Things to Do in Tucson

If you like sunny and warm, you’ll love Tucson, Arizona. With more than 350 days of sunshine a year, Tucson can brag about being one of the sunniest cities in the United States. The 32nd largest U.S. city, Tucson is part of the Sonoran Desert.

All that warm weather makes for plenty of opportunities to get outdoors. The bike scene moves at a fast speed offering roughly 500 miles of dedicated bike lanes for residents and guests to roll along. Tucson is also surrounded by five mountain ranges; the Rincon Mountains, the Tucson Mountains, the Santa Catalina Mountains, the Santa Rita Mountains and the Tortolita Mountains. The combination creates a spectacular skyline while providing practically endless options for hiking and mountain biking.

Step back into the gunslingin’ Old West at Old Tucson, a movie studio and theme park located near the Tucson Mountains and Saguaro National Park in Arizona. Visitors to Old Tucson might think, ‘Hey! This place looks familiar!’ And that’s because this ‘town’ has been made famous as the location for more than 300 movies and television shows. From living history presentations to historic tours to shows and special events, Old Tucson really ‘brings it’ with the Western experience.

Whether you’re a fan of drama, comedy, or music, the gunfights and stunt shows based on traditional Western themes will fit the bill. There’s even a can-can musical in the saloon, featuring ‘Lady Vivian and her girls.’ Be sure to watch out for a traveling salesman who might try to pitch you a great deal on snake oil. In addition to all the fun and games, Old Tucson has an element that will appeal to history buffs — historians give presentations on topics like ‘The American Cowboy,’ ‘Sheriffs of the Old West’ (keeping the peace in the Wild West was no easy task!), ‘Life of a Miner,’ and ‘The Raucous Saloons.’

Set in the arid landscape just outside Tucson, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum showcases the desert’s flora, fauna, and history through live-animal and multimedia exhibits. The museum spreads across 98 acres (39.7 hectares) of natural desert landscape and contains more than 230 species of animals and 1,200 kinds of plants.

Explore the Sonoran Desert via the museum’s walk-in aviary, hummingbird enclosure, desert botanical garden, stingray touch pool, and other wildlife-themed attractions. You can also walk through two miles (3.2 kilometers) of trails, enjoy periodic birds-of-prey demonstrations, and watch presentations about the area’s venomous creatures. The museum also houses an art gallery that showcases local and national artists, as well as a publishing company that produces books and guidebooks for adults and children. 

The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is located on North Kinney Road in Tucson, just south of Saguaro National Park. Public transportation is limited and free parking is available on site, so it’s a good idea to arrive by car. 

The museum and gardens are open year-round, but from April through October it’s wise to avoid hours of peak heat. From May through September, the Cool Summer Nights program offers extended hours on Saturday nights. Plan to spend at least two hours exploring the museum and surrounding gardens.

The Sonoran Desert boasts the greatest variety of plants and animals of any desert in the world, and is also the only place where saguaro cacti are found. The Desert Museum is dedicated to the area’s conservation and works on projects to control invasive grasses and protect pollinator species, among other efforts.