Vacation Ideas: The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, Arizona

The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is located at 2021 North Kinney Road, in Tucson, Arizona 85743

It is a world-renowned zoo, natural history museum and botanical garden. The Sonoran Desert is an arid region in parts of Arizona, California and the Mexican states of Sonora and Baja California. The museum features interpretive displays of living animals and plants native to the Sonoran Desert. The Museum has been in operation since September 1, 1952.

Threatened and endangered species on exhibit include:

• Mexican wolf
• Thick-billed parrot
• Ocelot
• Margay
• Jaguarondi
• Desert pupfish
• Sonora chub
• Ponytail chub
• Razorback sucker
• Gila topminnow
• Colorado River squawfish
• Isla San Esteban chuckwalla
• Apache trout

The smallest animal is the leafcutter ants and the largest animal is the American black bear. The oldest non-living animal at the Museum is the Sonorasaurus dinosaur dating from the Cretanecous.

You can plan to spend at least 2 to 3 hours touring the Desert Museum. Since the Desert Museum is primarily an outdoor experience, you should plan on wearing a hat, some good sunscreen and comfortable shoes, or appropriate colder weather clothing during colder times of the year. All indoor exhibits are cooled.

Wheelchairs and strollers are available free of charge. There are two electric scooter-style wheel chairs available for $10 per day.

There are trained Museum volunteers able to help you gain a better understanding of the complex relationships between the plants, animals and the natural environment of the Sonoran Desert.

Museum Hours

The Museum is open every day of the year:

• Summer Saturday Evenings: 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (June – August)
• March – September: 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (no entry after 4:15 p.m.)
• October – February: 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (no entry after 4:15 p.m.)

Museum Admission Costs

• June – August: $9 Adults, $2 Kids 6 – 12
• September - May: $12 Adults, $4 Kids 6 – 12
• Children 5 and under are FREE

The exhibits at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum re-create the natural landscape of the Sonoran Desert Region very realistically. You can experience eye-to-eye contact with mountain lions, prairie dogs, Gila monsters and more. There are more than 300 animal species and 1,200 kinds of plants, as well as almost 2 miles of paths traversing 21 acres of desert. The Museum’s main focus is to inspire people to live in harmony with the natural world by fostering love, appreciation and understanding of the Sonoran Desert.

Source: The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Online

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© 2007 Connie Limon All Rights Reserved