Visitors to Tucson have many activity choices when visiting the area. Hiking, horseback riding, shuttle rides, jeep tours and tram rides are all available. Visits to museums, breathtaking views, seeing historical architecture, touring caverns as well as witnessing desert flora and fauna in their natural states are available. Visitors also have the opportunity to enjoy picnicking, playing golf, visiting art galleries, shopping, studying astronomy and history and enjoying the nightclubs in the area. Young visitors have the opportunity to enjoy a zoo, several theme parks and several arcades.
Sabino Canyon is the most popular attraction in and around Tucson. Located in the Santa Catalina Mountains, Sabino Canyon is where the ancient Hohokam people built irrigation dams at the time the mammoths roamed. While entrance to the canyon is free, parking costs $5. Things to do here include swimming in clear pools, a six-mile hike, shuttle rides and tram rides. The park is open dawn to dusk daily and the shuttles run every hour on the hour 9am to 4pm Monday through Friday and every 30 minutes 9 am to 4:30pm Saturday and Sunday.
Santa Catalina Mountains, crowned by 9,157-foot Mount Lemmon, offers cool air and mountain scenery. There are some 150 miles of hiking trails with varying difficulty. Also, a road winds past cliffs and canyons lined with saguaro cactus, pinions, junipers as well as forests and lakes nearer the top. There is a day use fee and a campground charge for overnight use. These mountains offer a perfect place to escape from the desert heat in the summer as well as an excellent ski slope in the winter.
Mount Lemmon offers the visitor an opportunity to see Tucson from a birds-eye view. The visitor can also enjoy giant Saguaro cacti towers as well as other desert vegetation, many that bloom year round. Seven Cataracts and Windy Pointe Vista both offer beautiful panoramic views. In the winter enjoy skiing and in the summer enjoy the ski lift for an even more beautiful look at the mountain.
Sentinel Peak, located just west of downtown Tucson, has had a whitewashed letter “A” on it since 1915, thanks to the students of the University of Arizona. The history of this peak has been traced even farther back; the foot of this mount is the location of the earliest traces of human settlements in the Tucson area. Atop the mountain, the visitor has another opportunity to enjoy a panoramic view of the Tucson basin.
Finger Rock Trail is an awesome climbing and hiking area offering stunning vistas from different vantage points. This trail climbs about 4,000 feet in elevation and stretches over some five miles. A hike on this trail will travel among saguaros, prickly pears and ocotillos found in the desert on to the jagged, pine-covered peaks of the Catalina Mountains.
Tucson Botanical Gardens is not an attraction just for plant lovers because along with its collection of cactus and desert wildflowers there is an educational walk complete with a history of the native Tohono O’odham Indians. The visitor to this garden can also witness the efforts of local scientists who are attempting to preserve native seeds.
Valley of the Moon is a wonderful place to visit, allowing the visitor to enter into a fantasyland in the desert complete with historic Western sites located in an enchanted environment made from rocks. Admission is free, but this attraction does not schedule regular hours, so a call to the public relations director is in order.
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is the second most popular attraction in Tucson. The exhibits in this museum are displayed as if it were a zoo, with the desert creatures placed in their natural habitats. This museum offers excellent hands-on animal demos, an amazing hummingbird exhibit, beautiful grounds and wildlife. The location of this museum also affords breathtaking views of the surrounding mountain ranges. Also, a gift shop here contains an excellent selection of Sonoran desert souvenirs. Admission is charged, group rates are available and the museum is open 8:30 to 5 daily, October to February and 7:30 to 5 March through September.
Pima Air and Space Museum, dedicated to preserving the history of commercial, military or interplanetary flight, opened in 1976. There are over 250 aircraft on display with the newest being a Northrop F-5B “Freedom Fighter”. Someone who is a flight buff can spend a full day in this museum. Admission is charged.
The Franklin Museum is a stop for anyone who enjoys classic cars. The main attraction here is the Franklin and the museum has 18 models exhibited, from 1910 to 1934. There are other classic cars from 1909 to 1941. The museum is totally staffed by volunteers, so it is a good idea to call ahead. Admission is free.
Fort Lowell Museum offers a look into the history of Tucson and its relationship between Spanish settlers, early Anglo pioneers and Native American inhabitants.
Arizona State Museum is the oldest archaeological museum in the Southwest. This museum offers a visitor the opportunity to learn more about the life of the Indians of Arizona. This history is told through Indian art displays, from past to present. The museum also offers a natural history section that demonstrates the changes in the earth and climate of the area.
Tucson Children’s Museum offers hands-on exhibits that are children friendly. These exhibits allow children to explore and discover many different themes such as dinosaurs and the ocean.
International Wildlife museum offers the visitor an opportunity to explore the fauna of the earth. This museum offers exhibits that appear as real-life as possible, set in their natural habitats. Wildlife films, dioramas and interactive computer games are also offered here.
Tucson Museum of Art which once exhibited traditional Western art now exhibits contemporary and experimental art. The museum also has an exhibit of pre-Columbian artistry of the American Southwest and Mexico. Admission is charge and tours may be scheduled.
“El Tiradito” Wishing Shrine has an interesting legend that involves broken hearts and crimes of passion. El Tiradito, now a national historic site, has long been a part of local folklore.
Mission San Xavier del Bac is another attraction offered in Tucson. Founded in 1700 by Father Kino, a Spanish missionary, this mission, considered by most to be one of the finest examples of Mexican folk baroque architecture, is open daily 8 to 6.
St. Augustine Cathedral, built in 1896, renovated in 1967, is beautiful architecturally, with a high interior, tall windows and a dome. The cathedral is an awesome sight during the late evening hours. Mass is held on Sundays at 6:30, 8:00 and 5:30 with a colorful Mariachi mass at the 8:00 Sunday mass.
Arizona Historical Society houses permanent and long-term exhibits from Spanish Colonial times to the 20th century. A replica of a mineshaft, reminiscent of Arizona’s gold, silver and copper mining history is on exhibit as well as a display of old photographs. There is a gift store and admission is free.
Colossal Cave Mountain Park, another Tucson attraction, is a dry limestone cave that comes complete with a real outlaw history. Tour guides are available to point out impressive formations and crystals, but they will not tell the hidden location of any gold. Hiking and horseback riding are available in the area as well as a library, a museum, cafes and a gift shop. Admission and a guided tour fee are charged.
Tohono Chul Park, another popular attraction, is a piece of the Sonoran desert located inside the city. A visitor to this park has the opportunity of seeing a wide variety of desert plants while walking down pleasant trails, leading to a gift shop and a shaded tearoom. Admission is charged.
Saguaro National Park, located on two sides of Tucson, has been protecting native plants, namely the Saguaro cactus, as well as native animals since 1996. This park offers roads for driving and cycling, a visitor’s center, bookstores, hiking, picnic areas and exhibit centers. There is a Westside park and an Eastside park. The Westside Park offers an ancient petroglyph. There is no admission for the Westside, but there is a car parking charge for the Eastside.
Galleries and studios are found throughout Tucson. DeGrazia Gallery founded by Ettore “Ted” de Grazia and left for public enjoyment, is located in the Catalina foothills. Cactus and other desert plants surround this adobe museum of Southwestern art. Admission is free. Another Gallery to visit is the William T. Zivic Gallery. The artwork in this gallery captures the beauty and romance found in the American West. The Village Blacksmith is a working studio run by Jerry W. Harris. Visitors are welcome to this studio to witness Mr. Harris as he creates metal sculptures, often inspired by the lore of the Southwestern deserts and their people. Also made here are functional metal works, furniture and gates. Desert Artisans, a co-op gallery, displays thirty local painting and sculpting artists who primarily focus on Southwestern desert themes. Studio 220 is the location where sculptor William Skiles exhibits his handcrafted jewelry and his wife Lisa Stotska exhibits her pastel and mixed media works. Silverbell Trading is a gallery-store that has Indian art from all parts of the Southwest, but specializes in the Four Corners region. While showcasing Tohono O’odham tribe artists, the goods of the tribe such as music, books and baskets are also sold here.
Shopping in Tucson is a must for anyone visiting. Kaibab Courtyard Shops is a great place to shop for authentic Southwestern and Mexican folk art. This shop is the only outlet for service dishes and art pieces made using a special metal sculpting technique that originated in Santa Fe, New Mexico. These shops also offer Native American art; from Pueblo kachina dolls to Mexican furniture. Another shop to consider visiting is the Summit Hut. Anyone planning an outdoor adventure should visit this store to purchase or rent their equipment.
Trail Dust Town, a replica of a 19th-century Western town, complete with small shops, offers Old West souvenirs, galleries and restaurants. A vintage 1920 carousel with piñatas, a mining museum and a C.P. Huntington train are also located here. Entertainment Tuesday through Sunday includes Wild West stunt shows. This is an excellent afternoon activity, as most stores open around noon, but the action does not usually begin until after 5.
Reid Park Zoo, although a smaller zoo compared to others, is still very much a major attraction for visitors to Tucson. Due to its smaller size, enjoying this zoo in a couple of leisurely hours is possible.
Tucson even offers learning experiences for tourists. Biosphere 2 is the world’s largest manmade controllable environment. It incorporates demonstration labs, human habitats and Earth exhibits. Scientists can be viewed as they work, steadily discovering how the earth works. Another learning attraction is Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium, located on the campus of the University of Arizona. This planetarium offers special shows, telescope-viewing hours, and hands-on science exhibits.
If theme park activities are on the list of things to do, Tucson can accommodate that visitor also. Old Tucson Studios, located in the grandeur of Saguaro National Park, is a park with a western theme and has been the location of many western movies. This park offers horseback riding, stagecoach rides, gunfights as well as gift shops and restaurants. Other parks to consider are Breakers Water Park or Justin’s Water World. These parks offer the perfect place to cool off after a hot day of sightseeing. The wave pool or the giant waterslides will be favorites among the children and the restaurant or shaded areas at the snack bar will be favorites of the adults. Funtasticks Family Fun Park is the perfect place to take kids when they are hot and cranky, tired of the sightseeing that parents enjoy. This park offers activities for teens and pre-teens such as go-kart rides and activities for kids of all ages such as bumper boats, miniature golf, batting cages and an arcade.
If golf is the entertainment of choice for a tourist, then Tucson can easily handle that too. With three 18-hole, par 71 or 72 golf courses to choose from, the visiting golf enthusiast should have no trouble being entertained. There are even miniature golf courses available for the less serious golfer.
Tucson has other activities to offer such as Pusch Ridge Stables, which offer horseback riding or a wagon ride along the foothills of the Santa Catalina Mountains. Rillito River Park, located on the Rillito River that offers a scenic six-mile trail for walkers, jogger and bikers. There are several stops along the trail with benches, trees, playgrounds and even water. Sunshine Jeep Tours, which offer visitors the opportunity to take a jeep tour into the Tortolita Mountains. Here wildlife and archaeology in a rugged terrain are the main attractions. Reservations are required and the price often includes a barbeque at the end of the day. C.O.D. Ranch, located in the mining town of Oracle is a historic ranch that offers retreats and facilities for reunions, corporate events and weddings. Visitors here can experience the Coronado National Forest while hiking, riding a horse, stay in a casita, or even book the entire ranch for a private party. Rillito Park Racetrack offers many equestrian events, such as a racing season that lasts from February to March. The Arizona Desert Finals for hunters and jumpers occurs in March after racing season, and after these finals, the park is used for community events and festivals. Himmel Park, voted Best Playground in Tucson by the readers of Tucson Weekly, actually has three playgrounds. It has a toddler’s structure with beginner slides and swings, and then a bigger kid’s area with bigger slides and swings and the third area is a big climbing structure with platforms and more swings. All three areas have sand and picnic areas available with them. This is an awesome place for kids to get to play while visiting Tucson. Purple Mountain Pack Goats Family Adventure offers trained goats to carry the bags of hikers while accompanying them into the mountains of Southern Arizona. Lunches are served on these tours and all hikes are customized for the individual group. Reservations are required. Southwest Offroad Tours, offers tour guides dressed as cowboys who carry guns and other western paraphernalia, making the experience as authentic as possible. The tours take place in open top jeeps, with guides who explain the geology and archaeology of the Reddington Pass and Mount Lemmon as well as the Catalina Mountains with Windy Point. Cocoraque Ranch Cattle Drive offers tourists the opportunity to visit a real working cattle ranch. Activities offered here are horseback riding with real cowboys as they go about their daily chores and then enjoy a cookout with these cowboys at the end of the day. Reservations are required.
