Riordan Mansion State Historic Park

Five Day Schedule: This park is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The park is open 9:30 am – 5:00 pm on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, & Mondays. Tours start at the top of the hour at 10 am, 11 am, Noon, 1 pm, 2 pm, 3 pm, and 4 pm. Park is closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. NOTE: Park will be open 7 days a week from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

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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

2012 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.)

Feb. 13: Flagstaff in Postcards (Presentation and Booksigning) With John DeGraff, Flagstaff Author. John DeGraff will be presenting his newly released book, Flagstaff, part of Arcadia Publishing's Postcard History Series. He will be describing his postcard collection and how he became interested in his hobby. Some of the historical postcards presented will be from his books and some will be John's favorites that never made the cut. Special Brown Bag in celebration of Arizona’s Centennial!
March 12: Saving the Past for the Future: Examples from the Kaibab National Forest. Presented by Neil Weintraub, Archaeologist, Kaibab National Forest. On the Kaibab National Forest, archaeologists, fire fighters, range, and timber specialists have worked together to protect numerous historic sites by removing vegetation on and around them so that these important traces of the past can be better protected and preserved during wildfires. The presentation will discuss how Kaibab National Forest managers have worked together to protect and preserve these fragile pieces of history.

2012 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.)

Feb. 4: Where a Soul May Speak Aloud: Sharlot Hall and the Arizona Strip. By Rose Houk, Flagstaff Author. Sharlot Hall and hired guide Al Doyle departed in July of 1911 for a trip through the remote lands north of the Grand Canyon and forged westward to small Mormon towns in Utah and down through Nevada. Seventy-five days and a thousand miles later, their trip ended. Re-travel their route with Rose Houk as she relives the journey with the words from Sharlot Hall's own diary, and photos by renowned photographer Michael Collier.

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)