What Is Casa Grande Ruins National Monument?
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument preserves a 35-foot, 6 million pound mansion of caliche, an all-natural cement that was built about 650 years ago by the ancestral desert people!
What Makes It Beautiful?
The caliche plays beautifully with the light, especially in the afternoon, as it was intended to do. This structure has special openings that align with the sun at each solstice and equinox! However, what’s most beautiful about the Casa Grande isn’t visible; it’s the fact that the descendants of these ancestral people are still around and still celebrate their ancestors with yearly dances at the monument! Unlike Harold Gladwin, who named these people “Hohokam” or “those who are gone,” the local tribes feel that the spirits of their ancestors still linger here and are therefore never truly gone!
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Pay the entrance fee to help maintain trails, signs, structures, and other visitor services!
- Volunteer with the National Park Service!
- Become a member of the Western National Parks Association!
- Be a responsible visitor! Remember the old adages: Pack out what you pack in! Take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints!
How Do I Get There?
1100 W Ruins Dr
Coolidge, AZ 85128
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit the Park?
Whenever the mood strikes you!
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