Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
Arizona Travel Guide visits the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum near Tucson to see the free flight raptor display, the hummingbird enclosure and other wildlife.
Whenever friends or relatives visit us in Arizona, we always take them or send them to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. For us it’s the absolute best place to visit near Tucson. And it’s not just our opinion, as it’s one of the most-visited attractions in the whole of Southern Arizona.
Where is the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum?
The Desert Museum is about a 30-minute drive due west from downtown Tucson. Simply drive west along Grant or Speedway and follow the signs. You’ll pass Old Tucson Studios on the way, which is a great place to take kids, but don’t try to see both places on the same day. Head for the Desert Museum and you’ll find out why.
How Big is the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum?
The museum covers an area of about 98-acres (40 hectares) and has around two miles (3.2 kms) of paths. Almost all the pathways and all of the buildings are wheelchair accessible, but a few of the paths have rough surfaces and some are hilly, and will present a challenge. If you let them know you’re coming they’ll explain where the best drop-off point is, and do everything to make your visit enjoyable.
What is the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum?
The Desert Museum is hard to describe. It isn’t a museum in the conventional sense, and it’s not really a zoo either. All the animals here are native to Southern Arizona but for some reason are not able to live in the wild. Some have had injuries and will later be returned to the wild, but others need caring for and will live out their lives here in safety.
Raptor Display at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
The first thing we do when we arrive is head for the area where the Ready, Set, Fly free-flying raptor program takes place. This is one thing you must not miss at the Desert Museum, and it gets busy so get there at least 15 minutes, if not more, before it starts to secure a good place in the front row.
Nothing beats the thrill of having a large raptor flying in just inches above your head, with you feeling the rush of air from its wings. The photo opportunities are wonderful, of course, though it can be a challenge to get good ones. Stick around afterwards to get some shots of the docents with the birds, and ask any questions you might have.
At the time of writing the display is at 10am, and the Desert Museum opens at 7.30am in the summer, and at 8.30am in the winter, but check their website for current information. It takes about 20 minutes or so to get from the entrance to the raptor display area.
Hummingbird Aviary
Our second-favorite place at the Desert Museum is the Hummingbird Aviary. We’re no strangers to hummingbirds as we get them in our back yard, and sometimes they fly up very close as if to stare you in the face. But we still get a real kick out of this aviary, seeing these little jewels up real close, and often sitting on their nests. We’ve even seen them feeding their tiny young ones, a true delight.
What to See at the Desert Museum?
There’s so much to see at the Desert Museum that it’s hard to fit everything in on one day. Our personal favorites include the main bird free-flight aviary, seeing if the otters are out and playing around, trying to spot the cats in Cat Canyon, watching the prairie dogs, who always seem to be doing something crazy, and looking for the javelinas and coyotes, which we also sometimes see in our own neighborhood.
But there’s much more than this, including the Aquarium, various gardens, and the Reptile, Amphibian and Invertebrate Hall. You also come across docents in various places around the grounds, seeing who wants to touch a snake or a spider.
What Else to Do at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum?
The Desert Museum also has two really cool gift shops, with good quality local arts and crafts for sale, alongside the usual array of souvenirs.
You also have a choice of eating options. Sometimes we take a picnic as there are usually places to sit outside the museum. You’re not allowed to take food into the museum, so this means a quick dash back to the car, but you get a stamp for re-admission.
Inside the museum there’s a casual food court, which does really tasty food, a coffee bar, and the Ocotillo Café, if you want to enjoy a glass of wine or a cocktail with your meal. We often end the day with an ice-cream before we head home. They are so good!
More information About the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
Visit the website for up-to-date information, but don’t miss the Desert Museum if you’re visiting Tucson.
More information About the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
Visit the website for up-to-date information, but don’t miss the Desert Museum if you’re visiting Tucson.
OUR PICK OF THE GUIDES
From that blues bar you haven’t visited yet to the desert hike you keep meaning to plan, experience something new right here at home with Moon 52 Things to Do in Phoenix & Tucson.
- Cool things to do in and around the cities: Kick back at a Spring Training game or squeeze into the grandstands of El Gran Mercado for some lucha libre. Bike the famed Loop in Tucson, kayak Tempe Town Lake, and lace up your boots for an urban hike in the Phoenix Mountains. Support local BIPOC writers at Palabras Bilingual Bookstore and taste what’s on tap at a women-owned brewery. Savor Sonoran-style food like tamales and carne asada or try authentic Tohono O’odham fry bread.
