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Arizona Sonora Desert Museum
Rating Details »
Categories: Museums, Botanical Gardens, Zoos, Parks [Edit]
2021 N. Kinney RdTucson, AZ 85743
(520) 883-2702
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
33 reviews for Arizona Sonora Desert Museum
coolio... it's actuallly more of a zoo in my opinion ...
so, i haven't really explored arizona other than the spankin grand canyon as a lil kid, and the older i get, i find myself exploring outside my horizons and stumbled upon sonora's desert museum ....
lots of cactuses and desert animals and more ...
you get to get super upclose with a few animals too which was pretty cool... especially their "raptor free flight" which is pretty much where you get to see these birdies flying from one end to the other and if you have a mind of a 5 yr old like i do, it was actually worthwhile... so check it out!
and not to mention, such breathtaking views of the surrounding mountain ranges!! if anything, think of this as a hike too because there were several paths you could take but you're honestly in for a real treat if you find a few friendly visitors that greet you along the way...
bring lots of h20!!! we literally killed 4 bottles in 2 hours!
PS. you really have to put your 5 yr old cap on to enjoy this place because most people would think of this as a pure desert with nothing to see while the others may enjoy a few wrinkles or two....
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More of a zoo than a museum, this is a mainly out of doors meandering walk through the naturalized habitats of many Sonora Desert animals and plants.
There is little shade, so bring plenty of water and a hat. And do bring your long lens! We got to view the mountain lion at about 2' distance, but the Javelinas and Coyotes were more elusive.
Be aware that the museum is not in downtown Tucson, but actually a 30 minute drive outside of the city, so it makes for more of a day trip.
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Wow! This is definitely the best place to visit in our vacation. It was super hot and there is alot outdoors so be prepared and come early - most of the demo's are over by 10am.
Lots of live animals and wildlife up close. Take your best camera and long lens for amazing photos.
When we left there was a coyote across the street hiding. We pulled up and watched as it meandered about and then crossed the street. Amazing!
Having the word "museum" in the name deters many people from coming here. This place is not a museum if you don't want it to be.
There are many things to see and to do here, from learning about the creation of the earth to looking at gems to visiting animals to walking through a cactus garden. I had never seen a javelina before and was very excited to finally add them to my animal checklist, even if they were caged.
The Desert Museum prides itself on their 'Raptor Free Flight,' which is an open-air flight of about three different predator birds. Workers will spread out around the desert path twice daily and have their trained birds fly around from one worker to another. The birds fly very close to the crowds, allowing for incredible pictures or a good scare.
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We sure enjoyed our breakfast at the ASDM. One of the best things is you can walk it off and see the animals eating their breakfast too. Only draw back was not being able to get coffee. I was just unlucky because it was busy and others had better luck in line. We added to our experience by taking a child, you should take one if you can.
I rode a gas guzzing bus to the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum ( sincere first-hand experience).
The people who visit the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum are probably gullible enough to buy the "Brooklyn Bridge".
See wildlife from the safe confines of a concrete path & go "Oh, Ah".
Take my advice, save your $20, take a drive out 30 miles down a dirt road, go hiking for another 15, & you'll experience what true nature is.
I was disappointed that they stiffed me for admission to this place.
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I'm not usually one for zoos. Once in a while is fine, but I'm generally put off by the limited hours and the stroller brigade on the weekends, hogging the walkways.
But...the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is just incredible.
More zoo than museum, the place does in fact meld natural history with the current desert landscapes. And, honestly, I found this place much more entertaining than the American Museum of Natural History in New York because this place is much more hands-on, and actually includes living animals.
For me, it was perfect arriving here relatively early in the morning (around 8:45 a.m.) when it was still cool outside, and there were so few people that a leisurely walk wasn't ruined by too many tourists or little kids, and was actually quite private for the most part.
And, granted, a lot of the reptiles were not out and about because it was still early in the year, but I could have stood and stared at the gorgeous mountain lions and bobcats all day. Really!
The exhibit set-ups, while zoolike, mock the natural habitat of the animals, and gets visitors rather close without cumbersome wires and cages. The Aviary was a lovely walk-through outdoors trail, with lots and lots of birds flapping about, and the underwater exhibit included a surprisingly close view of burrowing beavers (beavers and otters in the desert? who knew?!).
I particularly enjoyed the underground cave portion. Not only was it nice and cool, but it focused a lot on the earth's evolution, in relation to the Arizona-Sonora Desert and its archaeology (I definitely nerded out here). Also, there's a huge display of rocks and minerals found locally, that I just stared at for minutes. Because, you know, I like shiny things!
Finally, I doubt this visit would have been as awesome for me if I hadn't gone on the nature trail thing. It was like a lovely desert walk, surrounded by blue skies, javelina, and agave (and the elderly volunteer pointed out to me, "THAT'S WHAT THEY MAKE TEQUILA OUT OF"), and the images were worthy of postcards.
That's how gorgeous it is out there.
And, you know, my friend gave me endless commentary about how I claim I'm not touristy but want to come to the Desert Museum, but I don't really care. Because this place seriously trumps all.
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So, you only have a few days to visit Tucson and you're thinking about where to go? The Arizona Sonora Desert Museum should be at the top of the list.
To start, the drive to the museum is gorgeous. As you leave Tucson driving west, you pass through about 10 miles of unspoiled desert over rolling hills and a small mountain pass. The entirety is spotted with saguaro, prickly pear, cholla and ocotillo cactus. It's like a little preview of what's to come.
The museum itself is more zoo than museum, offering a unique view into the rarely-seen animal world of the Sonoran desert. Want to see a gila monster (a poisonous beaded lizard) up close? You got it. Coyotes? Mountain goats? Pumas? Black widow spiders? Mexican Wolves? Mule deer? Scorpions? Otters and beavers? Rattlesnakes (a dozen varieties)? Sure. All of that, plus desert plant and mineral exhibits are offered along a meandering pathway through the desert itself.
The highlight for my family was the underground cave exhibit. Half of it was a model of an old mine. The other half was a very realistic replica of a sonoran cave, beautifully done, complete with stalactites, stalagmites, limpid pools and faux stashes of artifacts from ancient indians. The kids found a small spelunking pathway just for them, taking them on a long, narrow, snakelike course over and around part of the exhibits. Of course I had to follow, and at one point had a very tight fit with my day pack on. Needless to say, the kids travelled this path several times before moving on.
At lunchtime the cafeteria was clean, and the food quite good, for what is was. They even have a decent-looking sit down restaurant, which we did not try.
All in all, the AZ Sonora Desert Museum has been the highlight our trip. I would go there again in a heartbeat.
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I would have given the Desert Museum five stars if so many exhibits hadn't been empty, or just impossible to find the inhabitants (we missed the mountain lion, coyotes, raccoon, and a ton of the lizards to name a few). I realize that it was partially due to the time of day and the season(we went in mid-February), but it was still a bummer.
The museum is a cross between a nature walk, a zoo, and a natural history expedition. You spend your time wandering between exhibits(which were mostly very nicely done), walking along the trails viewing the scenery, and learning tidbits from the volunteers or info booths.
All in all a great place to spend part of a day. Glad we did it! I'd say my favorite was the hummingbird exhibit!
This a great place to take friends from areas where there is no desert, a la east coasters and northerners. Its a cross between an arboretum, a zoo, and a museum. Best time to visit is Spring because the plants are in bloom and the animals, I hear, are more active. Great combination of different things to see! HOTTTTTTT in Summer!
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I just looked at my friend Thomas S' reviews and had a little brain flash: I love Tucson's Desert Museum. Now generally I hate "museums". But this is NOT a museum. It's a zoo and botanical gardens all in one. Absolutely fabulous! (And NOT like that BBC show!)
The prarie dogs who stand on their hind feet, scream, and topple over backwards are the best. Definitely visit this place if you can!
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I don't get the love for this place. It is basically the desert. I can see most of this in my backyard or neighborhood. Add a star if you are from out of state. Minus a star if you would be upset if all of the animals are hiding due to the sun and heat.
I have enjoyed the ASDM when they open up in the evening during the summer until of course a rattle snake was found 3 feet away from sharing the heat of the cement pathway.
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We spent a good part of today here and it was wonderful. We came face to face w/ a magnificent Harris' Hawk on the arm of a docent. We wandered the trails, saw cacti of varying types, went through artificially created caves which showed a variety of underground life forms. We saw a drowsy mountain lion, a Mexican wolf pacing her pen, a white tailed deer lying down in the shade in her pen, looked unsuccessfully for javalinas and just generally saw what was to be seen. The trails are pretty easy and are relatively well marked. Our last treat was a visit to the hummingbird aviary. It's a well designed, very accessible museum w/ many docents each to share their considerable knowledge. I've been hearing about it for years and am glad to have finally seen it.
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After recently moving to this region of the country I went to this museum (more a zoo with natural history mixed in) and I can say I learned a lot about my new home! It is almost all outdoors and on a hot summer day it was almost unbearable, but the scenery is awesome. They really do a good job of blending the exhibits and the animals into the desert landscape. The only negative. I thought the walk-through cave was pretty cool until I smelled the potent unmistakable stench of urine. Who pees in a cave exhibit???
Another note, if you live in the area, it is worth getting the one-year membership. If you take a few out of town guests over the course of a year, it will more than pay for itself. $50 for year membership for 2 people, and three guest passes vs. $13 admission for each adult every visit.
I'm sooooooo glad that we went to the Desert Museum. It is truly a REAL desert experience. Everything about this place is beautiful, even the drive there. Since it is part zoo, be prepared to walk. A lot. Definitely wear comfortable shoes, bring plenty of water and pile on the sunblock.
-I found it amazing to see the animals in their habitat. I especially loved the javelinas.
-My kids were excited about digging for treasure in the mine.
- the plant life is a spectacular sight.
This is really a "must" for anyone living in Southern Arizona. Check their website for information about Summer Saturday Evenings.
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When it's springtime especially, this place has many desert
plants blooming. Little animal creatures are abundant
and they really pop out to eat during early a.m. when the park first opens or around evening.
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Great place. Since it focuses only on local plants and wildlife rather than everything like the International one up the road.
Better way to see animals with windows rather than bars, and the sets appear to be similar to their natural habitat.
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Definite highlight of our trip to Tucson (aside from our friends' wedding, of course) but I was definitely glad that we took the time to drive out to this beautiful place.
One of my favourite displays was the Hummingbid House, where several dozen of the tiny creatures whirr, zoom, and swoosh inches from your face in their enclosed space, close enough that you could swear they were staring quizzically at you.
And I loved the fact that the housing for the larger animals - the lion, the bear, and the mountain lion -- were indeed large and looked to as close to natural habitat as a zoo or desert museum could get. None of the pitiful and small glass or caged enclosures that one sees at the SF Zoo...
If you can, don't journey here in flip-flops. Most of the pathways are cement but some are loose gravel.
Our visit here was much too short to do it justice. We can only hope of a return visit someday.
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Awesome/excellent/beautiful!!!
The Yelpers who have written reviews are right on.
One of my hobbies is digital photography. I got some terrific shots of birds (including hummingbirds), animals, and plants today. The geography is beautiful also with lovely panoramas.
I would recommend this to anyone with any sort of outdoor interests. Educational for kids too. Many trails are handicapped accessible.
I hope to come back some spring when the wild flowers are in bloom.
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It can be a bit expensive and hot, but something that out of towners love! How often do your relatives from back east get to see a Javalina in action?
Just don't forget the water and the sunscreen.
ps
They also do private events. I've been to a few parties here and everything was amazing. There's just something so nice about the desert air in spring. Plus it's nice and secluded! Just don't get too drunk at the party and drive home over gate's pass.
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A very nice cross between a bontanical garden and a zoo, I thoroughly enjoyed my visted to the Desert Museum. I like that they integrate plant and animal displays - as you walk from each exhibit there's plant displays. The caves are great - better fake rock than I've seen anywhere else.
The newer animal exhibits that try to show the animals in a more naturalistic setting are nice too - instead of just seeing a scorpion in a box, you lift a fake rock to find them under there.
The coolest place to visit in Tucson. Will cost you $12 a pop but it is worth it. Or you could by an annual membership. Go before April and after October otherwise you will fryyyyyy in the desert. Too hot in the other months. They have live animals such as the mountain lion there, a cave to explore and other cool stuff. Tons of humming birds. All around the museum, it is a 2 mile hike. Awesome views and great picture taking opportunities.
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I don't get the allure of this place. I suppose having grown up in the desert makes me a bit biased? The allure just isn't there for me. I found it boring and really overpriced for what you get. I've taken family from out of town there and no one has ever been impressed. Maybe we're a bunch of Squidwards but it just didn't do it for us.
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This place is truly a treat for the eyes....although it was a gazillion degrees in November (freak weather for anywhere but Tucson), I loved the set-up of this "museum". There were even water fountains along the pathways (they looked like your typical office water coolers plopped down in the middle of the desert), the more to fend off that desert dehydration with! Anyway, what an absolutely wonderful way to experience desert wildlife and fauna....
There are some amazing volunteer docents who assist visitors and answer questions...props to them! However, I am sure the javelinas have some sort of union contract where they only come out one at a time for the tourists.
This might be my favorite place in (or outside of) Tucson. It's truly incredible. Its quite a ways out in the desert and the road is long and narrow. But the picturesque scenery on the way out there is incredible. You will never see Saguaro grow that way anywhere else in the world. There are literally MILLIONS of them!
The museum is a cross between a zoo, museum and botanical garden. They have everything from bears, big horned sheep, bobcats, and Javelina to a variety of snakes and reptiles, fish, otters and birds. They do a rapture show, I believe at least once a day. Check the schedule. They are beautiful, incredible creatures! The gardens are amazing as well with all types of cactus and flowers with ponds and streams throughout. They have gem caves and paths that will walk you through out the museum property. Be sure to bring water though cause it tends to get pretty hot out there.
If you are in or around Tucson this is one thing you DO NOT want to miss. It really makes you appreciate the desert and all the things it has to offer. I love this place. Go see it!
As some have pointed out already, calling this place a museum is just not right. This is one great zoo!
From the aviary - where the birds are free and you are caged - to the snake section - where thankfully they are all caged - this is one incredible place.
Please GO!
This is my FAVORITE natural history museum. Granted, I have not been to the big ones in the East, but this is truly a great place to visit.
The first time I came here was with a college field trip in the spring of 1973. I have gone to Tuscon 2 times since to bring my 2 younger kids, the first time, then my wife, 2 kids and a grand daughter. It has gotten better every time. They have made a lot of improvements and additions over the years.
As others have said, it is part zoo, part botanical garden and part natural history museum. They have a little bit of everything. Their landscape captures the essence of the Arizona-Sonora desert. You can come face to face with a mountain lion, gila monster, black bears, and the more unusual critters like the ringtails, and coatimundis and many more critters. The javelinas, although really smelly were the biggest hit for us.
Plan to spend most of the day here. They have 2 restaurants on the museum grounds so you don't have to leave for lunch. I have not tried the Ocotillo Caf, but it looks like it would be good upscale restaurant. Dine in the Irownwood Terrace Restaurant, did I mention that they have great burgers? The menus are online at their website. They also have a great gift shop, so you can take home one of the non-smelly versions of a javelina.
This is a don't miss place if you are in Tuscon. And we have traveled from the Seattle, WA area twice with the specific purpose of coming here.
This place amazed me!!
We just visited some family in Tucson, and this was our main outing. I truly can't wait to go back and visit again.
During the summer, they are open on Saturday evenings. We arrived around 7pm, so the cost was only $6 per person. The views were gorgeous, as the sun was setting. The views were actually so amazing that they look almost unreal... too perfect! A particular bonus was that we were here at the beginning of monsoon rain season, and the storms rolled in as the sun was going down. After it became dark, we stopped for some ice cream and watched the lightning show.
I am not from the area, nor from that desert, so all of the beautiful plant life was new to me. I took over 100 photos, including sunsets, vegetation, animals and family members.
I would highly recommend visiting on a summer evening. However, they do close some of exhibits at 7pm, so you may want to arrive at 5 or 6. (I believe the reduced price was after 6pm.) We were unable to see the hummingbirds, and the other bird aviaries. Of course, this just means that we will have to return!
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really great place to check out if you are ever in tucson. some of the best views, and just a really peaceful experience. extremely enthralling and informative.
Fantastic. I spent a week in Tucson in March 2008, and of all the things I did while there, this was far and away my favorite. There is something for everyone--I enjoyed the displays in the geology section, walking through the cave, the animals, the gorgeous fauna...well, I liked it all! My friend wasn't feeling well after lunch, so we weren't able to see all of the exhibits/displays, including the hummingbirds (darn!), but it was amazing nonetheless. I'd go back in a heartbeat.
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My pal and I took a road trip to Tucson not that long ago and we decided we'd check out the Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum along the way. I'm really glad we did- this place is awesome!
It's not at all what I pictured...this place isn't just a museum, it's a zoo and a botanical garden all in one place. Pretty nice, eh?
I recommend coming in cooler weather (wait, do we have any?) so you can really enjoy everything there is to do here. If it's too hot, you aren't going to want to stay long.
They have a ton of animals and lots of desert plants and flowers. You get to take a path around the facility and check out the beautiful mountain, plants and cactus surrounding the area. Don't miss the butterfly garden- it's so much fun.
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To call this place a museum may give you the impression of some stuffy indoor plastic model of what type of wildlife lives in the Sonora Desert. But this place is so much more than that. It is really like a botanical garden and zoo. There are miles of outdoor paths that take you around the facility with wonderful views of the surrounding mountains and cacti. I was particularly fond of the hummingbird area and the butterfly garden. They have have a great gift shop that sells Prickly Pear foods, a specialty food only found around the Sonora Desert. If you find yourself in the Tucson area, take a trip here. And the road to this place was half the fun!
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Absolutely one of my favorite zoos/museums. The natural enclosures that are now the standard for all zoos got it start here in the 1970's. The enclosures are designed for the inhabitant and not necessarily the visitors so you will need to spend some time searching for the animals. I suggest you make it a game with your gets to keep their interest up. They introduced the next generation of enclosures a few years ago with a super strong and nearly invisible wire mess fencing for enclosing the coyotes. My ex-wife took the kids there and did not know about the new enclosures. Spotting the the approaching coyotes, she immediately pushed our kids behind her thinking an attack was imminent. Then she realized there was a wire fence between her and the coyotes - that's how well camouflaged it is. They even discreetly cover the support post in such a way that you do not know it's there. Take the time and read the information posted in front of every enclosure, you will learn many fascinating facts about the desert. There is a wonderful restaurant and gift shop on site, plan on spending most of the day or an afternoon in the park. I would strongly suggest getting there when they first open. The animals are more active when it is cool in the morning. In the gift shop check out the wonderful prints of the many animals at the zoo. They are very good and absolutely beautiful when properly framed. Where comfortable shoes so that you can walk the far reaches of the park. Do not forget sunscreen, even in winter, the sun can be brutal.
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