Tumbleweed Ranch, operated by Chandler Museum, explores Chandler’s agricultural roots. Beginning in the 1890s, cotton, dairy, sheep, citrus, alfalfa, sugar beets, and other agricultural pursuits shaped our community. In 1999, a portion of Tumbleweed Park was preserved in order to tell the story of the East Valley’s agricultural history.
The 14 acres of Tumbleweed Ranch serve as a location for school field trips, the Ostrich Festival, Chandler High School Future Farmers of America, and the Chandler Chuck Wagon Cook-off. Features of the Ranch include the McCroskey House, Edwards House, Red Shed Theater, an early 1900s grocery store, FFA demonstration fields, and antique agricultural equipment.
Southwest corner of Tumbleweed Park, 2250 S. McQueen Rd. Open daily from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Field trips at Tumbleweed Ranch are currently on hold for ongoing site improvements as well as design development of expanded amenities of a new Ranch at Tumbleweed Park. Please keep us in mind for future field trips.
The McCroskey House
This farm bungalow represents one of the many homes built by early farmers in Chandler. The bungalow was a very popular home style, since it was cheap to build, simple in design, and practical. The Edwards family built this home in 1917. Many families built a home similar to the McCroskey House, often ordered through Sears, Montgomery Wards, Aladdin or other companies. At the present time, the McCrosky House is not open to the public.
The Edwards House
This bungalow is the "Maples" model from the 1913 Aladdin Company catalog. Will and Grace Robinson built this home a year after Chandler's founding in 1912. Located at 160 N. Washington Street, this home was among the first to be constructed in the neighborhood east of Highway 87 (now Arizona Avenue) and north of Buffalo Street. The George Edwards family, who built the McCroskey House, moved into this home in 1923 after George Edwards died. The oldest daughter, Bertha, taught first grade in Chandler for 46 years, living in the house until her death in 1989. The family sold the house to the City of Chandler in 2002, during a period of redevelopment in the downtown area. The house is current under renovation and is not open to the public.
Photographers are welcome to visit Tumbleweed Ranch during open hours. There is no fee for professional photographer usage, but please be respectful of the space.