2023, The Broke Backpacker. Passed on to another generation of women who own the shop and run the show, visiting Antigone Books is still like stepping into a world of books youd never find anywhere else. 25 Best Things to Do in Tucson (AZ) - The Crazy Tourist Its a pretty unique way to see the city, as you cruise around University Boulevard, along 4th Avenue, and in Downtown the centre of the citys nightlife. Exhibits creatively display the various flora and fauna as well as present a more detailed geologic history of the. amzn_assoc_asins = "B01G98Y1BA,B00NW62PCA,B01IB8QBQY,B071VRKDDN"; Here you can interact with a whole host of farm animals, like pigs, goats and our favourite donkeys! San Diego Zoo Safari Park 1-Day Pass Ticket. We're gonna make sure you have a blast in this Arizonan city. , but its also a wonderful place to watch the gorgeous desert sunset! We are in our 70s and 80s. When: Saturdays, 1-5 p.m. Around 22 miles from Tucson, the big (obviously) Colossal Cave Mountain Park is where youll find the eponymous Colossal Cave. More famous than its quick growth, its famous as the setting for the infamous gunfight at the OK Corral in 1881 between outlaws and lawmen. This side of the park contains the Cactus Forest Loop Drive. Info: Go here Board game meet-up Tucson Games and Gadgets in Park Place mall has all sorts of game playing opportunities from Dungeons & Dragons to Star Wars X-Wing. The weird and wonderful? There are pub crawls, then there are party bikes. After a brief adult film blip from 1969 to 1972, it became a regular cinema again and has been that way ever since. The Children's Museum Tucson and Oro Valley participate in a few discount admission programs. People come here, light candles and put rolled up prayers into the cracks of the wall. It covers 80 acres, boasts over 150 planes, 5 old hangars, the Dorothy Finley Space Gallery and loads more. Animals living there include coyotes, Gambel's quail, desert tortoises, black bears, Mexican spotted owls, Arizona mountain king snakes, and white-tailed deer. What an outstanding show. Thats right! The ride down is so much faster than the ride up! early for a morning hike. Theres other parts to this collection that come from the Upjohn Pharmacy in Disneyland all of it set in a replica of an old-time-y drugstore itself, complete with glass bottles and jars everywhere. I (Do a quick search on the following sites). The Greetings From Tucson mural is located behind Millers Surplus on 406 N 6th Ave. Beware - the mural is in an alley where many people park, and when we visited, it was very close to a dumpster and porta-potties. Tucson is a land of adventures, and as an Arizonian and an avid traveler of my home state, I want to share with you some of the finest attractions Tucson has to offer. It is located nine miles south of downtown Tucson is the Tohono Oodham San Xavier Indian Reservation. 1) Learn About Tucson's Wildlife & Nature At The Arizona Sonora Desert Museum . Art exhibits are held in here, as well as other events. This isnt some small mission: its a big, big, Moorish-inspired building. 31 UNIQUE Things to Do in Tucson [in 2023] - The Broke Backpacker L.A.'s entertainment options are endless. Today theyre used as everything from the museums cafe to interactive workshop space. We really recommend going as earlyas possible to miss out on the heat of the day which can seriously sap your energy. Air Museum? We've got it all, from hidden bars and airplane graveyards all the way to strange amusement parks and day trips to Wild West Towns. What Are Some Fun Cheap Things to Do in Tucson? The Greetings tour family is traveling in their RV and bringing joy to each of the different cities with their amazing Greetings From postcard style murals. Playgrounds in Tucson Movie Theaters in Tucson Comedy Clubs in Tucson Game & Entertainment Centers in Tucson Horse Tracks in Tucson Bowling Alleys in Tucson Sports Complexes in Tucson Escape Games in Tucson Scavenger Hunts in Tucson Shooting Ranges in Tucson Other Fun & Games in Tucson Wedding Chapels in Tucson Miniature Golf in Tucson Paint . Theres some great history going on here in Tuscon such as the Barrio Viejo, heritage buildings at the University of Arizona and 4th Avenue. Subscribe to our newsletter for inspiring travel guides and articles from around the world! Hike . Read More. If the art at DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun Museum was a bit too leftfield for you, dont worry: Tucson has its very own Museum of Art. Simple and delicious. The immense B-36 is a unique item and the collection of US presidents 'air force ones'. Its a great way to see the city and, like we said, its an easy to cycle urban area, with pretty little lanes to cycle around. Great afternoon. If staying in a historic, gang-related hotel is your idea of a unique thing to do in Tucson, then you may want to consider booking yourself a night (or two, maybe) at Hotel Congress. One of my favorite things about San Xavier del Bac was to see all of the pilgrims, tourists, and locals praying to St Francis. This place should actually be listed as "Saguaro National Park - East". Its a desert landscape so plan accordingly. Tucson is Arizonas second-largest city and is a great way to spend a weekend trip! This paved, one-way road loop allows guests to see 8 miles of the rugged desert. There were several items available on the buffet that are not typically found in your typical hotel breakfasts. It is located on the back of Epic Rides facing the sixth street. SanXavier del Bac is free of charge to the public. We know that Tucson may not exactly be the first city that springs to mind when you think cities in America, but if youre on a road trip, or are passing through the state of Arizona, then visiting this surprising city is an absolute must. Single-use plastic bottles are a MASSIVE threat to marine life. Weve got it all, from hidden bars and airplane graveyards all the way to strange amusement parks and day trips to Wild West Towns. Teen-Friendly Tucson: Fun Activities And Hotspots For Adolescents 10 Inexpensive Family-Friendly Attractions In Arizona - Only In Your State Looking for someone to go on a press trip or represent your brand? Open from 6am to 10:30pm, you can enjoy a day with your partner in the beautiful, 10 acre setting, wandering the trails and admiring the view. The entrance fee is $20 to enter Saguaro National Park, and that is good for seven days, or you can invest in a National Parks Pass and visiting the park is free. Chill out at a Tucson Roadrunners hockey game at the Tucson Convention Center . ; From Houston's Horseback Riding to Reid Park Zoo, the Tucson area offers 32 different types of family activities, including: National & State Parks, Theaters, Natural History Museums and Specialty Museums. The best place to start in Tucson is by learning a bit about some of the citys history to be honest, thats a good place to start pretty much anywhere in the world: at the beginning, right? Such a peaceful treasure right off of the highway. A great collection of Franklin model vehicles with. When & Where: All pool parties are 5:30-7:30 p.m. July 5 - Menlo Pool, 1100 W. Fresno St. July 11 . Especially when the weather is nice (and not overly hot), taking a trip to the blue waters of Kennedy Lake is a great idea for couples. Set in Tucsons Barrio Viejo, this shrine dating back to the 1870s is a big part of the history of this already historic district. Continue your cultural day another 40 or so minutes on the number 16 bus back across the other side of town to theTucson Museum of Art. Fast-forward to today, and its a wonderland for aviation enthusiasts: row upon row of old planes. Theres can even be flash-flooding in the monsoon season (June September), so be careful driving that time of year. Lots of trails! You can also ride an old railway, drive an antique car, go on a mining adventure, ride a horse along trails, and get to speak to people with crazy accents (Australian tourists). Sign up for our newsletter and get the best travel tips delivered right to your inbox. If you get hungry or thirsty, theres an on-site bistro where you can enjoy some lunch with a view of the gardens; a cool place to reflect, wed say, and a gem of a park. On Saturdays you can go play board games. I did think the entrance fee was a little high but I'm sure it is expensive to maintain the museum and grounds. amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; Hot Chicken, Hot Temperatures, and Hot Sauce. Hotels near Rincon Mountain Visitor Center, Hotels near Pima Medical Institute - Tucson, AZ, Hotels near Southwest University of Visual Arts, Hotels near Phoenix - Southern Arizona Tucson, AZ, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum: Tickets & Tours, Pima Air and Space Museum: Tickets & Tours, Mission San Xavier del Bac: Tickets & Tours, Tucson Botanical Gardens: Tickets & Tours, DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun Museum: Tickets & Tours, The Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures: Tickets & Tours, Davis-Monthan Air Force Base: Tickets & Tours, Things to do near Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Things to do near Mission San Xavier del Bac, Things to do near Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Things to do near Dillinger Brewing Company, Things to do near Tucson Intl Airport (TUS), Things to do near DoubleTree by Hilton Tucson Downtown Convention Center, Things to do near Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, Things to do near JW Marriott Tucson Starr Pass Resort & Spa, Things to do near El Conquistador Tucson, A Hilton Resort, Things to do near The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa, Things to do near Westward Look Wyndham Grand Resort and Spa, Things to do near The Historic Hotel Congress, Things to do near The Eddy Hotel Tucson, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, Things to do near Home2 Suites by Hilton Tucson Downtown, Things to do near Hampton Inn Tucson Downtown, Shaq Al Reesh - Hiking Among Unique Rock Formations, Nice Le Grand Tour Hop-on Hop-off Sightseeing Bus, Mount Ijen Bromo Tour from Ubud Bali (3 days 2 nights), The Tropical Express at Maui Tropical Plantation, Valencia LGBT Nightlife: Paella Dinner and Drinks in Gay Bars, California Academy of Sciences NightLife Admission Ticket, BEST Niagara Falls+Toronto+Ottawa+Montreal+Quebec City 5-day Tour from New York, Private Luxury Catamaran Cruise in St. Lucia, Review of: The Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures, Review of: DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun Museum. The downtown area is connected to campus, and very close. It is a melting pot of people from different places shopping is different retail shops, dining in excellent eateries and cafes, and jiving to the sound of live music. Barrio Viejo Tucson, AZ 85701 (520) 791-5550 Learn more 3. Tucson boasts 365 days of sun a year. I would definitely go again. Google Streetview. But aside from all these, there is so much more this city can offer. Featuring miles of maintained trails for hiking, biking and jogging, Rillito River Park, is ideal for enjoying the warm southwestern climate. Saguaro National Park is beautiful in its own way. Address: 3400 E Zoo Ct, Tucson, AZ 85716, USA, A post shared by Olivine Publicity (@olivinepublicity). Address: 140 N Main Ave, Tucson, AZ 85701, USA, Opening hours: Tue - Sun: 10am - 5pm (closed on Mon), A post shared by Terri L Sanchez (@tyresa915) on Dec 16, 2016 at 4:00pm PST. With four locations, one is even in the airport, there is an El Charro Cafe not too far from where you are hanging out. The Grayl Geopress is the markets leading filtered water bottle protecting your tum from all the waterborne nasties. READ NEXT: Exploring more of Arizona? Buy a Geopress: its the last water bottle youll ever buy. Here are my top 10 day trips within a 2 hour drive of downtown Tucson. Founded in 1879 by a gold prospector, this town was the first boom town on the frontier naturally, a place a for outlaws and all sorts of scoundrels. This is well worth it! This is easily one of the very best things to do in Tucson. Discounts, attractions, tickets, and even public transport are all standards in any good city pass. Burn some of those calories off on a party bike around Tucson! amzn_assoc_region = "US"; I consider myself a free spirit with a wild heart who tells an authentic story in the most relatable way possible. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. I liked the fact that the parking lots had clean, albeit rustic/outhouse type bathrooms. We did not go to the top where the ski mountain is located but did hook left and go into the small town for some yummy fudge at the general store. Home to 150 bird species, Catalina State Park is located on 5,500 acres at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains. amzn_assoc_region = "US"; This hot dog is more than a hot dog, and it is hard to find outside of Mexico and Arizona. Its a Vaudeville-style extravaganza that makes for a fun-filled night of magic and illusions. 3. Another thing we loved about Hotels in Sheraton Tucson Hotel & Suites was the breakfast buffet. Founded in 1692, Mission San Xavier del Bac is a marvelous and historic Spanish Catholic Church. Wonderful trails for biking, hiking and horseback. I also though $8 for a day parking pass was a lot (unless you had a certain state wide pass, to park for free. Learn how your comment data is processed. So rent yourself a bicycle and pedal around this very pedal-able city; head into theUniversity of Arizona and its historic buildings, swing by theBarrio Viejo Its a great way to get to grips with the city. This means hitting up4th Avenuein the evening; whatever you want to eat, theyve got it covered here. This attraction is better viewed at night, but fair warning it is tough to take a photo of it! One of the most beautiful spots in this Mission was all of the areas where people were able to leave their candles and special intentions. Always worth a visit even though I have been several times. Saguaro National Park isnt the largest national park, but it is divided into two separate and distinct parts. Not your run-of-the-mill petting zoo, the one at Funny Foot Farm lets your children get up close and personal withactualfarm animals; think pigs, chickens, goats, donkeys, and cows. TripBuzz found 38 things to do with kids in or near Tucson, Arizona, including 16 fun activities for kids in nearby cities within 25 miles like Marana, Green Valley and Mount Lemmon. Reid Park Zoo. As an affiliate, we receive a fee when you get a quote from World Nomads usingthis link. A trip to Summerhaven, a small community on the base, is definitely the . Even though Signal Hill is steep and is not handicapable at all, it is an excellent place to pull off and see the ancient Petroglyphs in the park. Legend has it that gold from various train robberies was hidden down here; a tour that takes you further than you can self-guide yourself may be in order for the more curious and active amongst you. One of the best things you can get up to here? Its definitely eccentric: gnomes, trolls, fairy palaces, Renaissance music playing, and even more make for a magical world to explore. Youll honestly feel like youre in an Old Western but with slightly better hygiene. El Tiradito is a popular spot for locals and constitutes what is basically a wishing shrine. From Sabino Canyon to University of Arizona, there are a variety of budget-friendly . Tohono Chul literally translates as Desert Corner in the indigenous Tohono Oodham language; accordingly, this is a slice of urban desert thats easy to explore. Truly, Tucson is a beautiful city with rich heritage and charming culture. Its not a graveyard as you might know it. Bring a friend and enjoy a night of music and partying. !! Had to stay in overflow camping Ringtail, but it was beautiful, especially for overflow. The west has a larger number of Saguaro concentrated in that side of the park while. It features a huge amusement park with diverse activities and games such as miniature golf courses, bumper boats, and go-karts. , rocks and minerals, birds, humming birds, spiders, snakes, lizards, honey bees, a of Arizona!!!!!!!! Didnt manage to get breakfast? Its here that youll find 112 hiking trails, mountain biking routes, and an abundance of nature. These ideas are geared for Tucson teens, ages 13-18. any Zoo's? Managed by the University of Arizona, University of Arizona Museum of Art is a fascinating art museum in the city of Tucson that features a collection of approximately 6,000 works of art from freehand drawings to sculpture to paintings and many more. 10 Fun Things to Do in Tucson July 2023 | Expedia To educate yourself more, thehugecomplex of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum definitely counts among the coolest stuff to do in Tucson. Never fear: the bistro at Tohono Chul Park serves up some mean cuisine. Its not open to the public, however. Thriving with desert wildlife, cacti and plant life, Sonora presents a serene hike while enjoying animals that are native to the warm, dry climate.