Sabino Canyon
Sabino Canyon is one of Tucson’s most popular outdoor adventure spots. Located in the Coronado National Forest, this easy to access canyon is a desert oasis with pools of water, desert landscapes, and an array of wildlife. Sabino Canyon is one of the best ways to immerse yourself in the desert with the choice of many hiking trails or a ride on the tram to the top of the canyon.
San Xavier Mission
Just south of Tucson, San Xavier Mission is an 18th Century landmark designed with Spanish mission architecture, as it was once a part of New Spain. Come marvel at the art and history that has been well maintained over the years.
Arizona State Museum
The Arizona State Museum, located on the University of Arizona campus is the oldest and largest anthropology museum in the southwest. This museum showcases vast collections of American Indian artifacts such as woven baskets, pottery, textiles, and much more. The museum loves engaging the community by offering fun programs and events.
Rillito River Path
The 12-mile Rillito River Path follows the usually dry Rillito River and is popular with cyclists, runners, and walkers. The path is paved and maintained from Craycroft all the way west to I-10 with rest stops and restrooms along with way.
University of Arizona Sports
Tucson is somewhat of a large small town with great loyalty to University of Arizona sports. Come help cheer on the basketball team in McKale Center with 14,700 fans, or attend one of the several other sporting events that are always going on during the school year.
Center for Creative Photography
The Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona is a world class academic art museum and study center for the history of photography. The museum has 239 archival collections along with thousands of individual pieces from some of the biggest names in North American photography.
Downtown Tucson
Downtown Tucson is getting cooler and cooler everyday with the modern streetcar, new restaurants, shared work spaces, and entertainment venues. The downtown district has a great mix of authenticity and modern vibe. Enjoy the 4th Avenue Street Fair twice a year and immerse yourself in Tucson’s culture at Second Saturdays Downtown.
Ben’s Bells
Grab a group of friends and spend an afternoon volunteering at Ben’s Bells, creating handmade ornament bells that are placed randomly around the community to encourage kindness. Each bell has the help of 10 people to complete it.
The Arizona Inn
The Arizona Inn is a historical luxury resort in central Tucson, and has been owned and operated by the same family since 1930. Spoil yourself with a staycation, host an event, or come for dinner and drinks.
Tohono Chul Park
Tohono Chul Park is one of the world’s best botanical gardens, and prides itself in offering a mix of nature and local art. Enjoy a stroll through themed gardens, get up close with butterflies and hummingbirds, and stay for lunch at the southwestern Bistro.
Pima Air and Space Museum
The Pima and Space Museum is one of the largest aviation museums in the world and focuses on offering aerospace education through the history of flight. The museum is always hosting family events and getting the community involved.
Tumamoc Hill
Tumamoc Hill is a local favorite for walkers and runners who trek up to the top of the hill to enjoy 360 degree views of Tucson and the surrounding area. The hill is maintained by the University of Arizona and Pima County and is open to the public before 7:30 am and after 5:30 pm and on weekends.
Reid Park Zoo
The Reid Park Zoo is a more popular than ever thriving with more than 600,000 visitors each year. Come see the local superstar elephants and get relatively up close with lions, bears, and all your favorite animals.
Redington Pass
Redington Pass is historical area between the Santa Catalina and Rincon Mountains. It is most well-known for its offroad trails for Jeeps and ATV’s in addition to hiking trails such as Tanque Verde Falls. A visit to Redington is a great way to get out of the city and into the desert and mountains in no time at all.
El Tour de Tucson
Each November El Tour de Tucson brings over 7,000 cyclists of all experience levels together for bicycle races ranging from 5 miles to more than 100 miles. One of the great things about El Tour is that it raises millions of dollars for charitable groups.
Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum
The Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum, located just west of Tucson is spread over 98 acres and about 85% of the museum is outside. The Museum has about 230 species of animals along with featuring thousands of plant species and regional mineral collections.
Degrazia Gallery
The Degrazia Gallery was originally the studio of Ted Degrazia. It is now the Gallery and Museum that celebrates one of Tucson’s most famous artists and his southwestern style artwork. The gallery has both permanent and rotating collections, and Annual events to celebrate the late Ted Degrazia.
Mt. Lemmon
Mt. Lemmon is one of Tucson’s favorite getaways. In about an hour you can go from seeing saguaros and other cactus to surrounding yourself with pine trees and aspen forests. The top of Mt. Lemmon reaches about 9,157 feet and offers camping, hiking, biking, and exploring.
Stewart Observatory Mirror Lab
Located under the east wing of the University of Arizona Football Stadium scientists and engineers at the Stewart Observatory Mirror Lab are creating astronomical mirrors which allow scientists to study other galaxies. Once in a while the lab will open its doors to public tours, but the dates vary.
Gem and Mineral Show
Between the end of January and mid-February there is a buzz in Tucson around the annual Tucson Gem and Mineral Show. The show attracts rock hunters from all over the world, and is a fun, unique event for anyone and everyone.
Winterhaven
Each year during the holiday season, the people of Tucson come together to walk through the Winterhaven Festival of Lights. Since 1949 the festival helps people get in the holiday spirit and helps the Community Food Bank by donating thousands of dollars and even more pounds of food.
Fox Theatre
The Fox Theatre has quite the history, opening in 1930 as a movie house and for vaudeville performances. After years of being the “Crown Jewel” of downtown Tucson the theatre of closed in 1974, and it wasn’t until 1999 that the theater was restored and brought back to life with hundreds of events passing through each year.
Kartchner Caverns
Kartchner Caverns State Park is located southeast of Tucson and holds the world’s largest stalactite formation to date. The Arizona State Park works hard to conserve the living cave and offer education to its visitors.
Rodeo (Rodeo Week)
Every February Tucson celebrates La Fiesta de los Vaqueros, otherwise known as the Tucson Rodeo (Rodeo Week). Not only is it one of the top 25 professional rodeos in North America, it kick-off parade is also considered the world’s longest non-motorized parade.
