What is it: This is the one place every Tucsonan takes family and friends upon their arrival. The Arizona Sonora Desert Museum is a zoo, natural history museum, aquarium, art gallery and botanical garden all rolled into one.
Why go: On both paved and dirt walking trails, explore the many ecosystems of the Sonoran desert bioregion. Don’t miss the hummingbird aviary—you can see these jewel-toned beauties up close! On hot days, look under the bridge for snoozing javelinas, the local version of pigs. Note: the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum is not to be confused with the nearby International Wildlife Museum, which actually plays host to taxidermy animals.