Riordan Mansion State Historic Park

Five Day Schedule: This park is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The park is open 10:30 am – 5:00 pm on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, & Mondays. The inside of the mansion can only be seen by Guided Tours on the hour: tours start at 11 am, Noon, 1 pm, 2 pm, 3 pm, and 4 pm.

May 13: Exploring the Great Unknown: John Wesley Powell's Trip Through the Grand Canyon (Brown Bag Lunch Lecture)

Note: Our May Lecture is in Celebration of National Historic Preservation Month

12:15 pm. Free. Presented by Sandy Sunseri and Chris Glenn, MNA Docents. Today millions of travelers visit the Grand Canyon each year, but just 140 years ago it was still considered the "last blank spot on the map." One man, a one-armed civil war veteran, was determined to navigate and document the Colorado River as it winds through the Canyon. So, on May 24, 1869, John Wesley Powell set out with 9 men, 4 boats, and 10 months of rations on an adventure that would nearly kill them. Three months later Powell emerged 1,000 miles down river with 5 men, 2 boats, and only 1 week of moldy flour left. Listen to their story and see film clips of the raging Colorado.

June 15: Riordan Days of Summer

10:00 am – 4:30 pm. Riordan Days of Summer is a fundraiser with the sole intent of supporting Riordan Mansion and keeping it open to the public. Guided tours will be given on the hour as usual and reservations are highly recommended. A suggested donation of $5.00 per person is appreciated at the gate.

The day's festivities will include music by the Flagstaff Community Band and The Knockabouts; classic cars courtesy of the Route 66 Club and a logging horse demonstration. Food this year is provided by Primo's Deli and will feature the exclusive "Hungry Irishman Corned Beef Sandwich." The Riordan Action Network will also be hosting craft and bake sales to benefit the Mansion. A whiskey tasting is being sponsored by the Northern Arizona Celtic Heritage Society (NACHS) for a minimal charge. NACHS will also be on hand with Irish storytelling and fun!

As a special thanks to the community for the incredible support in keeping the park open, the West Wing of Riordan Mansion will be available for viewing at no additional charge throughout the event. Please park off site and walk to main gate entry. Handicapped-only parking is available at the Mansion.Call 928-853-7792 or visit riordanactionnet.org for more information

Introductory Park Video

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About the Park

Step back in time and experience a great example of Arts and Crafts style architecture at Riordan Mansion.

Built in 1904 for two Riordan families, Riordan Mansion is an impressive reminder of gracious living in a small, territorial logging town. The historic building is an Arizona treasure — a remarkable example of Arts and Crafts style architecture featuring a rustic exterior of log-slab siding, volcanic stone arches, and hand-split wooden shingles. The expansive home has forty rooms, over 13,000 square-feet of living area, and servant's quarters. The Riordan residence was designed by the creator of Grand Canyon's El Tovar Hotel, Charles Whittlesey.

Mansion Tours

Guided tours of the Mansion given daily, at the top of the hour. During Winter, tours begin at 11 am. Tour size is limited and reservations are highly recommended. Reservations are made by calling the Park at (928) 779-4395. Your guide will lead you through a pristine historic home filled with original artifacts, handcrafted furniture, and personal mementos of the Riordan families. The impressive home contains an exceptional collection of Craftsman furnishings with appointments by Edison, Stickley, Ellis, and Steinway. The first floor of the West Wing is included as part of the tour and provides displays about the family, the Arts and Crafts movement, and other local interests.

Park Calendar

2013 Brown Bag Lunch Lectures

On the 2nd Monday of each month at 12:15 pm we present a different lecture as part of our Brown Bag Lunch Series. Stop by with lunch for an interesting presentation. Read complete descriptions on the calendar of events page. (Look for the Brown Bag Lunch symbol.)

2013 Evening Slide Presentation Series

Our evening Slide Presentation Series presents a wide ranging of topics. Presentations are held at 7 pm. Programs are free but reservations are recommended due to limited availability. Please call (928) 779-4395. Read complete descriptions on the calendar of events page. (Look for the Slide symbol.)

Timothy and Michael Riordan in 1928.

The Families

Timothy and Michael Riordan were prominent pioneer Flagstaff businessmen who developed a successful logging business, the Arizona Lumber and Timber Company. Moreover, the two brothers were known for their contributions which were essential to the development of the social and economic structure of Flagstaff and Northern Arizona. Tim and Mike married the Metz sisters, Caroline and Elizabeth. The women were cousins of the Babbitt brothers, another influential Flagstaff family. Tim and Caroline had two daughters; Mike and Elizabeth had six children. The two close-knit families built a large mansion comprised of two separate homes connected by a common area known as the billiard room.

Educational Curriculum: A Family and a Forest (Grades 3 through 6)

A Family and a Forest is a curriculum for 3 – 6 grade correlated with the Arizona State Education Standards for science, social studies and mathematics. The program includes activities to use in the classroom prior to your visit along with follow-up activities. The goal of the curriculum is to present information on the logging industry in Flagstaff, Arizona and how this industry provided wealth to the community and support for the families that relied upon that industry for their livelihood. It also presents information on the concerns of land use and conservation of the natural resources that provided that livelihood. Through the Riordan family history we learn about life one hundred years ago and relate that to our lives today.

Download A Family and a Forest Education Program Curriculum ( 2.2 MB PDF)