Adventures
Adventures
3 min drive
Old Tucson Studios
Experience the Wild West Shoot’em up and see where John Wayne, Burt Lancaster, Paul Newman, and Dean Martin acted in America’s greatest Western films. Movies Shot in Old Tucson.
Old Tucson is not open every day. Be sure to check their website for available dates and times.
201 Kinney Rd, Tucson, AZ
Age: 13+
15 min drive
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
Age: All
45 min drive
Kitt Peak National Observatory
Our guests experience the largest and most diverse collection of research telescopes in any one place in the world. Three of the nearly two dozen active telescopes on Kitt Peak are dedicated solely to public viewing in our world-renowned nightly stargazing programs.
Kitt Peak National Observatory, Tucson, AZ 85634
Age: 13+
Shopping
Historic 4th Avenue
This vibrant street features over 140 locally owned boutiques, bars, and cafes; all residing in historic buildings. Tucson’s version of Portland’s Hawthorne District.
Age: All
Tucson Indian Jewelry
A favorite of locals and celebrities. This huge, locally-owned shop features vintage Navajo, Hopi, and Santo Domingo jewelry and collectibles.
3130 E Grant Road, Tucson, AZ 85716
Age: All
The Lost Barrio
For over 35 years The Lost Barrio has been Arizona’s most unique destination for custom furniture.
228 S Park Ave, Tucson, AZ
Age: All
Cactus Nurseries
Bach’s Cactus Nursery
A family-owned company for over 40 years. They offer a very large selection of Native Cacti. The grounds are lush and mature and fun to explore.
8602 N Thornydale Rd, Tucson, AZ 85742
Age: All
B & B Cactus Farm
B & B is an intimate nursery where you are likely to run into the owner, Bob, who is passionate and informative about all things cacti and succulents. Visitors can roam freely and also see how cacti and succulents are grown.
http://www.bandbcactus.com/
Phone: 520.721.4687
11550 E Speedway Blvd, Tucson AZ 85748
Age: All
Tucson Cactus & Koi
This 3-acre nursery features a huge variety of cacti, succulents, trees, pottery, artwork by local artists, koi fish, and water plants.
https://www.tucsoncactuscompany.com/
7810 N Oracle Rd, Oro Valley, AZ 85704
Phone: 520-617-4478
Age: All
Flavors of the Southwest
We are not foodies. If you enjoy local dining, be sure to research Tucson restaurants.
We will add to this section based on our guest recommendations.
Sonoran Hot Dog – Food Cart
See, we said we’re not foodies! However, Tucson is famous for its Sonoran Hot Dogs. Ask Dusty for the best food cart location! They are made with a beef hot dog wrapped in bacon, served in a toasted Mexican bolillo bun, and topped with pinto beans, tomato, onion, jalapeno sauce, mustard, and mayonnaise.
Janea thinks their disgusting. You can be the judge.
Age: Only the brave.
0.3 mile walk
Coyote Pause Cafe
This excellent restaurant is within walking distance from Tumbleweed. It’s a favorite of locals offering breakfast and lunch. Dusty’s favorite is huevos rancheros served with tamales.
2740 S. Kinney Rd. Tucson, AZ
Age: All
15 Minute Drive
Tucson Food Tours
On our tour, you sample food from at least six local restaurants. Guides point out architectural highlights, cultural sites, and great local shops along the way. This tasty tour is a great introduction to Tucson!
Age: All
More Adventures
11 minute drive
Mission San Xavier del Bac
The oldest intact European structure in Arizona, the church’s interior is filled with marvelous original statuary and mural paintings. It is a place where visitors can truly step back in time and enter an authentic 18th Century space.
1950 W San Xavier Rd, Tucson, AZ
Age: All
23 minute drive
Pima Air & Space Museum
One of the largest non-government funded aviation and space museums in the world. Featuring about 400 historic aircraft, from a Wright Flyer to a 787 Dreamliner. 80 acres with six indoor exhibit hangars (three dedicated to WWII.
Pima Air & Space Museum, 6000 E Valencia Rd, Tucson, AZ
Age: All
23 minute drive
Air Force Boneyard Tour
The largest aircraft boneyard in the world. Davis-Monthan AFB’s role in the storage of military aircraft began after World War II, and continues today. Advanced reservations are required for this tour. All guests interested in taking this tour must have made a reservation and received a security clearance in advance. Tour Information
Pima Air & Space Museum, 6000 E Valencia Rd, Tucson, AZ
Age: All
Beautiful Day Trips
Tombstone, AZ
The “Town Too Tough To Die!”, Tombstone, Arizona. Walk the very same streets where Wyatt Earp and his brothers enjoyed the company of the likes of Doc Holliday! Stand where the legendary stories of the past actually occurred!
Age: All
Bisbee, AZ
The community was founded in 1880. Both the Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum and the Bisbee Restoration Museum chronicle the city’s copper-mining past. Queen Mine offers underground tours. Homes that once belonged to miners are interesting to see.
https://www.discoverbisbee.com/history
Bisbee, AZ
Age: 13+
Mount Lemmon
About Mt. Lemmon
Age: All
7 min drive
International Wildlife Museum
Dioramas depicting wild animals in their natural settings, videos, interactive computers, and hands-on exhibits promote wildlife appreciation and conservation. Your visit is an excellent opportunity to see animals up close and gain a better understanding of their adaptive characteristics, habitats and conservation issues.
Age: 13+
Petroglyphs
The petroglyphs show animal and human figures from about (A.D.) 800 to 950.
Signal Hill Picnic Area, Tucson Mt. Park, Tucson, AZ
Age: 13+
10 min drive
Tucson Children’s Museum
Age: All
24 min drive
Flandrau Science Center & Planetarium
Explore the solar system and beyond in Flandrau’s state-of-the-art planetarium theater, featuring a full dome digital projection system that can launch from the Earth and fly to planets, moons, and asteroids. Flandrau also offers fun interactive science exhibits that will engage the whole family.
Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium, Tucson, AZ 85719
Age: All
60 min drive
Tucson Bioshpere 2
Biosphere 2, 32540 S Biosphere Rd, Oracle, AZ 85739
Age: All
33 min drive
Mini Time Machine Museum
4455 E Camp Lowell Dr, Tucson, AZ
Age: All
15 min drive
Tucson Reid Park Zoo
Travel from South America to the rain forest, and then to the African savannah in one day all from Tucson at the Reid Park Zoo.
Watch Live Animal Cams!
Age: All
80 min drive
Arizona Zipline EcoTour
35406 S Mt Lemmon Rd, Oracle, AZ
Age: 13+
20 min drive
Toy Train Museum
3975 N. Miller Ave., Tucson, AZ
Age: All
7 min drive
Rock Climbing
One of the top rock-climbing destinations is Mt. Lemmon in Tucson’s Santa Catalina Mountains. Rising more than 9,000 feet above the Sonoran Desert floor, Mt. Lemmon has more than 2,700 climbing routes, ranging from single pitch clip-ups to multi-pitch traditional routes, and the mountain’s steep, craggy walls are ideal for gravity-defying thrills at the end of a rope.
Rock Climbing Details
Age: 13+
7 min drive
Tucson Mountain Park Archery Range
Tucson Mountain Park Archery Range, Kinney Rd, Tucson, AZ
Age: 13+
