs help visitors understand the deeper history beneath the ranch era. Enjoy a visit to their Heritage Garden, where they grow traditional crops and have a replica of a classic Hohokam pit house. Watch this video to see how the Hohokam constructed their homes.
Nearby, Casa Grande Ruins National Monument preserves one of the most impressive Hohokam structures, offering context for the regional networks that once connected Oro Valley to the Salt and Gila River valleys. Museums such as the Arizona State Museum in Tucson further expand this story, often incorporating Indigenous voices and perspectives.
When visiting, it is important to remember that these are not abandoned places. They are ancestral homelands. They are deserving of care, respect, and thoughtful engagement.
This above is an excerpt from The Hohokam and Huhugam: An Enduring Presence in Oro Valley and the Greater Tucson Basin by Brittnie Smith, January 2026.
Hohokam: Honoring the First People of Oro Valley, by Devon Sloan, November 2023
Find more things to do in Explore More section of the OVHS website and other historic towns, landmarks, and museums within an easy car drive!