Riordan Mansion State Historic Park

This Park is Scheduled to Close March 29, 2010

At the Janurary 15, 2010 meeting, the Arizona State Parks Board voted to keep nine parks open and close the remaining thirteen State Parks in a phased series of closures starting February 22, 2010, due to six different State Parks funds being swept of $8.6 million. In addition, four parks remain closed due to previous budget reductions. Learn More

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. Read Press Release about this Park's five day schedule.

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

2010 Brown Bag Lunch Lectures

On each month at 12:15 pm on the front veranda of the historic 1904 Riordan Mansion we present a different lecture as part of our Brown Bag Lunch Series. The series is on Monday in Jan., Feb., and March, and the second Tuesday of other months. Stop by with lunch for an interesting presentation. Read complete descriptions on the calendar of events page. (Look for the Brown Bag Lunch symbol.)

January 11 - History of Postcards
February 8 - History of Baseball Spring Training in Arizona
March 8 - Smithsonian Expeditions to Northern Arizona - in Celebration of Arizona Heritage and Archaeology Awareness Month
April 13 - Homesteads to Hotshots: A Story of the Leroux Springs and the Ski and Spur Ranch
May 11 - What’s New in Sedona Geology
June 8 - Brother Bear, Sister Bear: Cosmic Connections between People and Bruins

2010 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.)

February 6 (Rescheduled due to snow) - Corvid Lore: Ravens and Crows in the American Southwest
February 13 - Lindbergh’s Trains & Planes: The First Transcontinental Flight Route
March 20 - Excavations at “Lizard Man Village”- in Celebration of Arizona Heritage and Archaeology Awareness Month
April 10 - Between the Covers at Riordan Mansion: Popular Books from the Early Years - April Lecture is in Celebration of National Library Week, April 11-17
May 22 - Flagstaff: The Making of an Arcadia Local History Book
June 26 - Painting the Plateau
July 17 - Arizona Rangers

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)