By Alan K. Lee
Not your typical museum, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum will surprise you. Equal parts zoo, botanical garden, natural history museum, and educational institution, this museum packs a lot into a single site.
Throw in an art gallery for good measure. And maybe most surprisingly, since it’s located in the middle of the Sonora Desert where water is scarce, an aquarium.
There’s also a (man made) underground cavern to explore, where you can learn about the geology of the area.
The zoological exhibits feature big cats (bobcats, an ocelot, and a mountain lion), desert bighorn sheep, prairie dogs, a gray fox, and other desert mammals and lizards. There is also a riparian area with beavers, a river otter, and fish and other aquatic creatures. And on the desert trail loop you might encounter coyotes or javalinas.
Don’t miss the aviary where you can get up close looks at free flying hummingbirds and other desert birds.
Take a walk through the botanical garden where you can learn about the flora and fauna of the Sonora Desert environment.
The museum also features a cafe, a casual food court, a coffee bar, and an ice cream parlor. You can even get a beer to go at the food court or coffee bar, and take it with you as you explore the exhibits and walk the paved trail through the botanical garden and the gravel desert trail loop.
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is one of the Tucson area’s must see attractions, especially for families. There are a lot of opportunities for kids (and adults) to both learn about the desert and its denizens and have fun in the process. There’s something for everyone there.
There is so much here that you probably can’t see it all in one visit. My wife and I have visited the museum on a couple of our Arizona excursions, and on our last visit I was surprised at how much I had missed on our earlier visit. Plan to spend at least two hours at the museum. Allow half a day to more fully explore what the museum has to offer, if you can.
The museum is located west of Tucson, adjacent to the west unit of Saguaro National Park . See the museum’s website for more detailed directions. Tucson Mountain Park and Old Tucson are also nearby.
General admission is $29.95 per person. Seniors (65+) and active military personnel get a $2.00 discount. Children (3-12) get in for $19.95, and children under three are free. The museum is open from 8:30 to 5:00 from October through May and 7:30 to 4:00 from June through September. Strollers ($7.00), wheelchairs ($8.00), and electric scooters ($25.00) are available for rent.
And while you’re in the Tucson area, you may want to visit nearby Mount Lemmon. It’s a bit of a drive to the top of the mountain, but well worth it.
Originally posted June 29, 2021. Updated December 16, 2024.
All photos © Alan K. Lee