Arizona Travel Guide

Arizona, United States — Attractions

Browse the Arizona Photo Gallery

Tombstone

Tombstone is the most famous town in the Wild West, and attracts thousands of tourists with its old wooden Western-style buildings, swinging saloon doors, stagecoach rides, gunslingers, dusty streets and shootout re-enactments. Many Hollywood movies have been shot here against the rugged mountain backdrop. Originally a silver boomtown in 1877, it rose to notoriety in 1881, when Wyatt Earp, his two brothers and Doc Holliday confronted a band of outlaws and a gunfight ensued. This event has come to epitomise the Wild West and the star attraction of the town is the OK Corral, one of southern Arizona's most visited tourist sites. There is a staged 30-second shootout, and exhibits relating to the event inside the corral. The Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park features a courtroom where several renowned trials took place, as well as some excellent exhibits, including alternative versions of the OK Corral shootout. Although a classic tourist-trap town, with souvenir shops and restaurants galore, many people love the Wild West atmosphere, and the rugged setting.

Region/City Name: Tucson
Phone Number: (520) 457 3456
Email Address: okcorral@ok-corral.com
Website: www.ok-corral.com
Hours: The O.K Corral is open daily from 9am to 5pm; shows every 30 minutes from 9.30am to 4.30pm

The Grand Canyon

A mile deep, 277 miles (446km) long and up to 18 miles (29km) wide the breathtaking grandeur of the Grand Canyon is so impressive that pictures or words simply cannot do it justice. One of the great natural wonders of the world, it was formed by the cutting action of the Colorado River over millions of years. The hard rock formations survive as great cliffs, pinnacles and buttes, and the different layers of rock span a range of colors: from purple, fiery-red and pastel-pink, to yellow, brown, grey and soft tones of blue. Whether by foot or on horseback, from a plane or helicopter, aboard a raft down the mighty Colorado River or by merely gazing in awe from the rim, the canyon's seemingly infinite depths can be experienced in a variety of ways and is a sight not to be missed, however one chooses to see it. The park receives hoards of visitors from around the world, who cannot fail to be transfixed by the sculpted rock shapes, the shifting colors that change with the light and a tiny glimpse of the Colorado River far below. The Grand Canyon National Park comprises two separate areas: the South Rim and the more remote North Rim. Separated by the 10-mile (16km) width of the canyon, it is a 215-mile (346km) drive from one Visitor Center to the other. The South Rim is the most accessible and has more facilities, and as a result it attracts the bulk of visitors to its boundaries. The North Rim is higher in elevation, wetter, with thicker surrounding forests, is further to access, and is cut off by snowfall from October to May. Many people however prefer its comparative peacefulness and less-crowded lookouts. Both rims have numerous drives and walkways along the edge with various scenic viewpoints and some hiking trails into the canyon where one can overnight at Phantom Ranch on the canyon floor. The impact of the more than four million visitors a year to the South Rim, especially during the busy summer months, is one of overcrowding and traffic congestion; but to see for oneself one of the most spectacular examples of natural erosion in the world more than makes up for the inconvenience. Grand Canyon West has recently opened the Grand Canyon Skywalk, a glass-bottomed, horseshoe shaped deck that juts almost 70 feet (21m) from the canyon's rim. It gives visitors the sensation of being suspended amid the canyon's towering red rock walls above a faint sliver of Colorado River flowing 4,000 feet (1,219m) below.

Region/City Name: Phoenix
Phone Number: (928) 638 7888
Email Address: info@grandcanyonchamber.org
Website: www.nps.gov/grca
Transport: Shuttle services operate between Phoenix and Flagstaff, and between Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon. Free shuttle buses also operate from Grand Canyon Village to the South Rim. A shuttle service is provided between the north and south rim in season. It is a four-hour journey from Phoenix to the Grand Canyon
Hours: South Rim is open 24 hours daily, all year; Information Plaza 8am to 5pm. The North Rim is open from mid-May to mid-October, and the visitor center from 8am to 6pm
Admission: Entrance to the park is $25 per vehicle or $12 for pedestrians and cyclists, valid for seven days on either rim. The Skywalk is accessed by a shuttle bus and $30 is charged to walk out on the deck

Taliesin West

Taliesin West was legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright's winter home and school from 1937 until he died in 1959, aged 91. Today the facility can be visited as the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation with tours providing a general introduction to Wright and his hugely influential theories of architecture. The building is built of natural stone, a reflection of Wright's philosophy that local materials should be used design wherever possible. There are a range of tours available to suit your level of interest: for the rookie, a basic introductory tour is recommended, while devotees will want the behind-the-scenes exposé.

Region/City Name: Phoenix
Address: 12621 Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd
Phone Number: (480) 860-2700 for reservations
Website: www.franklloydwright.org

Desert Botanical Garden

If you don't particularly like cacti before your visit, there is a good chance you'll fall in love with them by the time you leave. These gardens get high ratings not only for the size and range of the botanical collection - 21,000 plants, including 139 species - but due the inventive way visitors get to experience them. Founded in 1939, the garden provides visitors with a fascinating and colorful introduction to the ethnobotany of the region. A highlight is the Plants and People of the Sonoran Desert Trail which allows you to make your own yucca-fiber brush and grind corn as the Native Americans once did. Over November and December the gardens are lit up at night by beautiful luminarias(candles inside small bags).

Region/City Name: Phoenix
Address: 1201 N. Galvin Pkwy
Phone Number: (480) 941-1225
Website: www.dbg.org
Hours: October to April: 8am to 8pm; May to SeptemberL: 7am to 8pm
Admission: $15 (adults), $5 (children)

Heard Museum

The Heard Museum is home to America's finest collection of Native American art making this an essential attraction for visitors looking to gain an understanding of the west's original inhabitants. In total there are over 39,000 works of cultural and fine art ranging across textiles, katsina dolls, pottery, jewelry, baskets, cradleboards, paintings and sculpture. There are also 10 galleries with dynamic and imaginatively curated exhibitions. Don't miss the annual Guild Indian Fair and Market (March) which includes traditional dance performances along with arts and crafts. The museums signature exhibition is Home: Native People in the Southwest, which uses a variety of media to take visitors on an unforgettable journey through the region and the vibrant arts and cultures of its Native people.

Region/City Name: Phoenix
Address: 2301 N. Central Ave
Phone Number: (602) 252-8848
Website: www.heard.org
Hours: Monday to Saturday 9.30am to 5pm, Sunday 11am to 5pm
Admission: $12 (adults), $3 (children aged 6-12)

University of Arizona Art Museum

As part of the Edward J. Gallagher Memorial Collection, the University of Arizona Art Museum is home to works by Jackson Pollock, Franz Kline and Mark Rothko. The museum also houses the C. Leonard Pfeiffer Collection of American paintings and the Samuel H. Kress Collection of European works, from the 14th to 19th centuries. The University of Arizona campus is also the location of the Center for Creative Photography, displaying various works by leading artists such as Edward Weston and Ansel Adams.

Region/City Name: Tucson
Address: 1031 North Olive
Phone Number: (520) 621 7567
Website: www.artmuseum.arizona.edu
Transport: Located at the University of Arizona, on the northwest corner intersection of Campbell Avenue and 6th Street.
Hours: Tuesday to Friday 9am to 5pm, Saturday and Sunday 12pm to 4pm.
Admission: Adults $5, children free

Tucson Rodeo Parade Museum

At the Tucson Rodeo Parade Museum, pioneer artifacts and a re-created Western Main Street represent what Tucson looked like, and what it had to offer in the way of businesses and services, back in the old days of the Wild West. The museum also has an inventory of 150 vehicles, with everything from small buggies to wagons and coaches on display.

Region/City Name: Tucson
Address: 4823 South 6th Avenue
Phone Number: (520) 294 1280
Website: www.tucsonrodeoparade.org/Pages001/Mueum.htm
Transport: Tucson Rodeo Parade Museum is located on the northeast corner of South 6th Avenue and Irvington.
Hours: Various
Admission: Minimum donation of $10 (adults), $2 (child)

The Mission San Xavier del Bac

This historic Spanish mission, in the Tohono O'odham Nation Reservation, is located 10 miles (16km) south of the city and was founded by Father Kino in the 1660s. The present building dates back to the 18th century and the mission is still actively functional, providing great religious and cultural insight to visitors.

Region/City Name: Tucson
Address: 1950 West San Xavier Road, San Xavier District
Phone Number: (520) 294 2624
Website: www.sanxaviermission.org
Transport: About 20 minutes from the city, heading out on the I-10 West towards Phoenix.
Hours: Open daily 8am to 5pm.
Admission: Free

DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun

Visit the amazing DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun; an iconic Tucson landmark located at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains. Established by the famous artist, Ettore DeGrazia, the property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and features a museum of DeGrazia's work and an adobe chapel, called the Mission in the Sun, as well as striking murals, gardens and the artist's home and grave site.

Region/City Name: Tucson
Address: 6300 North Swan Road
Phone Number: (520) 299 9191
Website: www.degrazia.org
Transport: From downtown follow Broadway Boulevard 5 miles (8km), turn right at Swan Road and drive straight 7 miles (11km)
Hours: Open daily from 10am to 4pm, except New Year's Day, Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Trail Dust Town

Trail Dust Town is built on the site of a 1950s western movie set; home to a vintage 1920s Fiesta del Presidiocarousel and a museum dedicated to Western cavalry and dragoon military units. Designed as a replica of a 19th century Western town, it has Old West souvenir shops, galleries and restaurants, as well as a custom leather store, wooden sidewalks, a central plaza and a C.P. Huntington train. Hosting Wild West stunt shows, and an annual cowboy show in late February, Trail Dust Town is a great place to visit.

Region/City Name: Tucson
Address: 6541 East Tanque Verde Road
Phone Number: (520) 296 5442
Website: www.traildusttown.com
Transport: Located on East Tanque Verde Road, just before the intersection with East Grant Road.
Hours: Store hours vary and amusements run into the evening.
Admission: Free

Colossal Cave Mountain Park

In 1923, the first proper tours of Colossal Cave were conducted using ropes and lanterns; today more advanced options are offered. The cave is considered 'dry' or 'dormant' as it is no longer 'growing' crystal formations, due to a lack of water. The preserved stalagmites, stalactites and flowstone are beautiful to see, and the temperature inside the cave is always comfortably warm.

Region/City Name: Tucson
Address: 16721 East Old Spanish Trail
Phone Number: (520) 647 7275
Website: www.colossalcave.com
Transport: Take I-10 east from Tucson to exit 279 (the Vail/Wentworth exit), turn north and follow the signs for about 7 miles (11km).
Hours: Open daily. 8am to 5pm 16 March to 15 September, 9am to 5pm 16 September to 15 March.
Admission: $11 (adults), $6 (children)

Kartchner Caverns State Park

Kartchner Caverns State Park is home to one of the great natural wonders of the American west; there is no known record of the huge living cave being seen before the 1970s and the pristine conditions within have been carefully preserved. A remarkable feature of this cave is that it's a 'wet' or 'living' cave; the calcite formations are still growing and display a stunning variety of multicolored cave formations.

Region/City Name: Tucson
Address: Benson, Arizona.
Phone Number: (520) 586 2283, (520) 586 4110
Website: www.azstateparks.com/Parks/KACA/index.html
Transport: The park is located nine miles south of I-10, off State Hwy 90, exit 302.

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

This world-renowned museum is more like a zoo, showing the surrounding desert's creatures in their natural habitats. Located in the Sonoran Desert, the setting of the museum also offers awesome views of the surrounding mountain ranges. The gift shop has an excellent selection of Sonoran desert souvenirs. This is a must for any visitor staying in Tucson for more than just one day.

Region/City Name: Tucson
Address: 2021 North Kinney Road
Phone Number: (520) 883 2702
Website: www.desertmuseum.org
Transport: The Desert Museum is about 2.5 miles (4km) down Kinney Road.
Hours: March to September 7.30am to 5pm, October to February 8.30am to 5pm. No entry after 4.15pm.
Admission: June to August adults US$9.50, children US$2.25. September to May adults US$13, children $4.25

Sabino Canyon

Of the many natural attractions in the Tucson vicinity, Sabino Canyon is one of the most popular. This gaping divide in the Santa Catalina Mountains is the site where ancient Hohokam people constructed irrigation dams while mammoths still roamed the area. After a six-mile (9.6km) hike, enjoy swimming in the crystal clear pools at Seven Falls.

Region/City Name: Tucson
Address: 5900 North Sabino Canyon Road
Phone Number: (520) 749 2861
Website: www.sabinocanyon.com
Transport: Located in the Santa Catalina Mountains and the Coronado National Forest north of Tucson.
Hours: The park is open daily from dawn till dusk.

Reid Park Zoo

While maybe not the best zoo in the world, Reid Park Zoo is still one of the foremost attractions in Tucson. Because of its relatively small size, the zoo can be explored leisurely in less than two hours. The animals are comfortably at home in pleasant natural surroundings; envy the little polar bear cubs as they happily float in ice-cold water while it's 100ºF (38ºC) in the scorching Tucson summer.

Region/City Name: Tucson
Address: 1030 South Randolph Way
Phone Number: (520) 881 4753
Website: www.tucsonzoo.org
Transport: Off Randolph Way, north of 22nd Street
Hours: Open daily from 9am to 4pm.
Admission: $7 (adults), $3 (children aged 2 to 14)

Tucson Botanical Gardens

The Tucson Botanical Gardens are a major attraction, not just for the rich collection of cactus and desert wildflowers. An educational walk highlights the history of the native Tohono O'odham Indians and the work local scientists have done to preserve native seeds. Be sure to visit the traditional Mexican-American neighborhood garden ( Nuestro Jardin), and relax on the shaded restaurant patio.

Region/City Name: Tucson
Address: 2150 North Alvernon Way
Phone Number: (520) 326 9686
Website: www.tucsonbotanical.org
Transport: Located on Alvernon Way between Pima Street and Grant Road.
Hours: Open daily from 8.30am to 4.30pm
Admission: $7 (adults), $3 (children under 12)

Philabaum Glass

Tom Philabaum is well known as one of America's foremost glass artists, with exhibits throughout the western world. His gallery embraces this greatness, exhibiting over 100 nationally and internationally celebrated artists. Aside from viewing the extraordinary exhibits, visitors can also watch glassblowing and learn more about the development of the studio glass movement.

Region/City Name: Tucson
Address: 711 South 6th Avenue
Phone Number: (520) 884 7404
Website: www.philabaumglass.com
Transport: Located on 6th Avenue, between 18th Street and Broadway.
Hours: Open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm.

Valley of the Moon

Delve into fantasyland in the desert, with historic Western sites in a magical setting, created by George Phar Legler in the 1920s. Mineralised rock cliffs, caves, pools and garden miniatures have merged with tropic and desert flora to make what Mr. Legler called the "Fantasy Touch of Three", referring to Edgar Allen Poe, Lewis Carroll, and Robert Louis Stevenson. There are tours, shows and a gift shop on site.

Region/City Name: Tucson
Address: 2544 East Allen Road
Phone Number: (520) 323 1331
Website: www.valleymoon.info
Transport: On East Allen Road, between Tucson Boulevard and Cactus Boulevard.

Funtasticks Family Fun Park

This is a great place to visit when the kids have had enough of sightseeing. There is exciting go-karting for the older children and adults, and the little ones will love the bumper boats. With two mini golf courses, batting cages and a huge arcade, there's enough here to keep a family entertained for hours.

Region/City Name: Tucson
Address: 221 East Wetmore Road
Phone Number: (520) 888 4653
Website: www.funtasticks.com
Transport: On East Wetmore Road, between 1st Avenue and Oracle Road.
Hours: Monday to Thursday 2pm to 9pm, Friday 2pm to midnight, Saturday 10am to midnight, Sunday 10am to 9pm.