100 ideas of things to do and places to see on a visit to Southern Arizona, USA.
Southern Arizona has a desert climate - this means hot (very hot) summers but mild winters. From the wild beauty of the Arizona-Sedona Desert to the unusual and niche museums of the city of Tucson. This southern region has bit of everything to keep you busy.
Have a look at our travel destination guides for further interesting ideas and unusual places to visit in Southern Arizona and the city of Tucson.
Arizona Overview:
State/Country: Arizona (AZ), USA
Currency: Dollar($)
Language: English
Population: 7.5 million (2021)
Time zone: Mountain Daylight Time (MDT/UTC-6hr) and Mountain Standard Time (MST/UTC-7hr)
www.visitarizona.com
For further information about each attraction and details about opening times, prices and events, click on the attraction title for the external link to visit their website ...
TUCSON
Destination Guide - over 60 things to do in the city of Tucson, AZ
History & Architecture
O.K. Coral Gunfight Site – exhibition and daily re-enactments of the famous gunfight
Casa Grande Ruins – some of the tallest ancient American ruins
Yuma Territorial Prison – experience a prisoner’s life in the late 1800, at Arizona Territory’s first prison
Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum – discover the copper mining heritage of this area, an interactive trip back in time
Tucson – includes Arizona State Museum and Arizona History Museum – see the Global Sightseer Tucson Destination Guide for more details Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park – learn the real story behind the OK Corral and those who tamed the Wild West Tubac Presidio State Historic Park – explore the ruins of a Spanish Colonial fort Rose Tree Museum – historic home with the world’s largest rose tree
Arts & Culture
Tohono O’odham Nation Cultural Center and Museum – learn about the Tohono O’odham culture and history of a people who inhabit the Sonoran Desert
Tubac Center of the Arts – paintings, jewellery and ceramics. Galleries, shops and workshops
Tombstone Epitaph Museum – print shop with historical records of Tombstone, as recorded in The Epitaph newspaper of the time
Amerind Foundation Museum – archaeological research and museum of art, history and culture of Native people from the Americas
Tucson – includes Tucson Desert Art Museum and Museum of Contemporary Art Tucson (MOCA) - see the Global Sightseer Tucson Destination Guide for more details
Science, Technology & Transport
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum – world-class museum explores the plants and animals of the desert landscape
Kitt Peak National Observatory – panoramic mountain top views. Daytime tours, night-time star-gazing
Biosphere 2 – site of an ambitious technology and science experiment, within a sealed mini-world (University of Arizona)
Tucson – includes Southern Arizona Transport Museum and PIMA Air and Space Museum - see the Global Sightseer Tucson Destination Guide for more details
Queen Mine Tours – historic underground mining tour. Rocks, minerals & fossils
Mt. Lemmon Skycenter – explore the night skies, University of Arizona
International Wildlife Museum – Tucson’s natural history museum: conservation, education and preservation. Exhibits suitable for all ages
Religion & Faith
Mission San Xavier del Bac – colourful centuries-old frescoes
Tumacacori National Historic Park – remains of three Spanish missions to the O’odham people, visitor center, museum and church
Boothill Graveyard – Tombstone’s cemetery for 19th Century outlaws
Casa Grande Ruins National Monument – ancient ruins of the Hohokam tribe, visitors center and tours
Church Square, Douglas – listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the only intersection in the nation with nothing but churches, one on each corner (Grace Methodist, Southern Baptist, St Stephan’s Episcopal and First Presbyterian)
Unusual Attractions
Asarco Mineral Discovery Center – tour of a fully operational mine, exhibition and video theater
Titan Missile Museum – tour the Cold War underground missile site and the launch control center, a National Historical Landmark site
AMARG “Boneyard” Tour – tours of a large aircraft storage site, commercial and military plane and helicopters (must book in advance)
University of Arizona Visitors Center – weekly guided walking tours of the University campus
Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research – find out about the stories trees can tell us, University of Arizona
Shopping Areas
Oro Valley Heirloom Farmer’s Market – local farmer’s produce, Saturday mornings
La Encantada – luxury shopping and dining in the Catalina Foothills
Singing Wind Bookshop, Benson – independent bookshop based on a ranch near Benson
Tucson Mall – large retail complex, dining and entertainment
Tucson Premium Outlets – shopping big named brands
Trail Dust Town – dining, shopping and a trip back in time
Student Union Bookstores – official University of Arizona campus bookstore
Main Gate Square – dining, shopping and entertainment area
Activities for Children
Children’s Museum Tucson – hands-on learning and play for under 10s
Trail Dust Town – Wild West Stunt Shows, gold-panning, Ferris wheel and many more attractions …
Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch – feed the animals, including goats, donkey and rabbits
Children’s Museum Oro Valley – hands-on learning and play for under 5s
Tombstone Forward – family-friendly events based at the historic town of Tombstone
Musselman Honda Circuit – go-karting racetrack
Outdoor Activities, Sports and Walking Routes
Picacho Peak State Park – hiking trails, civil war re-enactments (March) and wildflowers in Springtime
Mt. Lemmon Ski Valley – sky ride chair lift open all year round, southernmost ski destination in continental US
Saguaro National Park – cycle and hike amongst the nation’s largest cacti, park locations on both east and west sides of Tucson
Colossal Cave Mountain Park - cave tours, trail rides, hiking and cycling routes, petting zoo, and the home to many bats
Tucson Speedway – Arizona NASCAR home track, monster trucks and demolition derby. Family entertainment.
Roper Lake State Park – camping, fishing, swimming, hiking and natural spring hot tub
Arizona Zipline Adventures – breath-taking views in the foothills of the Catalina Mountains
Catalina State Park – canyon hiking trails and bird watching
Horse riding - horseback riding through the stunning Southern Arizona landscape
Kartchner Caverns State Park – cave tours, hiking, Bat Cave café and visitor center
Patagonia State Park – fishing, boating, hiking, birding, cave tours.
Ironwood Forest National Monument – desert mountain ranges and site of the long-living ironwood trees (remote, seek advice before travelling)
Skydive Arizona – skydiving and wind tunnel simulator
Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument – the only place in the US where the Organ Pipe cactus grows wild, a UNESCO biosphere reserve, borders Mexico
Festivals & Events
Tucson Rodeo (February) – the largest outdoor winter rodeo in the USA
Tucson Rodeo Parade (February) – large non-motorized parade, music, dancers, family-friendly event
Civil War Re-enactment (March) – site of the most significant battle in Arizona, Picacho Peak State Park
Tucson Jazz Festival (March) – live music from national and international jazz artists
Pima County Fair (April) – food, music, fun
Arizona Renaissance Festival (February & March) – arts, crafts, jousting tournaments
Arizona International Film Festival (April) – showcasing international independent films
Tucson Celtic Festival and Highland Games (November) – dancing, bagpipes, music and Highland Games
Nearby Day Trips
Tucson is Arizona’s second city. Have a look at the Global Sightseer destination guide for Tucson. Listed are over 60 ideas of places to see and things to do, including the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and the PIMA Air and Space Museum
Phoenix – Arizona’s state capital, with interesting museums and art galleries, such as the Musical Instrument Museum and the Western Spirit Scottsdale Museum of the West.
Cross a few feet over the Arizona/California border into Southern California to see the Center of the World monument
Use the city of Yuma as a base to visit Mexico.