Tucson ArizonaATTRACTIONS & THINGS TO DO
Listed below are the best attractions and things to do near Tucson, Arizona.
1. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
LIVING DESERT WILDLIFE PARK
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is a world-renowned desert wildlife park featuring natural habitats for animals including mountain lions, stingrays, and native birds. Visitors can enjoy interactive raptor shows and explore the beautiful hummingbird aviary that showcases the region's unique flying jewels. This unique attraction combines elements of a zoo, botanical garden, and natural history museum to provide an immersive Sonoran Desert experience.
2. Sabino Canyon Recreation Area
SCENIC DESERT CANYON OASIS
Sabino Canyon Recreation Area is a lush, pretty and shaded mini-gorge that offers a desert canyon landscape featuring diverse wildlife and a variety of hiking trails. Visitors can explore the canyon via narrated hop-on, hop-off tram tours that provide panoramic views and opportunities for nature exploration. The area includes a visitor center and picnic areas, making it perfect for a day trip into the natural beauty surrounding Tucson.
3. Saguaro National Park
ICONIC DESERT CACTUS LANDSCAPE
Saguaro National Park showcases the majestic cacti of the Sonoran Desert across two districts that flank Tucson on the east and west. Visitors can hike among the nation's largest concentration of the iconic saguaro cactus, some reaching heights of over 50 feet and ages exceeding 200 years. The park offers scenic drives, hiking trails of varying difficulties, and stunning desert vistas that are particularly magical at sunrise and sunset.
4. Mt. Lemmon Scenic Byway
SKY ISLAND MOUNTAIN DRIVE
Mt. Lemmon Scenic Byway offers a remarkable journey from desert terrain to high-pine and aspen forests as it winds its way up the Santa Catalina Mountains. The 27-mile drive climbs more than 6,000 feet, passing through multiple ecological zones equivalent to traveling from Mexico to Canada in terms of biodiversity. Visitors can enjoy spectacular viewpoints, hiking trails, the charming village of Summerhaven, and even skiing at Mt. Lemmon Ski Valley during winter months.
5. Tohono Chul
DESERT GARDEN CULTURAL OASIS
Tohono Chul is a peaceful desert garden that invites visitors to discover the beauty and diversity of the Sonoran Desert through its themed botanical collections. The 49-acre urban oasis combines art galleries, exhibit halls, and nature trails that showcase native plants, wildlife habitat, and cultural history. Visitors can also enjoy the garden's renowned tearoom that offers Southwestern cuisine in a serene setting surrounded by desert flora.
6. Tucson Botanical Gardens
URBAN DESERT PLANT SANCTUARY
Tucson Botanical Gardens provides a refreshing green space in the heart of the city with themed gardens showcasing desert-adapted plants from around the world. The 5.5-acre urban retreat includes a butterfly garden, sensory garden, and historical buildings that offer a glimpse into Tucson's past. Visitors can enjoy seasonal exhibits, educational programs, and the charming Garden Bistro nestled among the lush vegetation.
7. Pima Air & Space Museum
HISTORIC AVIATION COLLECTION
Pima Air & Space Museum houses one of the world's largest collections with over 300 vintage-to-modern aircraft spanning a century of military and aerospace history. The 80-acre museum campus features multiple hangars of indoor exhibits and vast outdoor display areas where visitors can get up close to everything from early biplanes to massive bombers and supersonic jets. Tours of the nearby 'Boneyard' at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base provide an additional glimpse into aviation preservation and storage.
8. Mission San Xavier del Bac
HISTORIC WHITE DOVE MISSION
Mission San Xavier del Bac, often called the 'White Dove of the Desert,' is a stunning 18th-century Spanish colonial mission that represents one of the finest examples of Spanish Catholic architecture in the United States. The gleaming white structure features ornate baroque details, colorful murals, and intricate sculptures that showcase the blending of European and indigenous artistic traditions. Still an active parish serving the Tohono O'odham community, the mission welcomes visitors to explore its cultural and architectural legacy.
9. Reid Park Zoo
URBAN WILDLIFE EXPERIENCE
Reid Park Zoo offers an intimate wildlife experience featuring over 500 animals representing more than 100 species from around the world. The 24-acre zoo is thoughtfully designed with naturalistic habitats including an African savanna where giraffes, lions, and elephants roam, and a South American area featuring jaguars and tropical birds. Visitors can enjoy up-close animal encounters, keeper talks, and interactive experiences that promote conservation awareness.
10. Catalina State Park
DESERT MOUNTAIN RECREATION PARADISE
Catalina State Park in the Santa Catalina Mountains northeast of Tucson offers expansive desert landscapes with spectacular mountain backdrops and diverse wildlife viewing opportunities. The park features numerous hiking, biking, and horse trails that wind through canyons, streams, and ancient ruins beneath towering saguaros and rugged peaks. Visitors can enjoy camping facilities, picnic areas, and seasonal events that showcase the natural beauty of this accessible wilderness area.
11. Colossal Cave Mountain Park
ANCIENT UNDERGROUND WONDER
Colossal Cave Mountain Park invites visitors to explore the otherworldly depths of a 3.5-million-year-old limestone cave system filled with stunning formations. The historic cave, maintained at a constant 70 degrees year-round, offers guided tours through chambers adorned with stalactites, stalagmites, and colorful mineral deposits. Beyond the cave, the 2,400-acre park features hiking trails, horseback riding, camping, and buildings constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.
12. The Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures
TINY WORLDS BIG WONDER
The Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures houses an enchanting collection of over 400 antique and contemporary dollhouses, room boxes, and miniature scenes that transport visitors through different eras and fantastical realms. Each meticulously crafted display showcases incredible attention to detail with some pieces featuring objects smaller than a grain of rice. The museum offers interactive elements and regularly rotating exhibits that appeal to visitors of all ages, making the tiny world of miniatures accessible and fascinating.
13. Tucson Museum of Art
SOUTHWESTERN ART COLLECTION
The Tucson Museum of Art houses an impressive collection of American, Latin American, and modern art in the heart of the historic El Presidio neighborhood. The museum complex includes restored historic homes that showcase period furnishings alongside contemporary exhibition spaces featuring both permanent collections and traveling exhibits. Visitors can explore the beautiful courtyard, sculpture garden, and museum store that complement the artistic experience in this cultural cornerstone of downtown Tucson.
14. Old Tucson
HISTORIC WESTERN MOVIE SET
Old Tucson, nicknamed 'Hollywood in the Desert,' is a historic western movie set built in 1939 for the filming of the movie 'Arizona' and has since been featured in hundreds of western films and television shows. The attraction recreates the look and atmosphere of Tucson in the 1860s with authentic-looking streets, saloons, and buildings that transport visitors back to the Wild West era. Visitors can enjoy live stunt shows, gunfights, musical performances, and behind-the-scenes tours that celebrate the golden age of western filmmaking.
15. Arizona State Museum
NATIVE AMERICAN CULTURAL HERITAGE
The Arizona State Museum is the oldest and largest anthropology museum in the Southwest, housing exceptional collections that tell the story of the region's indigenous cultures spanning over 10,000 years. Located on the University of Arizona campus, the museum features comprehensive exhibits of pottery, basketry, textiles, and archaeological artifacts from various Native American tribes. Visitors can explore changing exhibits, participate in educational programs, and access the museum's extensive research facilities that contribute to the understanding and preservation of Southwestern cultural heritage.