- Scottsdale Day Trips: Visit the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson -
A little over two hours away from Scottsdale is one of my favorite places to visit in the entire state. It is the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. Located to the west of Tucson, you access the museum through beautiful mountain passes filled with saguaros.
There is so much to do and so many things to choose from at the Desert Museum, you could make an entire day of it or even parcel it out over two days. There are miles of trails, over a dozen different botanical gardens to explore, aviaries, live animal demonstrations and so much more.
Upon entry, you will find the aquarium on your left. The aquarium has a good variety of fish and sea life, including seahorses and garden eels. They also have a few sessions with touch tanks so the little ones can experience the animals firsthand. On the right hand side of the entrance is the reptile section with a large, indoor exhibit.
Once you are ready to get started, the Desert Museum has nicely laid out trails and paths for you to follow as you learn more about the flora and fauna of the Sonoran Desert. Most of the exhibits are interactive, providing great learning opportunities for both young and old. Docents are also strategically located throughout the property to answer any questions or educate you further on the exhibits.
One of our favorite parts was walking through the hummingbird aviary and seeing dozens of tiny hummingbirds at rest or playing around. Over the course of the day, there are a few live animal demonstrations in one of the theaters on site. On the day we were there, we got to see an enormous porcupine as well as a few other interesting critters.
In addition to observing and learning about the desert plants and animals, there is also a large art gallery on site as well as several dining options a
nd gift stores. It is well worth the visit and I look forward to returning soon.
Fun Tip: If you will have children with you, be sure to participate in the Tracking Animals program they have developed. Young trackers need to locate the tracks of fifteen different desert animals in locations all over the park. Once the track has been located, they then stamp their tracker passport book and move on to the next one. Once all fifteen tracks have been collected and stamped, bring the booklet back to the ticketing area for something special.
More Information:
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
2021 North Kinney Rd.
Tucson, AZ 85743
Phone: 520-883-2702
Website
- Hours and exhibits vary based on time of year.
Originally posted on Live Better in Scottsdale
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