Visit Tucson's Valley of the Moon

Wednesday, 30 November 2011 00:36

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A little-known magical wonderland is tucked away in an inconspicuous neighborhood on East Allen Road. But once you enter this fairyland garden, you are transported to a world where fairy tales come true and imagination and kindness reign supreme.

Valley of the Moon was built by George Phar Legler in 1923, but the inspiration for creating it sprung from visiting the sick child of a local clergyman. Legler built a small mountain and waterfall outside her window where she could use her imagination to escape to another world. After she died, Legler wanted to build a similar escape for everyone to use their imaginations and heal their spirits.

Legler was a pacifist who believed kindness to all was the foundation of happiness and dedicated his life to spreading happiness and mental and spiritual health to all, particularly children.

Legler lived on the property his whole life and gave tours of the park personally. He passed away in 1982, but his work was carried on by The George Phar Legler Society. The park and the special events are kept up by volunteers and donations from the public.

On July 27, 2011, the Valley of the Moon was listed in the National Register of Historic Places through the work of the Tucson Historic Preservation Foundation and The George Phar Legler Society.

Valley of the Moon is more than just a garden to walk through with your children. Several times a year, the Valley hosts a number of events. Just recently, the Valley was home to the Wing-making workshops for the Procession of Little Angels.

On Saturday, December 3, 2011, the Valley of the Moon is having a special family event called Electrical Storm on the Moon. The event starts at 6:00pm, and features a woman who stands on top of a large Tesla Coil running 500,000 volts. Admission to Electrical Storm on the Moon is free, but for $5 you can take a turn in a Faraday Cage which will allow you can sit on top of the coil and be protected from these voltages by a metal screen.

For a layout of the garden, check out Valley of the Moon's site map.

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Written by Zohra Yaqub You are reading Visit Tucson's Valley of the Moon articles

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