Seven Wonders of Southern Arizona

As international votes for the new Seven Wonders of the World are being counted, the Tucson-based Arizona Star launches its own list of local wonders. Log in and choose.

As I write this, there are 9 days and 18 hours left to go. Then, the international vote to choose the new Seven Wonders of the World ceases. The results will be announced in a ceremony in Lisbon, Portugal on the appropriate date of 07-07-07.

Fascination with the subject has spawned various "wonders" lists over the centuries. Only the Great Pyramid of Giza remains from the original Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, which were determined by Philon of Byzantium around 200 BC.

The current contest was launched by Bernard Weber, a Swiss-Canadian filmmaker and adventurer, who conceived the project in 1999. The initial list of 177 sites was pared down to a shortlist of just 21 about a year ago, and since then voting has been strong. More than 25 million people have voted so far. Half of the funds raised will go towards restoring monuments around the world, including Afghanistan's ancient Bamiyan Buddhas, which were blown up by the Taliban.

In the run-up to this exciting event, the Tucson-based Arizona Star newspaper has launched its own list: the Seven Wonders of Southern Arizona. Readers can vote on-line, and add any write-in candidates that they feel have been overlooked.

These sites are man-made, rather than natural wonders, and range from archeological sites to modern buildings. They might not have the cachet of the Acropolis in Athens or the Colosseum in Rome, but having seen most of them, I can say that many rank among the top sights in the entire Southwest.

So here, then, is the list, in alphabetical order.

Arizona Inn, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Biosphere II, Catalina Highway (to Mt. Lemon), El Nacimiento display downtown, Hohokam Pit Houses at Catalina State Park, Kitt Peak National Observatory, Lavender Pit Mine at Bisbee, Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, Meinel Optical Sciences Building at the University of Arizona, Mission San Xavier del Bac, Old Pima County Courthouse, Picture Rocks Petroglyphs, Snake Bridge on Broadway, Sosa-Carrillo-Fremont House, St. Philips in the Hills church, Stevie Eller Dance Theater at UA, Temple of Music and Art, Tumacacori Mission, Veterans Administration Medical Center

To cast your official vote on the Arizona Star's website, click here.

To vote for the new Seven Wonders of the World, click here.