Arizona Memories

Return to “the good ol’ days” through old photographs and home movies when Phoenix was just a small town on the map. Take a look at Phoenix when it began to blossom and relive the history of what “used to be.”  From ballrooms to the theater, there was no shortage of entertainment in Phoenix. 

The Riverside Ballroom was a place where men and women could come together to dance. There was always a band playing in the ballroom. The Riverside Ballroom had different types of music play throughout the week, including Latin bands on Sundays. 

Other magical places were The Strand and The Orpheum. The Orpheum was the opera house of Phoenix. In the ’30s and ’40s, many children took part in performances at The Orpheum theater. Many came to see the professional quality children dancers. The theater was filled with excited and proud parents and eager children to show their talent.

Softball was a game that brought families and friends together. Discover the amateur softball team that Arizona’s first woman governor played on, the Queens. Families and friends flocked to the Phoenix Softball Park, located at 17th Street and Roosevelt to watch the women play. The Ramblers vs. the Queens was a huge rivalry that took Phoenix by storm. The crowd chose sides and stayed loyal to their chosen team. If they weren’t at the softball games, Phoenicians could be found at the Masque of the Yellow Moon. The pageant was an unbelievably spectacular event that had a different theme each year. The Masque of the Yellow Moon went on for three decades. As the city grew, the pageant became lost like many other Phoenix traditions, but it lives on in our memories.