Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

An oasis in the middle if desert, quite literally. Its beautifully made and managed and has variety of Desert flora and fauna. The enclosures blend very well with the surroundings. Paved trails all along the museum which is about 90% in the natural desert setting. One can easily spend hours here and would not get done. The trails run long and loop back to the entrance and exit. Tickets are but cheap but I can understand the upkeep this sort of place demands. This is within the Saguaro National Park so you must pay the park fee separately and then the museum ticket fee. There is cafe and gift shop within the museum and wheelchair/stroller friendly trails. Amazing place, must visit.

The desert museum is more like a zoo, botanical garden, aquarium, museum and geology exhibit all in one. I read somewhere that it takes 2 hours to visit, we spent over 4 hours and enjoyed a live show where they present animals at 12:30pm, and still could have spent more time here. Very special place and a great place for us to learn about the Sonora desert and all it's wildlife. We will definetly come visit again. Food, beverages, and customer service was top notch, very clean facilities, very professional staff and lots of interactive people around teaching about insects, animals and reptiles.

Highly recommend! Be prepared for lots of walking. It's a huge place with so much to see and learn. Can easily spend the day here. Several water bottle refill spots, gift shops, benches and a cafe. It was very busy the day we visited. Go early, and wear a hat.

The Desert museum is a great place to visit. You can see lots of native AZ animals in their natural surroundings. It’s a zoo and botanical gardens in one place. There is an aviary and hummingbird place as well. Right now there is a Dinos in the Desert exhibit which is great for any little ones who love dinosaurs. There are plenty of water stations along the walkways to refill water bottles which is really great. There is also a nice gift shop on the way out. If you are an AZ resident you can show your ID for $5 off of the admission price.

Such a beautiful and peaceful place! Driving through Gates Pass, you don't realize how close to Tucson you are when you get there. The grounds are well kept and beautiful, the animals are well cared for, and there is plenty of signage so you don't get lost. There are lots of plaques to read about the exhibits/plants/animals/history of everything. We got there first thing when they opened, so it was very quiet. It did start to fill up later on with student field trips...so definitely would suggest a morning visit if you're looking for some calm enjoyment 😊 A very beautiful place!

We arrived on a beautiful day in February. There were no lines and plenty of parking. It's a zoo, museum, outdoor experience, and natural history center of Arizona. Plenty of water fountains and bathrooms, and numerous docents to answer questions. It's really well done and well kept, but I just wasn't interested. I think seeing a room full of native American artifacts would've grabbed my interest, or seeing more mining equipment. I did feel sorry for the wolves in that small enclosure. Since it's a zoo, don't bring your pets. Service animals welcome.

We had one full day to explore Tuscon and I'm so glad the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum was what we chose to do! It's a wonderful way to explore the desert, history, flora and fauna of the area. The cave and trails are so cool! You can do it at your own pace and explore areas for as long as you choose. The views are stunning! Highly recommend!!!

Like zoos everywhere many of the animals were tucked into their favorite hiding spots. For a nice sunny January day the cats found several sunny spots on rocks. The desert walk is fantastic as it gives out of town visitors a great way to identify the different plant life you may see on hikes around town. Wayfinding wasn’t the best especially during construction of a splash pad exhibit. We also had a thought that it would be great if Zoos stated at the front of their bird exhibits how many birds are inside the exhibit. For example, we saw one hummingbird in the hummingbird aviary. It would be really interesting to know if there are 10, 20, or even 100 hiding out. We found the cave exhibit to be really cool too. And it would be perfect to visit on a hot desert day. Not sure how well the zoo focuses on conservation but we did see a breeding program for the Mexican Grey Wolf. Definitely worth a visit. Plan for at least two hours to walk the whole thing. Hopefully for the cost per person and the fact that they do not participate in the AZA reciprocal program I truly hope they have extensive conservation efforts.

This place is a 5 Star experience. It's a museum, a zoo, a walk through all the Sonoran Desert ecosystems. I had some sticker shock with a $30 entry fee but that was short lived as I explored all the exhibits, walked the well Mau trained trails and paths, viewed wildlife, learned facts I would only hear from the volunteers who are subject matter experts. A highlight was the cave they've recreated. I've been spelunking and this short trip through a man made cave was all the fun of exploring a cave without the eternal mud and guano Even the drive from Tucson is beautiful. I visited in February so the temps were great but from what I saw, even in August there's shade and two wonderful options for dining cooking off and enjoying a cool beverage. The Cafe is delicious, check my review! Lots of bathrooms that are clean. The trails and side walks are handicap / wheelchair accessible. The only reason not to visit this place is if you hate fun.

This museum is wonderful. The exhibits, grounds, and vistas are unparalleled and the staff friendly. My group and I spent several hours here, exploring and taking in the sights. We loved the animals and the docents were quite knowledgeable. Plus the cafe was cute and it was nice to sit outside. A must see for anyone visiting Tucson. I *almost* took off one star, as the tranquility of the natural beauty was disrupted by the constant moaning of animatronic dinosaurs. This is a temporary exhibit, thankfully. The dinosaurs themselves would be fine, but the sound effects truly did the museum a disservice.

So I struggle a bit with zoos but the fact they take in animals that would not be able to survive on their own, help educate, and the larger ones help fund so many smaller shelter rescues and save lives always seem to win out in the end. This place does it right and is one of the good ones. ASDM is a combination type of place to include a botanical gardens, a museum, and a zoo open area for gorgeous animals that are unique, live, and flourish in our desert environments. There is probably not too much more I can add than the other reviews have not stated and noted already. The animals have open areas to roam, are well cared for, and the grounds are lovely. The museum area is great. ASDM has a lot of preservation and science invested and established within their gates and walls. It is beautifully done and the animals are so gorgeous. I still remember the Ocelot. What a stunning creature. They have lots of events at the museum and classes so definitely an important and crucial learning partner of community.

Great indoor outdoor museum and garden. Small area of sea creatures. Lots of animated dinosaurs. Some live animals too including a puma. Wear a hat and make sure it's not to warm of a day

Big changes and expansions to AZSDM since I last visited 30 years ago. I thought $30 per adult was steep, but there was a lot to see and weather was perfect (February). Snakes, spiders, big horn sheep, wolves, a lazy mountain lion, an ocelot and frogs, two gift shops, an interactive trek through a stalagmite cave, and an -excellent- meal at Ocotillo Cafe (see my review on that). Unexpectedly way more fun than I was imagining.

We came for a visit in the winter - mid-February and lucked out that the day we were planning to go was one of the days they do a raptor demonstration. This happens at 10AM on certain days; I'd recommend checking the website for current information. We arrived around 9AM and were planning to walk around a bit before heading over there, but fortunately a nice volunteer asked us if we were planning to watch the demonstration and advised us to be in line no later than 9:30. She was not kidding. People come specifically for this experience. Handlers bring the birds very close to the crowd and they literally fly inches from spectators heads. They really emphasize the importance of not putting your hands up to take a picture over your head, etc. A volunteer provides an informative narrative about the birds. The rest of the park is set up in a very natural way which means many animals are hibernating in the winter so do don't expect to see too much in terms of animals if you do visit in winter, but we did see some! There is an aquarium which is active year round of course. The indoor bird exhibit was almost entirely populated with mourning doves; I'm not sure if this is a seasonal situation as well. The hummingbird area also had very few birds; I think we saw more outside on the flowers. The grounds are lovely and the volunteers are friendly and knowledgeable. There are lots of water bottle fillers with cold water and sunscreen in all bathrooms. Definitely wear good walking shoes as the surfaces are largely natural/sandy particularly on the desert walk.

I drove by here a couple of years ago while visiting Saguaro National Park in Tucson. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is more than a museum. It is a botanical garden, zoo, aquarium, education center and an art gallery. There is so much to see and do at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. I really enjoyed my first visit here. The museum is mostly outdoors and has close to 2 miles of walking paths. So wear good walking shoes if you want to see as much as possible. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is 21 acres and home to more than 230 animal species and 1,200 varieties of plants. They are located near the Saguaro National Park West Visitor Center. It was a little warm when I visited here because it was summer. But thankfully many of the exhibits are indoors or have shade. Some of the highlights for me were the Reptile Hall, the Mountain Woodland, the Aquarium, the Bird Exhibit and Hummingbird Aviary. A couple of my favorite stops while walking on the Desert Loop Trial was the Labyrinth and Agave Garden. I have a deep appreciation for agave plants and enjoyed seeing all of the different types that they have here. There is also an art gallery with some beautiful paintings and sculptures. For food and snacks, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum has a coffee bar called Phoebe's and the Ironwood Terraces food court. The gift shop also has a few snacks. There is a touch and feed stingray exhibit and they have live animal presentations in their theater. Overall, I had a nice time here. I highly recommend stopping by here if you are passing though Tucson. Great place for kids and adults. The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum opens later hours in the summer so people can enjoy the cooler weather after dark.

This is the best of the best. It easily exceeded my expectations. It's like a zoo meets museum. If you are interested in learning more about the flora and fauna of this region, I 100% recommend visiting Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. There is so much to see and experience. In addition to carefully curated animal exhibits, there are different themed gardens including my favorite which was the cactus garden. There's also a couple of aviaries including one specifically dedicated to hummingbirds. Definitely check this place out if you are in Tucson. My only complaint was that the woman at the gift shop gave us a sassy attitude when we asked her a question (to which her answer turned out to be wrong). It's ok if you don't know the answer to a question but to insist you are right and then give us attitude if we question you is not cool. It left a bad taste in our mouth as we were leaving this otherwise incredible place!

Such a cool place for a field trip! The grounds are well kept, workers were very knowledgeable albeit some easily annoyed with children asking multiple questions. Perfect time to go is when it's cooler otherwise wear plenty of sunblock and bring water. They do have many water filling stations. The maps can be much better but otherwise navigable, will just take you a little longer to navigate when new to this place.

The place was OK, walk around zoo and good for kids. Shows were low level and more in tune for East Coast or ? people that know nothing about the desert. The cafe food was terrible and high priced.

Arizona Tucson the desert museum .....interpretation piece A great place to visit there's just so much to see I decided that I would get a membership and visit on the regular basis while I'm in Tucson. All the staff that I encountered were courteous knowledgeable and is helpful as they could be. They're just so many photographic opportunities and so many things to study and learn. I think it is a great place for adults families and children and people of a certain age. I hope to see every single exhibit and study all of them in detail why I'm in town and take full advantage of the educational opportunities at the museum to learn about the Sonoran desert and the desert in general. The whole place is clean and well laid out and I've enjoyed all three times I've been there so far. It's not really a museum in the classical sense it's a combination of many things all that have an educational emphasis. There's an Aviary, that relates to hummingbirds one that relates to general desert birds and then there's raptors in free flight. There's also desert opportunities to see and photograph birds along the desert loop trail and throughout the park. Nature park, botanical center with over 1,200 varieties of plants. It's a perfect opportunity to visit a zoo which is not really a zoo it's more of an educational opportunity and to see some animals up close and personal and museum as well as displays of art and a walk in the desert. There have been over 250 species of animals that have been noted both inside the enclosures and outside in the desert walk area The walk in the desert is probably one of the safest ones you can do if you're by yourself Some of the displays of the animals are above ground and some of them offer you an opportunity to see them below ground there is a an aquarium type exhibit that emphasizes what water does in the desert. Lots of things to see and do. Each area has a different type of emphasis, A Cat Canyon, desert grasslands, life in the rocks, life underground, the walk-in Aviaries, the Earth science Center cave, the Riparian area, the mountain woodland area, the desert Garden area in the desert loop walk. I would be remiss if I didn't mention a good coffee shop that carries Caribou coffee and pastries and a nice small grill type restaurant. My impression is that as an organization and institution they've been trying to protect the Sonoran desert area around Tucson and just deserts in general for over 55 years.

A don't miss experience for locals and visitors. A cross between a zoo and an exhibit, it was educational, well maintained and fun. Also, best gift shop around if your looking for local artisans or products. What a gorgeous walk! Ps bring water or buy something at the coffee bar. Thanks to all the volunteers and staff, truly nice time.

We loved our experience here. Beautiful and educational. The only thing that-seemed overly disturbing was the animals that were outside in extreme temps. It was 117 the day we visited and there was a need for escape. Panting cats are not happy cats. Great gift shop

I'll start off by saying that they easily exceeded my expectations! Even before entering, we were greeted by a Falconer who was showing us the bird and talking about it in great detail. What happened after that was our magic - over and over. On our second visit we finally got to see two Javelinas. We've been in Summer as well as Fall and both offer a different experience (and both were incredible.) Wear comfortable shoes as you'll do a fair amount of walking.

We arrived late-afternoon and had less than an hour before closing. I would imagine they'd offer an incentive for coming so late, considering a near-$100 admission, considering also their main exhibits were concluded for the day or rained out. What did we see? Well, it's a nice place, plenty of cool reptile exhibits, but I think for the price, they could do more with this instead of a dimly-lit room of typical glass-cased spiders & snakes. Thought it was cool but I'd imagine there are more critters in the Sonora desert to display. The cave exhibit below was really cool, but thought it'd need more lighting. The cavern to-from was a bit dark. Kids liked it though. Gemstone exhibit was great. At least parking was free and restrooms very clean. All in all a great museum but only at its potential. I'd visit again, with hopes of improvement.

Museum itself is wonderful and has great exhibits and service. Restaurants are overpriced and not very good at all. Still had a good time though!

The Desert Museum is a hidden gem. There is so much to see from live animals, reptiles, fish and birds to all kinds of desert plants and cactus. It was way larger than I expected. We got an awesome tour from Sam which was so nice of her to do for us. Before we knew it we had been walking around exploring the place for a good two hours but it didn't seem like it as there was such a variety to see. The mountain lion and many more animals were out where we could see them easily. The dinosaurs placed all around the grounds were really impressive and well done! Loved that they moved and made noises. They are a temporary display so be sure to go before they leave in early spring 2025! Highly recommend visiting the Desert Museum.

Came in the afternoon on St. Patrick's day for a fun weekend activity! It was a bit busy, but the museum is so large it didn't feel crowded at all. It was nice to take a stroll and just observe everything offered. My boyfriend has a membership so we also got free ice coffee + tea! It took us about 2 hours to walk everything. I think if you stop to read about everything, you could spend 3+ hours here. Overall, very fun day date!

This complex is located within a mile or so of the Saguaro National Park visitors' center. We had intended to explore (some of) both on a day, but we arrived here first at 11 a.m. and spent 4 hours here. YMMV. We ended up skipping Saguaro based on time. I'm not saying that they are equivalent, just that they probably aren't things that you want to schedule back-to-back. We paid our fees (I think it was about $25 - $30 apiece) and entered. We initially walked down to the restaurant / café plaza and had lunch (but I reviewed that separately already). There is a large loop you can walk around and see all the exhibits along the way. Think of this as like a zoo, only with 80% of the exhibits being plants rather than animals. They initially had a hummingbird aviary and a section for bees. After the restaurant there was a larger more diverse aviary. There were then multiple cactus exhibits interspersed with things like mountain goats or large cats (in zoo-like enclosures). As you get further off into the far edge of the loop, there is large open area devoted to javelinas (we did get to see one sleeping). We also got to see a coyote wandering through one area, though I don't think they are confined there. At the conclusion of the loop near the entrance there is a small reptile exhibit as well as a small aquarium. This place definitely had a lot to see and was quite popular with families / young kids. It is a worthwhile stop while you are in Tucson (we drove down from Phoenix, which took just over 90 minutes).

Safe to say I haven't been here since I was kid and that would mark exactly 28 years ago. So much has changed! Where to even start. First Impressions: I have to say, what view the moment you walk thru the entrance! You're literally met with a view that gazes upon the desert and with the mountains in the background. The way they built this place was so intentional in the sense that it would captivate you the moment you walk in! We went around 1pm, and it wasn't too crazy busy but enough visitors nonetheless. Staff: Ironically, the only staff I saw were at the entrance and maybe 2 staff throughout my entire visit. Seemed a bit odd but given how MASSIVE the park is, I shouldn't really expect there to be a lot in certain areas. Park: Where to even begin with this one, I'll just say this. If you are looking to spend half a day or more, this place will easily meet your needs and then some. I cannot understate just how massive this museum is, and how much there is to do including with your families. They have almost everything you can want starting with a open desert landscape, mini hike trail, underground aquarium, cave dwelling, mini planetarium, stingray touching, and so much more. The craziest part is! They are still expanding! Like what! I got thru most of the park in just 3 hours but left out a bit of things and so I will make my way back at some point as I would love to see the parts I didn't get to see. Value: For myself and my significant other, it cost us $59.99, and we are local Tucsonans. In my opinion, this is a steal for what you get! so worth it hands down. Recommendations: There is a reason why this place is a must see. I can't stress this enough ,but if you have the funds, and are willing to make the beautiful drive to the Desert Museum, you will not be disappointed. A lot of people across the USA make there way here and for a good reason. I mean the views on your way here is just MAGNIFICIENT, and you can enjoy Gates Pass and all its glory :). Enjoy!

I've been coming to the AZ-Sonora Desert Museum for several decades; it's a must visit place every time I'm in the area or even just driving through. Probably the best nature/wildlife museum in the country, particularly if you like the desert. Lots of good reviews here so I'll just say: don't miss out. Go.

Very interesting museum, with lots of information about flora and fauna. Make sure you get there early, as it's exposed to the elements and can get very hot. Word of caution , if you have a museum pass (NARM) they won't accept it, even though their site says they participate.

We hadn't been here in several years and were looking forward to reacquainting ourselves with this local icon. However, this visit was disappointing for several reasons. There is a fair amount of construction happening at the moment which has caused several of the animal exhibits to be closed and/or the animals to be relocated out of view. Of the animal exhibits that were open the number of animals was much lower than we recall. Specifically in the aviary, we only saw one Night Heron and a dozen or so White Winged Doves. We did not see any other birds at all in the aviary. It was as if they had all been removed from the exhibit. In the Hummingbird aviary we only noted five or six hummingbirds, in the past this exhibit has been teeming with hummingbirds. There were only two BigHorn sheep on display and of all the large cat exhibits we only spotted one lone Ocelot. All in all, the number of animals that could be observed was much lower than in the past and this was very disappointing. Finally, way finding is still a mess. The provided museum map and the available way finding signage were inadequate and confusing. There must be a better way to help guests navigate this large outdoor museum. Sadly, all these factors are causing us to no longer recommend that out of town guests visit this museum.

I loved this museum .... it exceeded my expectations!! I liked all the exhibits and it definitely made you feel as if you are in the desert. The vast amount of plant, cacti, saguaros and wildlife are amazing. I loved the different resting areas along the trail with water stations nearby, that was very convenient. Make sure to come here when visiting the area!

The desert museum has a special place in my heart. The amount of activities this place has to offer is incredible! We visit often with my littles and we stop to listen to the many presentations they have spread across the grounds. It doesn't matter how many times we have gone I am always leaving with more knowledgeable! Even in the summer time there's enough exhibits that are hidden in the shade or inside buildings to help break up being in the heat. We always make sure to check out the pack rat play house before leaving to help burn off any extra energy the kids have before heading home!

Fantastic outdoor museum. You can spend a half or whole day here! It's like everything you would see on a hike packed into a smaller area combined with a small zoo! If you are a tourist it's a must see!

I was in Tucson for the day and decided to stop by Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. I had such a great time exploring the museum, it also felt like a mini zoo because they had animals and birds in different parts of the museum. I took me roughly 2.5 hours to see everything but also I get lost pretty easily. I had fun exploring the cave, and reading about the earth of formation and the changes over millions of years. Amazing views honestly, from the cactus garden, birds sanctuary and over open space. The cost of the museum is reasonable, I thought their gift shop was lovely and parking easy as well. Honestly would visit again, although felt like I paid to hike the museum.

Everything & EVERYONE that worked and volunteered there was just WONDERFUL!! Just so much to see and enjoy!! I will definitely be back!!! A MUST VISIT IN TUCSON!!!

Great educational experience. Bring a sun hat and long sleeves as parts are outside. The bathrooms do have sunscreen dispensers. Do the outside parts first and finish in the aquarium or reptile exhibits which are inside and have some AC. Learned a lot about native plants and wildlife, as well as minerals that can be found in Arizona. Breaking Bad fans can have a Hank Schrader moment looking at the minerals. Seriously though that part was really cool. There is a case with a black light to show how some become fluorescent under UV.

Incredible experience and a must-see while in Tucson. As two adults, we spent 3.5 hours here. To be the heat, we came in the morning since about 85% of the experience is outdoors. But there is shade and water stations along the way, as well as restrooms with sunscreen. Bring a reusable water bottle and dress to protect from the sun. Learning about the dessert, it's plants, animals, and geology was a very enjoyable experience here, and great for all ages! They also offer live shows but we skipped that. The indoor exhibits were a nice respite from the heat and sun as well. I enjoyed the caves, minerals and all the animal exhibits. Highly recommend!

Wonderful park for the whole family. If you go during the summer make sure to go very early or during Cool Summer nights (open until 9). They have variously exhibitions that range from reptiles to wild animals. They have a very nice indoor playground for the kids (pack rat playground) Great collection of cactuses as well.

If you're not willing to make the drive to this place, you're missing out in a big way. The drive to get there is beautiful, but it will take a while if you're traveling from the Phoenix area. I've known about this place since my early days as reptile keeper and have always wanted to visit it. I was not disappointed. This is a must stop to see if you're in Arizona. The pros: 1. A nice and spacious zoo. It's spread out well with great exhibits. I love that it's integrated with the local environment. The exhibits are focused upon local species. There's a lot to see here and you should be willing to explore. I loved the open exhibits that stretched into the desert. The fact that there's a lot of walking made the experience much better. I'm a big fan of reptiles and amphibians and would love to see them expand their reptile house. They have a botanical garden, bee garden (don't worry, it's safe), and so much more. 2. The views are amazing. There are lookout spots where the views of the desert and mountains take your breath away. 3. I was impressed by the dining hall options. The prices were fair for a zoo. Most zoos charge stupid amounts of money for food and drink. It's realistic here. 4. Don't sleep on the art museum/school. It's open to the public and has fantastic work. The focus is upon nature based art and it did not disappoint. They showcase student work and most of it is for sale to the public. Unfortunately the piece I wanted to purchase was already reserved for sale. They do workshops year round and if I lived in the area I would be there all of the time. This is a hidden gem. 5. The gift shop has two parts. There's the one that sells merchandise associated with the zoo, and then there's the one that focuses upon selling local art associated with the indigenous community. I honestly could have left with a car load of items. I'm a huge fan of indigenous, specifically Mesoamerican art. Don't skip that part of the gift shop. 6. Ample parking. Get there early, this place fills up quickly. I would honestly advise getting there by 9:00 am. If it's the warmer months, plan accordingly for the heat and bring a water bottle. They have plenty of fill up stations. Tips for your visit: 1. I can not say this enough. Bring a refillable water bottle. There are plenty of stations throughout the park to fill up. It gets warm (even in winter) and it's dry air. 2. A long sleeve shirt, sun hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen. It is highly exposed here. It get's warm quickly, but a little bit of warmth compared to a lack of sun protection is a good trade off. 3. As a former zookeeper, arriving early, such as when they open is when you'll get the best experience in regards to observing the collection. Most animals are crepuscular (active between dusk and dawn) and they've adjusted to a specific times for care and feedings. The cons (not really any cons): 1. If you're not wanting to drive for a while, then this will be a con for you. For me, the drive here is fantastic. You also get to drive through Saguaro National Park, which could also be a stop for you if you plan accordingly. 2. It all depends on the time of year, but most of the docent stations were closed due to staffing issues. An unknown fact about zoos is that most of their information areas are staffed by volunteers, but them not being available is no fault of the zoo. People who gave this place a poor review are highly unaware of what makes a place great. They focus on big and exciting versus realistic and informative. Go back to your Disneyesque place and enjoy your formulated experience.

Definitely a must-see in Tucson, and for good reason. There's so much to take in here in a pretty manageable amount of space. (Plan on about three hours to hit all the major sections.) I particularly enjoyed the butterfly garden, the aviary, the javelina area, and the cactus garden. Everything is well-marked with signs and there's just the right amount of information at the various stations. It sits above a plain that you can look across to a range of mountains in the distance, so the views are expansive. The day I was there, a thunderstorm was rolling across the mountain range, so that provided a nice backdrop from a safe distance. This really is like being able to explore a whole desert in one half-day; I thought the approximately $30 entrance fee was well worth it. It's about 20 or 25 minutes west of central Tucson, but the drive out is stunning. Careful you don't run off the curvy road when confronted with one jaw-dropping desert landscape view after another!

Wonderful way to learn about the desert and everything it has to offer : flora and fauna. The only downside is the lack of clear directions on which way to go, to navigate the displays. There's a very nice gift shop, fairly priced, including a coffee/ice cream shop.

This is my 3rd time here. It is really a Zoo and Cactus Garden. Nit sure how Museum comes into play. The Cactus variety, quality of Cactus, and the amount of Cactus is staggering. Fantastic! The star of the place is The Raptor Flight, which is free. It is a Must Do. Ocotillo Cafe is very upscale for a zoo. We opted to do the $125 Avian Adventure. It lasts a little more than an hour and we saw an owl for our experience. He stopped back and forth 6 or 7 times and perched on our arm. The guides for this are super good. I don't think this extra is a great value for what you get though. An amazing experience though. Plan on spending 4 hours here. More if you dine or do any extras. I highly recommend the Raptor Flight and The Ocotillo Cafe. The Avian Adventure is really for someone who really is into raptors or perhaps can afford to blow a bit of $. If you are pretty tight on a budget then skip the Avian Adventure. It's good but not enough bang for an additional $125. Oh, they only allow 6 people per day for the Avian Adventure. Arizona Desert Museum is great overall!

Great place! Can really get close up to the animals there. Planning on spending atleast a whole day there.

Sonora Desert Museum is so much more than a museum! It's a botanical garden, aquarium, zoo, enrichment center and gallery! It's got big animals, fish, rodents, reptiles and birds! The plant life is extraordinary and it's all labeled throughout so you can learn more about native plants without guessing! It's a complete program from start to finish and we thoroughly enjoyed every minute of every hour we spent there! We took the opportunity to participate in the Avian Experience with an amazing team and two stunningly gorgeous owls! I highly recommend spending a day in Tucson at this amazing discovery!

We came here for a day trip recently and it was super cool and worth the drive from the Phoenix area. This museum has an aquarium and botanical garden on the grounds as well. There was so much to do and see, it was well worth the visit and time. One of the coolest experiences was touching the stingrays. They are so friendly and cute plus they had two baby stingrays who were adorable. The hummingbird enclosure was wonderful as well. It was so special to see them up close in that many varieties as well. The exhibits were so much different than I've seen before. There were two under ground exhibits that I can recall. One was a cave experience and ehe other was for nocturnal species or insects and animals. The scenic walks were also beautiful as well. I highly recommend stopping here for a visit.

This place exceeded my expectations. It is hard to get a true idea from their webpage of how awesome this place truly is. The museum isn't really a true museum. It actually is a zoo/aquarium/art gallery/aviary/playground/nature park/botanical garden all rolled up in one. All of this is meshed together so flawlessly that it is truly enjoyable for any age. Along the garden paths that wind through the museum you will find native plants and wildlife. The museum is setup in different regions, like grasslands, and each region showcases local plants and animals. There is artwork throughout and also an indoor gallery. The hummingbird enclosure was by far my entire families exhibit here. The hummingbirds buzz all around you in there. The museum is actually in the Saguaro National Park so the views at every turn are outstanding. If you have a membership at an AZA accredited institution check to see if they have reciprocal benefits that you can use here.

What a fun educating family friendly museum. Most of the museum is outdoors so lather up in sun screen. Wear comfy shoes because you will be getting your quota of steps in for the day. For those who need wheelchairs they have some you may need to reserve ahead of time. There are a few places to eat. All in all a great little gem out in the desert.

Come early so you won't miss all the shows. Every day at 10 AM they do a Raptor show and they also have stingrays, averies and more. Not to mention the beautiful view of the saguaro national monument. Absolutely stunning. Don't forget to bring the kids.

The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is like the Jack of All Trades of Museums. It's a zoo, botanical garden, natural history museum, and aquarium all in one! We had a really good time here and the weather was absolutely beautiful to walk around. While most of the exhibits are outdoors (Something to keep in mind if you're visiting in the hotter months), there are a decent number of them inside, such as the aquarium, reptile/amphibian/invertebrate hall, Earth sciences center, and a playground called Packrat Playhouse. The website recommends a minimum of 2 hours of time here and we probably could have easily spent a half day looking at everything. My favorite exhibits were probably the aviaries and I think the little one's favorite part was the paleontology area where she got to brush away sand to discover fossils. I'd love to come back again sometime and discover more exhibits as we went in the later afternoon and had a limited amount of time to walk around before they closed. Details: - Open 365 days a year! - 85% of the museum is outdoors - 3 EV charging stations in the parking lot - Culture pass participant - Admission prices: - General Admission (ages 13-64): $29.95 - Senior (ages 65+): $27.95 - Youth (ages 3-12): $19.95 - Children (under 3): Free - Military (active/retired): $27.95 - Arizona/Sonora Resident (ages 13+): $24.95 - Community Access Adult: $9.95 - Community Access Youth: $7.95 - Outside food not allowed inside the museum but there is a small picnic area outside the entrance - Sit down dining and coffee shop on site

What's there to say that hasn't already been said? The desert museum is fantastic. Absolutely beautiful location, lots of interesting exhibits--both indoors and out--animals, plants, an indoor kids play area, aquarium, gift shops, restaurants, trails etc. It really has it all! It's a perfect way to spend the day. A true Tucson gem!

I came here for their WineDown with Wildlife and had a great time. I didn't really see much wildlife though and didn't really learn mcb about the place.

I was here a few days ago with a friend and an out-of-town visitor. The weather was perfect and we all enjoyed wandering the grounds and having lunch at the grill (good food). Ticket prices are high compared to what I remember from years ago. Also, we didn't see all that many animals. But that was probably because it was midday; we should have gone at opening time.

This was amazing! If I lived in the area, I would buy a membership so that I could go as much as I wanted. There is so much to see. Although the word museum is in the name, it's not like a traditional museum that commonly comes to mind. It's a museum, zoo, aviary, aquarium, and botanical garden. Everything was fascinating. When we visited in January, we saw the Raptor Free Flight. It happened to be a windy day, and the birds did not cooperate. They were having too much fun soaring in the wind that they didn't return to their coop when directed. It was interesting to watch the biologists use their training techniques to get the birds to return. To see everything, I would allow at least six hours there. Also, take advantage of the offered programs.

I had one of the best days of my life exploring the Desert Museum. It's great for kids, family, friends or just on your own. For those who love the outdoors and love learning. I highly recommend for nature lovers and those looking for a mini adventure.

Absolutely loved it and can't wait to visit again. Lot's of educational exhibits, makes great use of the location and is a great place to see a variety of native wildlife.

This is a great place to visit but honestly it's a bit on the expensive side. It's more like a zoo than a museum but it's worth a visit if it's the only desert experience you have time for if you are just passing through the State. We enjoyed some of the art work but found it lacking any any real historical perspective on the people and places that have lived in and defined the desert over the many years.