Built (1937-39) on a plan mimicking, in part, the spatial layout of a mission complex, the museum is a handsome example of Mission Revival architecture. Certain architectural elements, such as the entrance doors, were replicas of similar features from missions of the Sonora. The museum and attached courtyard were used as interpretive devices while the structures walled off and protected the remains of the Tumacacori Mission.

Information provided by the National Registry of Historic Places, a program of the National Park Service