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Attractions

Much like nearby big brother Phoenix, Tucson is primarily celebrated as a gateway to the glories of the desert, but there are worthwhile sightseeing attractions within the city as well.

The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Sabino Canyon, the Mission San Xavier del Bac, the Tucson Mountain Park, Madera Canyon and the incredible caves in the Colossal Cave Mountain Park and Kartchner Caverns State Park are very close by, providing spectacular scenery for hikers and spelunkers. The iconic cowboy town of Tombstone is also nearby, attracting travellers keen to experience the rough charm of the Wild West.

Within the city of Tucson, popular stops on the tourist trail include the Tucson Botanical Gardens, the Tucson Rodeo Parade Museum (between January and March), and a number of interesting art museums and galleries, like the University of Arizona Art Museum and the Degrazia Gallery in the Sun.

If you intend to see and do a lot in Tucson, it is worth purchasing a Tucson Attractions Passport: a pocket travel guide that offers discounts and coupons for many of the best attractions in the region. The passport costs about $20 and can be bought online or at the Tucson Visitor Center.

University of Arizona Art Museum

As part of the Edward J. Gallagher Memorial Collection, the University of Arizona Art Museum, situated on campus, is home to an impressive permanent collection including works by Jackson Pollock, Franz Kline and Mark Rothko. The museum houses the C. Leonard Pfeiffer Collection of...  see full details

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

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 (a 20-minute drive) and was founded by Father Kino in the 1660s. The present church, a remarkable building, dates back to the 18th century and...  see full details

DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun

The DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun is 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 DeGrazia's...  see full details

Trail Dust Town

Trail Dust Town is built on the site of a 1950s Western movie set and is 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...  see full details

Tucson Botanical Gardens

The Tucson Botanical Gardens is a major attraction, and not just for the rich collection of cacti 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...  see full details

Philabaum Glass

Tom Philabaum is well known as one of America's foremost glass artists, with exhibits throughout the Western world. His gallery showcases and justifies this reputation with examples of his own work, also exhibiting over 100 other nationally and internationally celebrated glass artists. Aside from...  see full details

Valley of the Moon

The Valley of the Moon was designed to stimulate the imagination of children and to awaken creativity and spirituality in all visitors. Delve into a fantasy land in the desert, with historic Western sites in a magical setting, created by George Phar Legler in...  see full details