Ajo Historic Plaza

Ajo's town centre is an unexpected sight in a desert mining town: long white arcades, red-tile roofs and tiled domes around a green park of tall palms. It was built in phases between 1916 and 1947 and contains about 90,000 square feet of commercial space. The International Sonoran Desert Alliance, a nonprofit based in town, describes it as part of Ajo's early-1900s "City Beautiful Movement" architecture.

The mine that paid for all this stopped production in 1985, and by 2008, when the Alliance bought the plaza, two-thirds of the space was empty. Restoration is a slow, continuing project. Some businesses have opened since, but do not expect a bustling shopping street. It remains a local gathering place and a pleasant walk.

A short walk away is the Curley School, a 1919 Spanish Colonial Revival landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The school closed in 1995, and the Alliance converted its main building and a 1930s wing into artisan apartments, with a third building becoming an inn and conference center. It is a residence, so see it from outside unless you are there for a public event.

The Alliance coordinates second-Saturday events from October to May that have included tours of the plaza and school. It also holds an International Day of Peace parade around September 21. Check with the Alliance for current dates. Allow an hour, more if you combine it with the Cabeza Prieta visitor center elsewhere in town.