John Dillinger and the Tucson Pyrotechnic

About the audio tour

This self-guided, fictional tour walks you through 1934, downtown Tucson. You will start at Hotel Congress, moments after notorious gangster, John Dillinger, escapes the deadly fire within. His gang is dispersed throughout the small western city, and John is forced to contemplate his choices... especially those regarding Evelyn Frechette, his terrifying lover.

Major Landmarks

Hotel Congress, The Fox Theater, The Rialto Theater, Old Pima County Courthouse, Pima County Library

Directions to starting point

The tour begins at the Congress Street entrance of Hotel Congress.

Directions by Car:
From the University of Arizona (6th St and Highland Ave), head south on N Highland, toward E 6th St.
Turn right onto E Broadway Blvd, and continue onto E Congress St.
Use the left two lanes to turn onto E Congress St.
Stay in the middle lane as the road turns slightly to the left.
The destination is on the right.

From the I-10 East, take exit 258 and turn left onto W Congress St.
Continue straight as Congress St turns into E Broadway Blvd.
Use the left two lanes to turn onto E Congress St.
Stay in the middle lane as the road turns slightly to the left.
The destination is on the right.

From the I-10 W, take exit 262 for Park Ave.
Turn right onto Park Ave and follow it until it turns into S Euclid Ave.
Turns left onto E Broadway Blvd.
Use the left two lanes to turn onto E Congress St.
Stay in the middle lane as the road turns slightly to the left.
The destination is on the right.

Directions by Public Transit:
From the University of Arizona (6th St and Highland), take the 9 bus downtown for five stops.
Exit at the 6th Ave and Pennington St stop.
Walk south toward E Congress St, turn left on E Congress St, and the destination will be on the left.

Tips

Places to stop along the way:

Food: Maynards Market & Kitchen, Cafe Poca Cosa, HUB Restaurant & Ice Creamery
Coffee and Drinks: Hotel Congress Tap Room, Cup Cafe, The Independent Distillery

Best time of day:

From Apr 15th to Oct 15th, this route is best in the evening and night, once the city has started to cool down.

From Oct 15th to Apr 15th, any time of day is great.

Precautions:

There are many traffic lights along this route, so please be sure to watch out for oncoming traffic and cross the street only when it's safe.

If you visit during Tucson's warmer months (Apr-Oct), make sure to drink plenty of water.