Casa Grande Ruins National Monument

Address:Coolidge, Arizona
Tel: (520) 723-3172

Get a glimpse of a long ago culture at the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. Located just outside of Coolidge, Arizona, the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, one of the largest and most mysterious ruins in North America, stands as a testament to the architectural style of the Hohokam, the long gone people that the Akimel O'otham call "those who are gone."

Originally built in the early 1200s, the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument is the ruins of several structures surrounded by a compound wall. These structures, the largest of which was a four story, eleven room building with a still unknown purpose, were built using a substance called caliche, a hardened composite of calcium carbonate, gravel, sand, clay and silt. The construction of the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument was so effective that these structures have survived for almost seven centuries in the harsh conditions of the Arizona desert, though the original purpose has been lost to the ages.

Visitors to the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument can embark on brief ranger-guided or self-guided tours of the ruins, consisting of a brief walk around the largest of the structures, as well as a 15 minute orientation film and museum exhibit area in the visitor center. Kids can participate in the Junior Ranger Program by filling out an activity booklet based on the tour of the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument. After the tour, visitors can go into the town of Coolidge to grab a bite to eat at a variety of fast food and Mexican restaurants.

To get to the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, take I-10 to exit 211 to Coolidge, then follow the signs to the park entrance. Visit the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument and experience the mystery and beauty of an ancient culture!