The Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society will present a tour of the St. Francis Dam site on Sunday, March 11, just a day before the 84th anniversary of the second-worst natural disaster to hit California.

The failure of the St. Francis Dam on March 12, 1928 killed more than 450 people, leveled farms and homesteads, destroyed property and livestock and changed the way dam safety was addressed forevermore.

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The tour will begin with a short presentation about the disaster at 11 a.m. in the freight room of the Saugus Train Station in Heritage Junction.

At noon, ticketed passengers will board a motorcoach for a trip up to the dam site in San Francisquito Canyon and a hike to the dam ruins.

St. Francis Dam expert Frank Rock, who has been featured on the History Channel, the Discovery Channel and local television, will conduct the lecture and tour.

Tickets are $35 per person for all ages and include snacks and bus transportation. Funds raised will benefit programs of the Santa Clarita Valley Historical Society.

Participants should wear long pants and comfortable hiking shoes. Water will be provided.

Tickets may be reserved by calling (661) 254-1275 with credit card and contact information or by mailing your ticket order to P.O. Box 221925, Newhall, CA 91322-1925. Mail orders must be received no later than March 7.

Because this tour is a very popular fund-raiser, it is impossible to guarantee that seats will be available for purchase on the day of the tour. Order your tickets now!