Is your idea of the perfect day one filled with cactus, critters, and breathtaking views? Or, perhaps you are an aeronautics nut, and wandering through more than 150 historical airplanes is your idea of heaven. Maybe it's culture and museums that send you swooning.
Regardless of interest or age, Tucson is a town that has something marvelous for everyone. So, what are the top 10 things to do in Tucson? Here are 10 fantastic things to do in Tucson Arizona, organized by category for easy perusal!
Nature & Hiking
1) Sabino Canyon – Many people view
Sabina Canyon as Tucson's Central Park. While it boasts over 30 miles of trails, you can also opt for the 1-hour roundtrip narrated tram ride along the paved road. The recently upgraded trams are now electric and stop frequently so people can hop off and dip their toes in the cool water, or photograph cactus blossoms, and then hop back on a later shuttle.
2) Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum – Easily one of the top things to do in Tucson, the
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is overflowing with exhibits and activities for the whole family. Feed the stingrays, climb in the
packrat playhouse, or watch falcons take flight. You can't go wrong!
3) Tucson Botanical Garden –
Tucson botanical garden with more than 40 years of history and five and a half acres of gorgeous flowers, cacti, and succulents, this is a vacation in the center of town!
Also worth an honorable mention in this section is the stunning
Tohono Chul gardens, galleries, and bistro on the northwest side of Tucson.
Aeronautics & Science
4) Pima Air & Space Museum –
Piam air and space museum for flight enthusiasts, nothing could surpass the hangars and hangars of airplanes, helicopters, and other winged vehicles! Or, take a "Boneyard" tour of the rows-upon-rows of airplanes stored at the nearby Davis-Monthan Air Force Base (sometimes used in movies!).
5) Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium – Tucson is a sky-gazing town, something that is underscored by an educational visit to the planetarium located on the University of Arizona campus.
Flandrau science center & planetarium, with rotating exhibits on everything from Mars to sharks, there's something here for budding scientists of all ages.
Culture & History
6) Arizona State Museum and 7) Arizona History Museum
Speaking of the UofA, <a rel="nofollow" href="">
Arizona state museum</a> and <a rel="nofollow" href="">
Arizona history museum</a>, both of these museums are located within walking distance of each other and can be conveniently found on campus. Go back in time and learn about the native populations of Tucson, their art, culture, and commerce, or the local history of everything from mining to law enforcement.
Family Fun
While all of the activities listed above are great family fun, these are specially designed to make magic for the littler members of your crew.
8) Tucson Children's Museum – With two locations, one in downtown Tucson and one in Oro Valley geared for younger children, the <a rel="nofollow" href="">
Tucson Children's Museum</a> will keep the younger members of your family entertained with mind-expanding, interactive exhibits. Plus, they are a way to stay out of the heat and ignite young minds during hot summer days.
9) The Mini Time Machine Museum – This
museum of miniatures is one of the many unique and delightful things to do in Tucson, Arizona. They offer rotating exhibits, but regardless of the topic, you will marvel and the intricacy of the tiny worlds they create.
10) Reid Park Zoo –
Tucson's Reid Park Zoo is also conveniently located in the heart of town and teaches about worldwide conservation efforts, and sometimes features a baby elephant thanks to the matriarch of the resident African elephant family!
And, naturally, it goes without saying that wonderful dining, like
The Boxyard, is a great way to treat your friends and family after a memorable trip to one of these museums or parks!