Tucson Travel Guide

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Tucson

Downtown Tucsan © Metropolitan Tucson Convention and Visitors Bureau

With a dramatic setting in the Sonora Desert, surrounded by a ring of mountain ranges with the Santa Catalina Mountains as a backdrop, Tucson is the fastest-growing resort city in the country and one of Arizona's most attractive. Together with the amenities of a modern metropolis and a small-town atmosphere, its constant sunshine and dry desert air, Tucson is a city that makes the most of its beautiful desert setting and is a popular health resort. Its proximity to the Mexican border is evident in its architecture and cuisine, and a long history that has left the city with a dynamic legacy of Spanish, Mexican, American and traditional Native American influences. With naturally eroded cliff forms, cacti, bird life and old cowboy towns in the area, it is also a good base from which to explore the many natural sights beyond the city limits. Horseback riding and hiking along the wilderness trails is a good way to explore the region. Nearby attractions include the Sagauro National Park with the highest concentration in the world of the desert-symbol Saguaro cactus, the Spanish-style Mission San Xavier del Bac, and the first-class Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum that features almost every kind of local desert fauna and flora in an outdoor setting. The old mining town of Tombstone attracts crowds of tourists as the site of the shootout at the OK Corral.

Attractions

Colossal Cave © sin_agua

Colossal Cave Mountain Park

In 1923, the first proper tours of Colossal Cave were conducted using ropes and lanterns; today more advanced options are offered. The cave is considered 'dry' or 'dormant' as it is no longer 'growing' crystal formations, due to a lack of water. The... see full details

DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun entrance © kretyen

DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun

Visit the amazing DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun; an iconic Tucson landmark located at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains. Established by the famous artist, Ettore DeGrazia, the property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and features a museum of... see full details

Go-karting in Tuscson

Funtasticks Family Fun Park

This is a great place to visit when the kids have had enough of sightseeing. There is exciting go-karting for the older children and adults, and the little ones will love the bumper boats. With two mini golf courses, batting cages and a... see full details

Glassblowing © focal1x

Philabaum Glass

Tom Philabaum is well known as one of America's foremost glass artists, with exhibits throughout the western world. His gallery embraces this greatness, exhibiting over 100 nationally and internationally celebrated artists. Aside from viewing the extraordinary exhibits, visitors can also watch glassblowing and learn more... see full details

A tiger at Reid Park Zoo © kitkaphotogirl

Reid Park Zoo

While maybe not the best zoo in the world, Reid Park Zoo is still one of the foremost attractions in Tucson. Because of its relatively small size, the zoo can be explored leisurely in less than two hours. The animals are comfortably at... see full details

The Mission San Xavier del Bac © Wikimedia Commons

The Mission San Xavier del Bac

This historic Spanish mission, in the Tohono O'odham Nation Reservation, is located 10 miles (16km) south of the city and was founded by Father Kino in the 1660s. The present building dates back to the 18th century and the mission is still actively functional,... see full details

Trail Dust Town © 47817028@N00

Trail Dust Town

Trail Dust Town is built on the site of a 1950s western movie set; home to a vintage 1920s Fiesta del Presidio carousel and a museum dedicated to Western cavalry and dragoon military units. Designed as a replica of a 19th century Western... see full details

Cactus Bloom, Tucson Botanical Gardens © kkimpel

Tucson Botanical Gardens

The Tucson Botanical Gardens are a major attraction, not just for the rich collection of cactus and desert wildflowers. An educational walk highlights the history of the native Tohono O'odham Indians and the work local scientists have done to preserve native seeds. Be sure... see full details

Western heritage is preserved at Tucson Rodeo Parade Museum © Wikimedia Commons

Tucson Rodeo Parade Museum

At the Tucson Rodeo Parade Museum, pioneer artefacts and a re-created Western Main Street represent what Tucson looked like, and what it had to offer in the way of businesses and services, back in the old days of the Wild West. The museum... see full details

University of Arizona © derikdevries

University of Arizona Art Museum

As part of the Edward J. Gallagher Memorial Collection, the University of Arizona Art Museum is home to works by Jackson Pollock, Franz Kline and Mark Rothko. The museum also houses the C. Leonard Pfeiffer Collection of American paintings and the Samuel H. Kress... see full details

Excursions

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

This world-renowned museum is more like a zoo, showing the surrounding desert's creatures in their natural habitats. Located in the Sonoran Desert, the setting of the museum also offers awesome views of the surrounding mountain ranges. The gift shop has an excellent selection of... see full details

Kartchner Caverns State Park

Kartchner Caverns State Park is home to one of the great natural wonders of the American west; there is no known record of the huge living cave being seen before the 1970s and the pristine conditions within have been carefully preserved. A remarkable... see full details

Sabino Canyon

Of the many natural attractions in the Tucson vicinity, Sabino Canyon is one of the most popular. This gaping divide in the Santa Catalina Mountains is the site where ancient Hohokam people constructed irrigation dams while mammoths still roamed the area. After a six-mile... see full details

Tombstone

Tombstone is the most famous town in the Wild West, and attracts thousands of tourists with its old wooden Western-style buildings, swinging saloon doors, stagecoach rides, gunslingers, dusty streets and shootout re-enactments. Many Hollywood movies have been shot here against the rugged mountain backdrop.... see full details

Valley of the Moon

Delve into fantasyland in the desert, with historic Western sites in a magical setting, created by George Phar Legler in the 1920s. Mineralised rock cliffs, caves, pools and garden miniatures have merged with tropic and desert flora to make what... see full details

Events

Tucson Gem & Mineral Show

The Tucson Gem & Mineral Show is held annually for two weeks in February. It is one of the leading shows of its kind in the world, featuring many of the finest mineral specimens. Dozens of locations spread across town... see full details

Fiesta de los Vaqueros

Another popular event held in early spring is the Fiesta de los Vaqueros (the Tucson Rodeo). While the Fiesta is a sporting event, it includes what has been declared the world's largest non-mechanised parade. The Rodeo Parade is such a... see full details

Tucson Meet Yourself

Tucson Meet Yourself

Each October for the last 30 years, Tucson Meet Yourself has celebrated the faces of Tucson's many ethnic groups. Experience a weekend of artwork, singing, dancing and food from over 30 different ethnicities in the downtown area. The variety of local performers bears testament... see full details

Costumes at the All Souls Procession

All Souls Procession Weekend

One of the largest festivals in Tucson, All Souls Procession is celebrated annually on the first weekend of November. Inspired by the Mexican Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), thousands of people in morbid costumes gather to acknowledge the deceased and the... see full details

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