September 2, 2024
Wide open spaces, red rock landscapes as far as the eye can see, staggering sunsets … there’s no doubt about it: We’re smitten with our hometown of Sedona. If you’ve shopped the art galleries and boutiques of Tlaquepaque Arts & Shopping Village, hiked the Boynton Canyon Trail, and bounced around on an exhilarating Jeep tour, there is still much for you to discover.
History enthusiasts, listen in. There are heritage sites to learn and feel the Sinagua culture of the area, churches that have earned a place on the National Register of Historic Places, and even the very first store in Sedona. Set your GPS to these historic landmarks and take yourself back in time.
Palatki Heritage Site
Learn the history, art, and culture of Sedona’s original inhabitants, the Hopi. Here in Coconino National Forest, the Palatki and Honanki heritage sites are home to some of Red Rock country’s largest cliff dwellings.
Tuzigoot National Monument
Take a self-guided, ⅓-mile walk to this ancient Sinagua pueblo atop a desert hilltop. You’ll have far-reaching views of the Verde River and Tavasci Marsh.
Wupatki National Monument
As you walk through the red rock landscape, desert and ponderosa pine forests of this site, you’ll come across ancient pueblos that will have you imagining the Sinagua people as they worked, raised families, and created amazing art despite unforgiving desert conditions.
Montezuma Castle
One of the best-preserved cliff dwellings in North America, Montezuma Castle is still standing after 800 years. Take the self-guided tour past the 5-story dwelling built into a limestone cliff, walking through a sycamore grove and along Beaver Creek.
Fort Verde State Historic Park
Built as a base for General Crook’s army scouts and soldiers during the 1870s and 1880s, the park contains three historic house museums. Explore the exhibits and artifacts within the Commanding Officer’s Quarters, the Bacherlors’ Quarters, and the Doctors & Surgeons Quarters.
Riordan Mansion State Historic Site
For architecture buffs, this Flagstaff-area mansion is a must. The log residence was designed by Charles Whittlesey, who also designed the El Tovar Hotel at the Grand Canyon. At the time of its construction in 1904, the Arts and Crafts-style mansion was considered quite advanced, with indoor plumbing, hot and cold running water, electric lights, and central heating.
Chapel of the Holy Cross
Considered by Architectural Digest to be one of the world’s most beautiful churches, Chapel of the Holy Cross opened in 1957 to great acclaim. Located on leased US Forest Service land, the eye-catching church boasts a 90-foot iron cross and concrete walls atop a red rock promontory. The original design was inspired by American skyscrapers, specifically the Empire State Building.
Cook’s Cedar Glade Cemetery
First used circa 1918, the cemetery was formalized in 1930 by Henry Cook. You’ll find the gravesites of Sedona Schnebly, the town’s namesake, and her family here, as well as other pioneers, including Henry Cook, Jesse Purtymun, James Jackson, Margaret Pirtle, Nettie Van Deren, and “Red” Hedges.
Sedona Heritage Museum
Take time to explore Jordan Historical Park and the Sedona Heritage Museum, located on original homestead land of the Jordan family. T.C. Schnebly and his wife, Sedona Miller, joined the Jordan family and about 13 homesteading families and built a two-story home that would later serve as the area’s first hotel and general store. Today, you can see a range of exhibits and artifacts that tell the early tales of Sedona, including of the Native American tribes who first lived here to the later ranchers and homesteaders.
After a day exploring Sedona’s past, indulge in thoroughly modern luxuries with us at The Arabella.