Metropolitan Tucson Convention and Visitors Bureau 100 S. Church Avenue Tucson, AZ 85701 (520) 624-1817 Population 405390 Time Zone Mtn. Standard Latitude/Longitude 32.21° /-110.97° Today's Forecast HIGH: 84 LOW: 57

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Attractions

Tucson offers countless ways to enjoy the beauty of its desert surroundings. Start with a trip to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum to see Gila monsters, rattlesnakes, and scorpions plus larger species such as mountain lions and bighorn sheep. More than two miles of trails wind through this combination zoo, botanical garden, and natural history preserve, where in addition to animals you'll find 1400 varities of desert plants. The museum is just one of the features of Tucson Mountain Park, where you can also visit Hollywood's version of the Old West at Old Tucson Studios. In addition to picnicking among the saguaros, the park is a popular place for taking in spectacular sunsets at Gates Pass Overlook. More rugged desert landscapes are found among the wilds of the Saguaro National Park, whose east and west units bracket the city. Hiking, bicycling and auto touring are all popular activities here. For a look at dioramas exhibiting animal and insect specimens from around the world, stop at the International Wildlife Museum.

The city is the home of the University of Arizona, whose campus features several interesting museums. The Arizona State Museum focuses on Native American cultures of the Southwest and northern Mexico. Temporary exhibits are complemented by the permanent installation "Paths of Life: American Indians of the Southwest," the design of which grew from much tribal input and assistance. In the Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium, you can take in a dazzling multimedia sky show or get a live look at the Arizona stars through the 16-inch cassegrain telescope. The University of Arizona Museum of Art offers a wide variety of paintings and sculptures, including works by Picasso, O'Keeffe, Rodin, Pollock, and Rothko. Also on campus, the Center for Creative Photography offers changing exhibits drawn from its permanent collections.

Elephants and white rhinos are among the 500 animals on display in natural-looking habitats in Reid Park Zoo. The park also has swimming pools, tennis courts, a community band shell, formal rose gardens, and two 18-hole golf courses. Art from the pre-Columbian and Spanish colonial periods as well as the works of modern masters can be found at the Tucson Museum of Art. The museum's collection of over 7,000 pieces is housed in several buildings in the El Presidio Historic District. Tohono Chul Park combines art and nature on a 49-acre site, where you can hear lectures and concerts, have afternoon tea, and stroll through desert gardens. The wide-ranging collection at the Pima Air and Space Museum includes a full-scale replica of the first Wright Brothers' flyer and the SR-71 Blackbird spy plane.

The performing arts are represented by the Tucson Opera and Tucson Symphony Orchestra both of whom perform at the Music Hall in the Tucson Convention Center. Sports fans can take in Cactus League play by the Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago White Sox, who take spring training at Electric Park, and the Colorado Rockies who make their first call of the season at Hi Corbett Field in Reid Park. Once the major league season gets underway, the Sidewinders, triple-A Diamondbacks affiliate, take over Electric Field to entertain their opponents in the Pacific Coast League.

During your visit, be sure to drop by Mission San Xavier del Bac. Considered to be one of the most exquisite examples of Spanish mission architecture in the country, it has also proved to be a treasure trove of native craftsmanship. For a look into the future, visit Biosphere 2 near Oracle, where scientists living "under glass" are researching the effects of global climate change. For a look into the far distant past, visit Kitt Peak National Observatory, some 56 miles southwest of Tucson. The desert's clear, crisp night air offers superb sky viewing from the observatory's array of telescopes.

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