Old West movie sets, sternwheelers, art centers and wildlife museums are among the many interesting venues planners can utilize for off-site gatherings in Tucson and Yuma.
Up to 5,000 people can take advantage of the movie set at Old Tucson (520.883.0100; www.oldtucson.com). An enormous amount of movies have been shot here throughout the last 80 years—everything from John Wayne classics to more recent flicks like Three Amigos and Tombstone. A variety of settings are available for planners, including gunfight re-enactments and saloon-hall musicals. Plazas, banquet rooms, Old West-style saloons and outdoor ghost-town backdrops are all available.
In addition to an on-site shotgun sports facility, The Tucson Trap & Skeet Club (520.883.6426; www.tucsontrapandskeet.com) presents a unique setting for planners, including a 5,000-square-foot clubhouse. Skeet fields, trap fields and clay fields are available for use.
For smaller and more serene measures, The International Wildlife Museum (520.629.0100; www.thewildlifemuseum.org) can accommodate up to 100 people in a tranquil desert setting overlooking the city. A 98-seat theater and an 80-seat dining area are among the available configurations.
Ninety miles southeast of Tucson is Bisbee, the seat of Cochise County. Formerly a Wild West outpost of copper mines, rough-and-tumble saloons and debauchery of all sorts, Bisbee today is primarily an artist colony and retirement community. It’s also a place where planners can utilize a variety of resources, especially the Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum (520.432.7071; www.bisbeemuseum.org), the Bisbee Hearse Tour (520.432.3308; www.hearsetour.com) or the Bisbee Museum of the Bizarre (520.432.3308; www.bizarrebisbee.com).
In the Yuma area, Sternwheeler Cruises (928.783.4400; www.yumarivertours.com) along the Colorado River welcomes meetings and events. Day cruises, dinner cruises and custom charters provide a wealth of options. The captain and crew run the show, giving detailed stories of the river and its culture. The one-of-a-kind, 15-ton Sternwheeler is 57 feet long, 18 feet wide and powered with a John Deere diesel engine. Seminars, catered affairs, business meetings and other events can be custom-designed for groups.
When utilized together, the Yuma Art Center and Historic Yuma Theatre (928.373.5202; www.yumaaz.gov) provide another prime location for a variety of events. The 640-seat theater is just one component. There are also classrooms, gallery spaces, artist studios and outdoor venues.
Once used by the Army to store supplies for the Southwestern U.S., the Yuma Quartermaster Depot State Historic Park (928.783.0071; www.pr.state.az.us/parks/yuqu) is available for military-themed events. The park can accommodate groups of up to 400 people.
