Hunt's Tomb
![[bizarre_hunts.jpg]](bizarre_hunts.jpg)
Visitors to the Phoenix Zoo often wonder about the pyramid they notice on a nearby hill. What is the story of this gleaming white monument in the desert? The answer involves George West Hunt, who was elected Arizona's first governor in 1912 -- the year that Arizona gained statehood. When his wife Helen died in 1931, he built a tomb for her in the shape of a pyramid, having gotten the idea on an earlier trip to Egypt. Apparently the pyramid was designed with lots of extra room inside -- after his death, Hunt himself was laid to rest inside ... as were Helen's mother, father, and sister! The ashes of Hunt's daughter and her husband were also later placed inside. Certainly one of the oddest footnotes in Arizona history!
Directions: Hunt's Tomb is located in Papago Park, a few miles east of downtown Phoenix. The park road leads through the picnic area up a hill to the tomb parking lot.
Last visited: February 2004.
Standard disclaimer: Sites are described for entertainment purposes only, as they were at the time of my last visit. I can not vouch for the current condition of the site or its accessibility.