Mesa Grande Ruins

My sister brought this to my attention and I thought it was worth sharing.  Plus there is a free pancake breakfast!!!

The 2011 Open House of the Mesa Grande Ruins Interpretive Trail will be held Saturday, March 19 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. The free event is the only day of the year this archaeological treasure is open to the public.

This self-guided tour of the ancient home of the Hohokam will give you the chance to tour this large prehistoric Hohokam temple mound, view prehistoric technology demonstrations and participate in ancient games at the archaeological site at the northwest corner of West 10^th Street and Date/Brown. Experts will be stationed throughout the site to answer questions. A free pancake breakfast, sponsored by the Mesa Grande Community Alliance, will be served from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.

“Mesa Grande is a unique treasure for the City and the open house is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about what the Hohokam built and our efforts to preserve it,” Arizona Museum of Natural History Curator of Anthropology Dr. Jerry Howard said. The City of Mesa purchased the Mesa Grande ruins to preserve this cultural treasure with the goal of opening it to the public as an educational and recreational facility. Mesa Grande is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is also an official Arizona Centennial Legacy Project. The City is building a new welcome center at Mesa Grande and the goal is to open it before the state centennial next February.