Travel guide for planning a vacation or trip to Tucson, including top tourist attractions and things to do.
Located southeast of the capital city of Phoenix, and quite near the Mexican border, Tucson Arizona is a great spot to visit any time of year. It is rich in history, while keeping up with modern trends. No matter what you like to do, there's bond to be somewhere in Tucson to meet your needs. From golfing, to sightseeing, to casinos and shopping, Tucson is a little city filled with big city attractions.
Here are the top 10 things to do in Tucson, that most everyone will enjoy:
10. Mission San Xavier Del Bac. One of the oldest, and well-kept missions in the southwest. Built in the 1700's, this adobe church house is a great example of Spanish Colonial architecture. Among it's many exquisite features, are carvings, sculptures and frescoes, both religious, and artistic.
9. Casino of the Sun. One of the many Native-American owned casinos in Arizona, this large casino is owned and operated by the Pascua Yaqui Tribe. It contains a substantial bingo hall, slots, and three very nice restaurants.
8. Pima Air & Space Museum. This museum is dedicated to the history of flight. Its collection is one of the largest in the world. Among its many treasures are World War II combat gliders, commercial aircraft, military experimental crafts, and many more treasures of the aviation past.
7. Reid Park Zoo. A very small zoo, perfect for an afternoon activity. Despite its size, Reid Park zoo is a very popular sight, and a high quality attraction.
6. Fort Lowell Museum. A military museum rich in history. There are many different exhibits ranging from The Apache Wars, to the lives of solders at the fort.
5. Arizona Historical Society. Another great museum. It contains exhibits on not only Tucson history, but also the history of the whole great state of Arizona.
4. Tucson Botanical Gardens. A botanical garden dedicated to the desert environment. This beautiful attraction is both educational, and pleasurable to visitors and locals alike.
3. Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium. An observatory, and a planetarium. Visitors here can participate in many educational programs at the center, or peer through its powerful telescope into space.
2. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. This museum is more like a zoo than a museum. It features desert creatures, a desert botanical garden, and many education exhibits about the wild Sonoran Desert. It prides itself in the education of its visitors on the wisdom and conservation of the local habitat.
1. Old Tucson Studios. Built in 1938, and used as the set for over 70 western movies, this mini theme park is full of entertainment. You can learn how western films were made, see a staged old west shoot out, or enjoy one of the many rides and live entertainment shows. Loved by both native southwesterners and many visitors from all over the country, Old Tucson Studios may very well be the best Tucson has to offer. The perfect blend of history, entertainment, and sights, it's the attraction no visit to Tucson should be without.
