Sabino Canyon

"Experience the beauty of one of the most unique Southwestern desert canyons on a Sabino Canyon tram ride. Sabino Canyon is a natural desert oasis located in Tucson's Coronado National Forest and is home to spectacular desert landscapes and abundant wildlife. During the winter and summer rainy seasons, pools of water form in rocky outcroppings that wind up among hillsides resplendent with palo verde trees, cholla and prickly pear cactus and graceful groves of ocotillo."   [source: http://www.sabinocanyon.com/]

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

"The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is a world-renowned zoo, natural history museum and botanical garden, all in one place! Exhibits re-create the natural landscape of the Sonoran Desert Region so realistically you find yourself eye-to-eye with mountain lions, prairie dogs, Gila monsters, and more. Within the Museum grounds, you will see more than 300 animal species and 1,200 kinds of plants. There are almost 2 miles of paths traversing 21 acres of beautiful desert."   [source: http://www.desertmuseum.org/about/]

International Wildlife Museum

"[The International Wildlife Museum] highlights over 400 species of insects, mammals and birds from around the globe. Some of the collections are more than 100 years old and all the animals found at the museum were donated by various government agencies, wildlife rehabilitation centers, captive breeding programs, zoos and individuals. 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."   [source: http://www.thewildlifemuseum.org/static/index.cfm?contentID=8]

Biosphere 2

"Built in the late 1980s with $150 million in funding ... Biosphere 2 was designed as an airtight replica of Earth's environment (Biosphere 1). This 7,200,000-cubic-foot sealed glass and space-frame structure contains 5 biomes, including a 900,000-gallon ocean, a rain forest, a desert, agricultural areas and a human habitat."   [source: http://www.desertusa.com/mag99/apr/stories/bios2.html]

Pima Air and Space Museum

"Pima Air & Space Museum, where history takes flight, is one of the largest air and space museums in the world, and the largest non-government funded aviation museum. You'll see more than 275 aircraft and spacecraft including many of the most historically significant and technically advanced craft ever produced, both from the United States and throughout the world."   [source: http://www.pimaair.org/]

Titan Missile Museum

"The Titan Missile Museum is the only publicly accessible Titan II missile site in the nation. Tour the underground missile site. See the 3-ton blast doors, the 8-foot thick silo walls, and an actual Titan II missile in the launch duct. Visit the launch control center, experience a simulated launch and more!"   [source: http://www.titanmissilemuseum.org/]

Old Tucson Studios

"Old Tucson Studios: Hollywood in the Desert since 1939! From western movie heroes like John Wayne to current box-office stars such as Leonardo DiCaprio, many of Hollywood's legends have walked these rugged streets, the setting for hundreds of major motion pictures. You're invited to retrace the bootsteps of your favorite stars and spend a day in the life of an 1880's Western town. To complete your Western experience, take a trail ride along scenic desert mountain trails!"   [source: http://www.oldtucson.com/general/general.htm]

Kartchner Caverns State Park

"In November 1974 two young cavers, Gary Tenen and Randy Tufts, were exploring the limestone hills at the base of the Whetstone Mountains. In the bottom of a sinkhole they found a narrow crack leading into the hillside. Warm, moist air flowed out, signaling the existence of a cave. After several hours of crawling, they entered a pristine cavern. It wasn't until February 1978 that Tenen and Tufts told the property owners, James and Lois Kartchner, about their amazing discovery. During the four years of secret exploration, the discoverers realized that the cave's extraordinary variety of colors and formations must be preserved. The cave's existence became public knowledge in 1988 when its purchase was approved as an Arizona State Park. Extraordinary precautions have been taken during its development to conserve the cave's near-pristine condition."   [source: http://www.pr.state.az.us/Parks/parkhtml/kartchner.html]

Colossal Cave Mountain Park

"A tour through Colossal Cave is by itself an attention-grabbing experience where natural formations were formed over millions of years. The stalactites, stalagmites and majestic columns were created by slow-seeping ground water through the limestone ceilings. As arid conditions evolved, Colossal Cave became totally dry, stopping the growth of new formations. Interestingly, although outside summer temperatures can become quite high in the desert area, the temperature inside Colossal Cave is always a cool 70 degrees Fahrenheit year-round."   [source: http://www.arizona-leisure.com/colossal-cave-arizona.html]

San Xavier del Bac Mission

"Mission San Xavier del Bac is situated in the Santa Cruz Valley nine miles south of Tucson, Arizona. Framed in the warm browns of the surrounding hills and the violet shadows of more distant mountains, it rises, brilliantly white from the desert floor of dusty green mesquite and sage. The imposing dome and lofty towers, the rounded parapets and graceful spires etched against the vivid blue complete a skyline with a graceful enchantment ... San Xavier Mission is acclaimed by many to be the finest example of mission architecture in the United States. It is a graceful blend of Moorish, Byzantine and late Mexican Renaissance architecture, yet the blending is so complete it is hard to tell where one type begins and another ends."   [source: http://www.sanxaviermission.org/History.html]

Tohono Chul Park

"The 49-acre Tohono Chul Park is a leading Southwest center of desert nature, arts and culture – and is listed by National Geographic Traveler as one of the top 22 Secret Gardens in the U.S. and Canada. There is something for everyone at Tohono Chul Park. This oasis in the desert offers a respite from the hectic pace of daily life, provides an informative look at the region's fascinating cultural traditions and its even more interesting flora and fauna, and is the perfect setting for an evening concert, special event or family wedding. Discover its nature!"   [source: http://www.tohonochulpark.org/visiting.html]

Tucson Botanical Gardens

"This beautiful oasis in the heart of Tucson was originally the home of Bernice and Rutger Porter. Dating to the 1920s, the earliest buildings on the property were constructed of adobe bricks made right on site. True to the vision of Mrs. Porter, Tucson Botanical Gardens is a place of beauty, inspiration and education about the natural world. There are 16 different gardens within the grounds representing a variety of gardening traditions and botanical themes. The Gardens offer programs and classes for adults on a broad array of topics, from gardening for newcomers to composting to botanical art. The children's educational programs are offered to school groups and families with the premise that learning should be fun, hands-on and curricula-based."   [source: http://www.tucsonbotanical.org/about_pressroom.html]

Reid Park Zoo

"Come visit the Tucson zoo, and have a wild time. Meet the more than 400 animals—rhinos, elephants, anteaters, polar bears, lions, and many more! Adventure in our African, Asian, and South American regions. Explore the Flight Connection, our full-flight, walk through aviary. Go behind the scenes and discover the inner workings of the zoo."   [source: http://www.tucsonzoo.org/]