VISITCAMPVERDE.COM :: ANNUAL FORT VERDE DAYS

THE ANTIQUITIES ACT OF 1906 CENTENNIAL
Honoring 100 years of Stewardship and Preservation

One hundred years ago, Montezuma Castle and 160 surrounding acres of land near the town of Camp Verde were officially established as a National Monument. In signing the proclamation, President Theodore Roosevelt declared this prehistoric American Indian site to be "of the greatest ethnological value and scientific importance".

For over 100 years, Montezuma Castle has been a favorite destination for visitors to the Camp Verde area. Starting in the late 1860's soldiers from Ft. Verde would visit the site and bring their families for a picnic. Later, residents of Camp Verde were among the citizens who helped preserve this important cliff dwelling from crumbling to dust.

Today, travelers can still enjoy a picnic along Beaver Creek under some of the largest Arizona sycamore still gracing the banks of this perennial waterway.

Many activities, observances and lectures will be scheduled over the course of the year to celebrate this milestone. The staff and volunteers will also be highlighting the achievements and continued relevance of the Antiquities Act of 1906, the legislation that continues to protect cultural and natural resources on federal lands.

The past, present and future of stewardship and preservation is the interpretive theme for 2006.

Please check the calendar frequently as cultural demonstrations and speakers are scheduled.

There is a fee for admittance to Montezuma Castle: $5 per adult 16 years of age and older and children 15 and under are no charge. Federal recreation passes accepted include: the National Parks pass, Golden Age, Golden Access and Golden Eagle.

Many of the listed programs are with NPS partners also observing this landmark celebration.

Opening March through September: "Fragile Antiquities" at the Museum of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff. Exhibit of photographs honoring the Antiquities Act of 1906 and featuring many views of National Parks and Monuments of the West.

APRIL 28-30:

Verde Birding Festival, Dead Horse Ranch State Park in Cottonwood. Many exhibits and field trips. NPS volunteers assist in organizing the event and tours. Western National Parks and Monuments (WNPA), Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot, help defray costs of the exhibition tent.

MAY:

National Preservation Month: Cultural demonstrations to begin in late May to commemorate National Preservation Month, an observance established by the National Historic Trust under the National Park Service. Call for details.

JUNE 8:

Commemoration of Centennial, the Antiquities Act of 1906. Poster displays on Teddy Roosevelt and relevance of the Antiquities Act: past, present and future.

JULY - AUGUST:

Lecture series commemorating stewardship of the land and cultural and natural resources. Presented in conjunction with the Museum of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff.

SEPTEMBER 23:

National Public Lands Day, no fee. Participation in Verde River Days festival at Dead Horse Ranch State Park in Cottonwood with demonstrations and childrens' programs.

Sept. 30:

Montezuma Castle 10K and 2 mile run/walk.

OCTOBER 13-15:

Ft Verde Days, Camp Verde, Az. A celebration of life as it was in the late 1800's. Montezuma Castle was an important leisure destination for the soldiers and their families stationed at Ft. Verde.