98-acre zoo, aquarium, botanical garden, natural history museum, publisher, and art gallery located near Saquaro National Park
General Information
June–September: Daily 7:30am to 4:00pm
Cool Summer Nights (Saturdays, June–August): 7:30am to 9:00pm
Open 365 days a year
Seniors (65+): $27.95
Military (active/retired): $27.95
Arizona/Sonora Residents (13+): $24.95
Children (3–12): $19.95
Children under 3, Members, and Native Americans (with ID): Free
How to Get There
From Tucson, AZ (15 mi): Take Speedway Blvd west through Gates Pass, continue on Kinney Rd, and follow signs to the museum entrance near Saguaro National Park West.
Overview
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum just west of Tucson is a 98-acre combination zoo, botanical garden, aquarium and natural history museum, and one of the most visited attractions in southern Arizona. Founded in 1952, it presents the plants and animals of the Sonoran Desert in natural settings along two miles of walking paths, with more than 230 animal species and 1,200 kinds of plants, and draws nearly 400,000 visitors a year.
What to See
- Animal exhibits: Cat Canyon (bobcats and an ocelot), Desert Grassland (prairie dogs), Mountain Woodland (cougar, deer, black bear), the Riparian Corridor (river otters, beavers, bighorn sheep) and Life Underground.
- Warden Aquarium and reptile hall: including many rattlesnakes.
- Hummingbird Aviary: hummingbirds hovering close enough to feel their wings, and a walk-in bird aviary.
- Earth Sciences Center: an artificial cave with formations and fossils.
- Gardens: cactus, agave and desert gardens showing the “lushest desert on earth,” with 56,000 plants.
- Live presentations: venomous reptile talks and, from mid-October to mid-April, twice-daily untethered raptor free-flight shows.
Docent stations are found throughout the grounds, and guided tours can be booked in advance.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0.
