Lots to do in Tucson's revitalized downtown

The mosaic dome of the Old Pima Courthouse in the Presidio historic district.[Photo/Beth J. Harpaz/AP]

As a kid growing up in Tucson years ago, Eddie Gallego remembers "when everything was downtown". Then businesses began to move out to the malls, and downtown suffered. Now, he says, the neighborhood has come full circle.

"Downtown has gotten so much better," says Gallego from behind the counter of his gift and craft shop, Tolteca Tlacuilo. "We're revitalizing."

Tolteca Tlacuilo is located at Old Town Artisans, a restored 19th-century marketplace in Tucson's El Presidio historic district. The Presidio is one of several distinct areas downtown that can make for a terrific afternoon of shopping, dining and enjoying Tucson's historic sites and the arts, whether you're a local or an out-of-towner. Here are some recommendations.

El Presidio and El Barrio

El Presidio's historic district is where the 18th-century walled settlement that grew into Tucson was originally located. Today you'll see a reconstructed Spanish fort at 196 N. Court St., adobe and brick homes on side streets, and the mosaic dome of the Old Pima County Courthouse at 115 N. Church Ave., surrounded by a lovely park.

Across the street from the courthouse is the Tucson Museum of Art, 140 N. Main Ave. In addition to notable Latin American, pre-Columbian and American West collections, the museum is hosting a Day of the Dead-themed installation called "Banda Calaca", with a large-scale seven-piece skeleton band marching toward a community memorial altar. Tucson is known for its Day of the Dead celebration, the All Souls Procession, scheduled for Nov 8, which typically attracts 100,000 people.