Tucson’s Best Sights

Best In-Town Walk [1]: At the Tucson Botanical Gardens [1], stroll through the varied gardens that are cool and quiet, yet right in the heart of town.

Best Historical Site [2]: San Xavier del Bac [2], called the “white dove of the desert,” is considered by many to be the foremost example of mission architecture remaining in the United States.

Best Museum [3]: See the art and artifacts left behind by the many cultures who have called this desert home at the Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block [3].

Best Time Spent for Free [4]: The University of Arizona Museum of Art [4] has an excellent collection and it’s all for free.

Best Artist-Built Gallery [5]: Even if you aren’t a fan of famous artist Ted DeGrazia’s impressionistic work, you must visit the DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun [5] to see the romantic home he built in the desert.

Best Place to See Water in the Desert [6]: At Sabino Canyon Recreation Area [6], a famous riparian area will change your idea about aridity.

Best Place to Learn About the Desert [7]: The world-famous Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum [7] is both a museum and zoo, where you can learn about the general struc- ture and the minute details of the surrounding desert and see live native animals in a tame environment.

Best Place to See the Desert [8]: At Saguaro National Park West [8] you can really get to know the saguaro and its desert compatriots; also check out the eastern section of the park.

Best Adventure With Kids [9]: At Colossal Cave Mountain Park [9] you can tour an old cave (once a hideout for Old West bandits), ride horses, say hello to ancient tortoises, and much more.

Best Place to Outrun the Heat [10]: On the Sky Island Scenic Byway [10], an hour-long scenic drive takes you from the desert to an ecosystem akin to Canada’s.

Best Reminder of the Cold War [11]: Learn about Tucson’s past as a nuclear missile hot spot at the Titan Missile Museum [11].