Steve Long Realty

My friendship with Robert (Bob) Shelton, the legendary founder of Old Tucson, spanned over four decades, dating back to the 1970's. Though Bob passed away in 2016, his legacy as a titan of Western cinema lives on. He wasn't just a bystander to Hollywood history, he was at the very heart of it-serving as John Wayne's great friend and business partner, and sharing close bonds with icons like Paul Newman, Elizabeth Taylor, Lee Marvin, and so many others! Over the years, Bob shared some unforgettable stories with me, stories that I will share with you.

Located inside downtown Tucson’s historic Hotel Congress, the Century Room has quickly established itself as one of the premier jazz clubs and listening rooms in the Southwest. Opened in 2022, this sophisticated venue blends the upscale, romantic atmosphere of a classic New York or New Orleans jazz lounge with distinct Southern Arizona charm.

At the heart of the experience is an acoustically engineered showroom designed specifically for live music. The stage is anchored by a world-class Yamaha S5X studio grand piano and a state-of-the-art sound system, drawing elite national touring artists from major jazz hubs alongside a rotating roster of talented local musicians. On any given evening, patrons can experience everything from intimate duos to the powerful resonance of the 17-piece Century Jazz Orchestra.

Beyond its exceptional musical programming, the Century Room functions as an artisanal mezcal lounge. The bar boasts an extensive, curated selection of rare, ancestral, and small-batch agave spirits sourced directly from Mexico. This focus pairs naturally with a robust craft cocktail menu that highlights regional Southwestern ingredients, scents, and flavor profiles. Guests can sip on reimagined classics—such as a Sonoran Sazerac featuring local mesquite-smoked whiskey—while enjoying small, curated plates like artisan popcorn seasoned with mesquite-smoked mezcal caramel, local chocolates, and fine cheeses.

With its low, candlelit ambiance, rich curtains, and impeccable acoustic design, the Century Room offers a beautifully immersive escape. It honors the deep cultural heritage of the borderlands while providing downtown Tucson with a sophisticated, world-class nightlife destination.

The idea of a massive, hidden "underground city" beneath Tucson—complete with a sprawling, top-secret tunnel network linking distant neighborhoods—is one of the Old Pueblo’s favorite urban legends.
However, the reality is a mix of Cold War utility infrastructure, massive storm drainage systems, and a lot of local folklore. There isn't a secret subterranean metropolis where people are living or hiding out of sight, but there are significant underground networks that most residents cross over every day without realizing it.

The truth breaks down into three distinct underground systems.

1. The University of Arizona Utility Tunnels

If you are looking for a true, extensive, walkable tunnel network beneath Tucson, this is it. Wrapped underneath the University of Arizona campus is 5.3 miles of subterranean tunnels connecting over 140 campus buildings.

The Legend: For decades, rumors circulated that these tunnels were built as a web of interconnected Cold War bomb shelters, or that they were home to top-secret government laboratories. In the 1970s and 80s, students frequently snuck into them late at night for high-stakes games of Dungeons & Dragons.

The Reality: They were actually built in the 1930s as a highly advanced, centralized infrastructure project. They carry high-pressure steam pipes, water mains, electrical power, and telecommunications cables. Because of the extreme heat from the steam lines, sharp machinery, and modern motion-sensor security systems, they are strictly off-limits to the public today.

2. The Cold War Fall-Out Shelters

Tucson was a major strategic hub during the Cold War. The city was surrounded by 18 Titan II nuclear missile silos, and Davis-Monthan Air Force Base was an active piece of the nation's nuclear defense strategy.

Because of this, several buildings across the city—including downtown government offices and public high schools like Rincon, Catalina, and Palo Verde—were built with reinforced subterranean basements and self-contained fallout shelters designed to shield thousands of citizens. Over time, telephone games morphed these individual, isolated bunkers into a myth that a multi-mile "underground highway" connects the high schools directly to the military base. In reality, they are completely standalone basements, most of which are now used for mundane school storage.

3. The Desert Drainage Network

The other half of the "underground city" myth comes from Tucson's massive subterranean storm drains and washes. Because Tucson experiences intense monsoon seasons that dump inches of rain in a matter of minutes, the city relies on massive concrete culverts and underground channels to route flash floods away from roads and toward the Santa Cruz and Rillito rivers.

Some of these tunnels—like the ones running beneath Tucson High School or near 4th Avenue—are large enough to walk through when dry, leading to generations of local teenagers exploring them. These drains are frequently covered in elaborate local graffiti, but they are incredibly dangerous due to sudden, unpredictable flash floods and low air quality.

If you find yourself in Tucson on a warm summer evening, skip the indoor AC for an hour and head down to the North Campbell Avenue Bridge where it crosses the Rillito River.

From April through October, this ordinary piece of concrete infrastructure becomes a bustling maternity ward and launchpad for thousands of Mexican free-tailed bats. It’s one of the city's coolest, entirely free natural spectacles.

What to Expect

As the sun drops behind the Tucson Mountains and the desert sky shifts to shades of deep violet and orange, a quiet crowd starts gathering near the bridge.

If you are standing on the pedestrian walkways or down along the Chuck Huckelberry Loop bike path, you'll start to notice a unique, acrid smell—that’s the guano (bat droppings) signaling you are close to the roost. Then, the sound begins: a subtle, high-pitched chattering vibrating from the bridge's expansion joints.

The narrow, one-foot-deep crevices in the bridge's underside are highly insulation-effective, keeping temperatures perfectly stable for mothers to raise their pups.

The Scouts: Right around official sunset, a few "scout" bats will nervously flutter out from the gaps, looping back under quickly to check for predators like desert hawks, which frequently wait in nearby trees for an easy meal.

The Vortex: Suddenly, as if answering a silent cue, a massive black ribbon of bats breaks from the shadows. Thousands of tiny, thumb-sized mammals stream out into the open sky, twisting and swirling in unison as they head off to hunt.

The Feast: These bats mean business. A colony of this size will consume literal tons of moths, beetles, and mosquitoes before dawn, acting as the desert’s natural pest control.

The "Lost Riches" of Colossal Cave, located southeast of Tucson in the Rincon Mountains, is one of Arizona's most enduring legends. While the cave is geologically famous as a "dry" limestone cavern, its historical notoriety stems from 19th-century train robberies and the persistent belief that a fortune in gold remains hidden within its miles of unexplored passages.

The Legend of the Outlaw Loot

The story centers on two major Southern Pacific train robberies that occurred in 1887 near the town of Vail.

The Robberies: Outlaws reportedly intercepted the trains and escaped with a significant haul of gold and silver coins, valued at tens of thousands of dollars at the time.

The Hideout: Following the heists, the bandits fled toward the Rincon Mountains. Law enforcement tracked them to the entrance of what was then known as "The Cave" (later named Colossal Cave).

The Standoff: Sheriffs and their posses allegedly staked out the only known entrance for weeks, assuming the outlaws were trapped inside. However, the men eventually surfaced elsewhere, having found a hidden exit—but without the heavy loot they had carried in.

Historical Clue: When the cave was later explored, searchers found evidence of the outlaws' stay, including cooking pots, food, clothing, and canteens, but the stolen currency was never recovered.

Geological and Human Context

Before it became a destination for treasure hunters, the cave had a rich, varied history:

Ancient Use: The cave served as a shelter for the Hohokam, Sobaipuri, and Apache tribes between 900 BC and 1450 AD. Early explorers found soot-covered ceilings and ancient artifacts, indicating it was a long-term haunt for indigenous groups.

Rediscovery: Solomon Lick, owner of the Mountain Springs Hotel and Stage Station, "rediscovered" the cave in 1879 while searching for stray cattle.

A "Dry" Wonder: Geologically, Colossal Cave is "dormant," meaning its formations (stalactites and stalagmites) no longer grow because the water source shifted thousands of years ago.

"Thanks for all your help and your amazing patience!" - Peggy R.

The "TUCSON" control tower is arguably the city's most recognizable skyline feature for anyone flying into Tucson International Airport (TUS). While a newer, taller FAA tower took over operations in 2016, this mid-century landmark remains a protected piece of Arizona's aviation history.

A Mid-Century Landmark

Completed in 1958, the control tower was part of a major airport expansion designed to handle the transition into the Jet Age. It stands roughly 118 feet tall and is famous for its distinct red-and-white checkered pattern and vertical blue lettering.

Key Architectural Details

The Facade: The tower is clad in a grid of red and white porcelain enamel tiles. This wasn't just an aesthetic choice; the high-contrast pattern was a standard safety requirement for airport obstructions during the era.

The Signage: The word T-U-C-S-O-N is spelled out vertically in large blue block letters, serving as a giant "welcome home" sign for returning residents.

The Cab: The glass-enclosed top (the "cab") provided 360-degree views of the airfield and the surrounding Santa Catalina and Tucson Mountains, though it eventually became too small for modern radar equipment.

Retirement and Preservation

In the early 2010s, the FAA determined the old tower was no longer sufficient for modern safety standards, leading to the construction of a new 252-foot tower located south of the terminal.

However, rather than demolishing the 1958 structure, the Tucson Airport Authority chose to preserve it. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2012. Today, the tower is no longer used for air traffic control but continues to house airport administrative offices and remains an enduring symbol of the city's growth during the 1950s.

While many early airfields were private or military, Tucson was the first city in the United States to establish an airport that was municipally owned and operated.

On November 20, 1919, Swede Myerhoff landed the first plane at what was then known as the Tucson Municipal Airport.

The site wasn't where the current Tucson International Airport (TUS) sits; it was located at the intersection of 6th Avenue and Irvington Road (roughly where the Tucson Rodeo Grounds and Santa Rita Park are today).

"Steve Long is the consummate professional real estate pro, develops very solid strategies that fit different situations, and has comprehensive knowledge of the real estate and title processes." Dave and Penny S.