THINGS TO DO

No admission fee

A National Historic Landmark located on the Tohono O'odham Reservation, San Xavier Mission (or "the White Dove of the Desert") was founded as a Catholic mission by Father Eusebio Kino in 1692. Construction of the current church began in 1783 and was completed in 1797.

The oldest intact European structure in Arizona, the church's interior is filled with marvelous original statuary and mural paintings. It is a place where visitors can truly step back in time and enter an authentic 18th Century space.

Trail Dust Town is a “historical” outdoor shopping center and miniature Western theme park. Don't miss a Wild West stunt show by the Pistoleros! (https://www.wildweststuntshow.com/) Showing Friday through Sunday at 7pm and 8pm, the shows are full of high-falls, low-falls, gunfights, fistfights, explosions, and family-friendly slapstick comedy!

Take a ride on the CP Huntington Railroad. The miniature train is fun for all ages, and its path reveals some of Trail Dust Town's hidden gems. Other great activities at Trail Dust Town include gold panning and shops full of fun gifts and souvenirs.

Admission: $5 adults, $1 Children ages 6-13

The historic Tucson Presidio District encompasses the site where the City of Tucson was established as a Spanish military fort in 1775. With three-inch-thick adobe brick walls, 10-to-12 feet tall, along a huge square about 700 feet on a side, the Presidio San Agustín del Tucson was built on land previously occupied by an ancient Native American community.

A 2,000-year-old prehistoric pit house and an original 150-year-old Sonoran row house are among the highlights at the Presidio San Agustín del Tucson Museum, a reconstruction of the original Tucson Presidio. Across the street is Old Town Artisans, established in 1922, spanning a city block and housing art galleries and shops in the longest-inhabited set of buildings in all of Tucson– built in the 1850s, right over the remains of the original Presidio wall.

A Tucson Original! Enjoy the best frozen lemonade (or frozen strawberry or piña colada) ever made! The Flavor of the Month changes as well– (November usually has Cherry Cider). Order 2 flavors in one cup if you like– they will be scooped in side by side, but will gradually mix as you enjoy your drink. You can also buy a grinder or their specialty fries to go with your Eegees drink.

Looking for somewhere funky, weird, artsy, delicious, loud, crazy and colorful? You've come to the right place. Affectionately known to locals as "Fourth," this area was hip back when most hipsters we know were still in diapers. Find local artisans and boutiques offering curated selections of vintage clothing, jewelry, furniture, artwork, antiques, handcrafted and imported wares, hard-to-find books and anything else you might want to go digging for. Tucson's notable Food Conspiracy Co-Op, which has been selling organic, bulk, and locally produced food and more since 1971, exists alongside a swath of cafés, restaurants, thrift shops, bookstores, and tattoo parlors.

Old Town Artisans is located on the site of El Presidio San Agustin del Tucson, the fort built by the Spanish in 1775 to stake claim to the northern frontier of New Spain. Our block was the stables area, and our north wall is the location of the fort's north wall from which Apache attacks were repelled. Construction of the adobe buildings was begun in the 1850's. The 1882 Tucson Directory lists a variety of early residents, including assayers, clerks, a ladies' nurse and a grocery store. In 1888 Julius Goldbaum, a liquor merchant, bought the property for use as a distillery and his family's residence.

Stroll through the shops and you will see original ceilings made of saguaro cactus ribs, packing crates, and whiskey barrel staves with remnants of imported wallpaper and gold-leaf moldings. The shops are open for limited hours, please call ahead to confirm the select hours for each business!

Admission: $15.50 adults (ages 13+), $12 juniors (ages 5-12), $1 children (ages 0-4)

Online reservations are strongly recommended to ensure your tour time.

At the Titan Missile Museum, visitors journey through time to stand on the front line of the Cold War. This preserved Titan II missile site, officially known as complex 571-7, is all that remains of the 54 Titan II missile sites that were on alert across the United States from 1963 to 1987. This one-of-a kind museum gives visitors a rare look at the technology used by the United States to deter nuclear war. What was once one of America's most top secret places is now a National Historic Landmark, fulfilling its new mission of bringing Cold War history to life for millions of visitors from around the world.

Admission: Adult (13+) $18.50, Senior (65+) $15.75, Junior (5-12) $12, Child (under 5) free

One of the world's largest aerospace museums, Pima Air and Space Museum started with just a few planes in 1976 and has grown to a collection of over 300 aircraft from throughout the history of flight– even better, many of the docents worked on or flew the aircraft they're discussing.

Admission: Adult $11.50, Youth (ages 4–17) $8, Child (ages 3 and under) Free

Discover the magical world of miniatures at The Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures, where visitors are seemingly transported to different lands and times through the stories told by over 300 miniature houses and room boxes, expertly displayed in over 10,000 square-feet of state-of-the-art exhibit space.

The Museum's permanent collection boasts antique dollhouses dating to 1742, contemporary fine-scale miniatures and enchanting collectibles. Frequent temporary exhibits, special programs and events mean there is always something new to see.

Admission is $5, but as many as 6 of your crew can get in for a total of $10!

A passionate group of toy train enthusiasts have amassed an extensive collection of classic and vintage trains of various scales. In addition to the seven operating layouts inside, they have a garden layout out front, a ride-on train that circles the property and a real caboose you can explore, each on alternate weeks.

Admission is free

The Ironwood Pig Sanctuary is dedicated to eliminating the suffering of pot-bellied pigs in Arizona and surrounding states by promoting spaying and neutering, assisting owners and other sanctuaries, and providing a permanent home in a safe, nurturing environment for those that are abandoned, abused, neglected, or unwanted. Located in Marana (the outskirts of Tucson), they are home to over 660 pot-bellied pigs, making them the largest pot-bellied pig sanctuary in Arizona and one of the largest in the US!

Day passes can be purchased at the gatehouse or at the Sabino Canyon Visitor Center for $8

Come to Sabino to see water in the desert. Between steep rock cliffs and unique desert vegetation you will find riparian corridors. You may even get lucky and view a gila monster, bobcat, or other animals that are adapted to our 100ºF (38ºC)+ summers and mild winters. Visitors walk, jog, hike, enjoy wildlife viewing, photography and more.

The canyon itself is closed to private vehicles however you can still visit Sabino Canyon in an emission-free, open-air Sabino Canyon Crawler or Bear Canyon shuttle. Along the 1-hour round trip route for Sabino Canyon enjoy an audio tour or get off at one of the nine shuttle stops. The Bear Canyon route is 30-minutes round trip and has three stops. Times, pricing, and tickets are available at https://sabinocanyoncrawler.com/.

Vehicle Permit– $25 (Valid for 7 Days) purchase at the visitor center or online

Tucson, Arizona is home to the nation's largest cacti. The giant saguaro (pronounced "sa-WAH-ro") is the universal symbol of the American west. These majestic plants, found only in a small portion of the US, are protected by Saguaro National Park, to the east and west of the city of Tucson. Here you have a chance to see many of these enormous cacti, silhouetted by the beauty of the desert and the Rincon Mountains. Enjoy driving the loop drive to stop at scenic overlooks or park in the picnic area to go on a hike through the saguaros and up into the foothills of the Rincon Mountains.

Ski Ride tickets: Adult $15, Senior / Military $12, Youth $12, Child $10

Summerhaven (small mountaintop community with a general store, Cookie Cabin, and a few restaurants)

Drop 20-30º in temperature as you head 30 miles north of town to one of the sky island districts of Coronado National Forest: the towering cliffs of the Santa Catalina Mountains, home to the high-pine and aspen forests of Mt. Lemmon. From the warmer, lower elevation campgrounds to the ski area at the top of this 9,159 ft behemoth and everywhere in-between, recreation opportunities abound with numerous picnic areas, campsites, hiking and climbing routes. Because the road starts in the Lower Sonoran vegetative life zone and climbs to the high forests of the Canadian zone, it offers the biological equivalent of driving from the deserts of Mexico to the forests of Canada in a short stretch of 27 miles. On your way up Catalina highway, stop just past mile marker 14 at Windy Point Vista (elevation 6,634 ft) for a spectacular view of Tucson down below.