News
EXCITING NEW THINGS for YCNHA
EXCITING NEW THINGS IN STORE FOR THE YUMA CROSSING NATIONAL HERITAGE AREA
July 20, 2020
Yuma, Arizona – Earlier this year, the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area (YCNHA) received the official approval of the Master Plan (Plan) for the future development of the Yuma Territorial Prison (YTP) and Colorado River state historic parks by Arizona State Parks & Trails. This exciting plan includes new interactive exhibits utilizing some of the latest in audio and visual technology, in addition to much needed restoration and preservation of the historic buildings gracing these two Yuma gems that will be key pieces of the future development of an historic “Mega Park” concept in the YCNHA footprint.
Juneteenth
Nationwide, there’s a movement underway to broadly honor, celebrate and recognize Juneteenth. National Heritage Areas are committed to telling the stories of all people, especially those that historically have been left out of conversation. The Alliance of National Heritage Areas, of which the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area (YCNHA) is a member, is firmly committed to achieving a national culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Juneteenth is “the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.”
ANHA DE&I Committment Statement
We celebrate our nation’s diverse heritage.
We create experiences that stimulate cultural equity.
We empower inclusive communities to tell their stories.
The Alliance of National Heritage Areas is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our membership organization of Congressionally-designated National Heritage Areas and partner-affiliated organizations works collectively to protect and promote diverse people and places that tell America’s stories equitably and inclusively.
Yuma State Parks Welcome Back Visitors This Week
Yuma’s state parks welcome back visitors this week
Mara Knaub Sun Staff Writer 8 hrs ago
Yuma’s two state parks are welcoming back visitors this week, with the Yuma Territorial Prison reopening today (Monday, June 15) and the Colorado River State Historic Park on Tuesday.
“We would like to take this time to say thank you to everyone for their patience and understanding during these trying times as decisions did not come easy to close the parks in March,” the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area, which oversees the parks, stated in an announcement.
YCNHA said that it continues to monitor Yuma’s COVID-19 numbers, which will allow the organization to determine the safest decision for employees and guests.
Colorado River State Historic Park Reopens
The Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area is happy to announce the opening of Yuma’s two beloved state parks, the Yuma Territorial Prison on June 15th and the Colorado River State Historic Park on June 16th.
We would like to take this time to say thank you to everyone for their patience and understanding during these trying times as decisions did not come easy to close the parks in March. We are continuing to monitor Yuma’s current COVID-19 numbers, which will allow us to determine the safest decision for our employees and guests.
YCNHA Parks Delay Opening
Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area was gearing up to reopen the Colorado River State Historic Park and Yuma Territorial Prison today, but due to the daily high numbers of COVID-19 positive cases, it has delayed the reopenings.
On Friday, the organization announced that it had “made the difficult decision to postpone the reopenings of the parks for at least another week, or until more data can be reviewed to determine when a more prudent and firm date can be announced.”
“With the numbers rising in Yuma County, we want to continue to keep our employees and guests safe,” spokeswoman Sarah Halligan said.
New app for Colorado River Historic State Park
The Southwest Technical Educational District of Yuma (STEDY) students are responsible for creating and designing this app and the Kofa High School drama students narrated the tour.
Name Dropper, Lisa Dickson
The Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area has welcomed Lisa Dickson to the team as the executive assistant specializing in development.
Yuma Territorial Prison Best Haunted Destination in the Country
The legend says that many years ago a little girl in a red dress trying to retrieve her doll from the Colorado River drowned. She now haunts the Yuma Territorial Historic Prison, and if she doesn’t like a visitor or if a person is wearing red, the little girl will pinch the visitor.
Stories like this one have long given the state historic park a reputation as one of the most “haunted” places in the United States. Now it’s official: USA Today readers have voted the historic prison as the “Best Haunted Destination” in the nation.
The Yuma prison faced stiff competition, going up against destinations with sinister-sounding names such as the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston, West Virginia, the Villisca Axe Murder House in Villisca, Iowa, and the Queen Mary, which is docked in Long Beach, California, and has an established reputation as being haunted.
