Coolidge

Visitors may be surprised to learn that they need to head to Coolidge, not nearby Casa Grande, to tour Casa Grande National Monument. The “big house” alone is worth the drive to this remote agricultural area — where the Gila River has made life possible in this arid region for centuries — but little Coolidge has much more for visitors to discover.

Tour the Monument

See one of North America’s largest prehistoric structures preserved in Southern Arizona at Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. The adobe “big house” and its protective shelter dominate the skyline in Coolidge, but the site preserves much more than the main structure. Ruins of a large compound reveal the agriculture innovations and ceremonial traditions attributed to the area’s original inhabitants. The excellent visitor center has museum-quality exhibits that reveal how the industrious residents tamed this harsh landscape. A park with ramadas invites visitors to picnic with this amazing archaeological site in the background.

Learn More About the Backstory

Settlers built upon the ingenuity they discovered at the abandoned village to turn the Coolidge area into one of the most prolific cotton-growing regions in the world. Take a road trip during harvest season in autumn and see bits of stray cotton blowing over the roads like snow flurries. Coolidge Historical Society & Museum located in the former jail and courthouse has great photography exhibits that pay tribute to the hard work and pioneering spirit of people who developed the region in the early 1900s. The nearby Pima Geology Museum displays Arizona minerals and fossils that date back millions of years.

Enjoy the Ride

Visitors from the Phoenix area reach Coolidge on I-10 or Highway 87. Both routes cross through the Gila River Indian Community, but Highway 87 is the more scenic, leisurely choice. On the southern fringe of the Phoenix metro, visitors can stop at tribal enterprises such as casinos, golf courses and an equestrian center. As visitors approach Coolidge, the vibe becomes much more chill. Circle back to Phoenix on Highway 287 through Florence to continue the history lesson. McFarland State Historic Park
anchors Florence’s historic district with a sprawling museum in the site of one of Arizona’s first territorial courthouses.

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