The Riordan Mansion- Northwest Valley

July 8, 2025
$133

Brothers Timothy and Michael Riordan were members of a prominent Arizona Territory family—involved in lumber, railroads, cattle, banking, and politics. Sons of Irish immigrants, they moved to Flagstaff to run the local lumber mill, which was established to provide wood for the Transcontinental Railroad.
The Riordan brothers married two sisters, Caroline and Elizabeth Metz. Working together, the brothers built two nearly identical Arts and Crafts style mansions, connected by a large billiards room, for a total of over 13,000 square feet of living area and servants’ quarters, with each family living in one of the mansions. Charles Whittlesey, who was chief architect for the Santa Fe Railroad and designer of the Grand Canyon’s El Tovar Lodge, designed the state-of-the-art home in 1904, using local materials such as volcanic basalt and Ponderosa pine trees to blend into the surrounding environment. The family lived in the mansion until the 1980s, when the second generation gifted Arizona State Parks the property. Arizona State Parks received a warranty from the surviving members of the Riordan family, conveying the Riordan homes, most of the contents—such as the east and west wings of the mansion—and five acres of surrounding land for State Park purposes. The state park opened on August 4, 1983, to preserve and share the history of not just the Riordan family, but of the city of Flagstaff. We’ll also enjoy lunch, on self, in historic downtown Flagstaff, home to many wonderful restaurants, so there is sure to be something for everyone.

Depart: NW 9 a.m. R 6 p.m.