Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is a 98-acre (40 ha) zoo, aquarium, botanical garden, natural history museum, publisher, and art gallery founded in 1952. Its location is 5 mi northwest of Tucson Estates. 1952 is when its story starts.
A zoo & aquarium, 5 mi northwest of Tucson Estates
Summers are hot
June and July highs run 101–102°, and about 161 days a year reach 90°. When to go ↓
Places to stay 1.8 miles away
Posada by The Joshua Tree House is 1.8 miles away; Gilbert Ray Campground (2.2 mi) is close too. 3 places to stay are within 4 miles. Hotels nearby ↓
A day trip from Mesa
Mesa is about 86 miles north (straight-line). Hotels nearby ↓
Best months: Feb, Mar, Apr and Nov
February, March, April and November are the mild months, with highs of 70–83°. When to go ↓
Established in 1952
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum dates from 1952. About ↓
Written from NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Overture places to stay, Census town figures, Wikidata and Wikipedia.
The climate here
Here is how the weather at Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum changes month by month.
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is a 98-acre (40 ha) zoo, aquarium, botanical garden, natural history museum, publisher, and art gallery founded in 1952. Located just west of Tucson, Arizona, it features two miles (3.2 km) of walking paths traversing 21 acres (8.5 ha) of desert landscape. It is one of the most visited attractions in Southern Arizona.
The nonprofit organization focuses on the interpretation of the natural history, plants and animals of the Sonoran Desert. The museum is home to more than 230 animal species and 1,200 varieties of plants. It is open every day through the year, and hosts nearly 400,000 visitors annually, including visitors from abroad.
- Type
- Zoo & aquarium
- Animals
- 12 animals
- Area
- 98 acres
- Established
- 1952
- Wikipedia readers
- 8.8K a year
Where to sleep by Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
3 places to stay within 4 miles: a hotel, an inn or B&B and a campground. Nearest of all is Posada by The Joshua Tree House, at 1.8 miles.
Places to stay within 4 miles
- 1Posada by The Joshua Tree Houseinn or B&B · 1.8 mi westDirections
- 2Gilbert Ray Campgroundcampground · 2.2 mi southeastDirections
- 3JTH Tucsonhotel · 3.6 mi westDirections
- 4Hacienda Linda Bed & Breakfastinn or B&B · 4.3 mi westDirections
- 5Justin's Diamond J RV ParkRV park · 4.3 mi southDirections
- 6Desert Trails RV ParkRV park · 4.4 mi southDirections
Places to eat nearby
3 restaurants, cafés and bars within 1½ miles
Compare 8 towns to stay in
| Town | From Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum | Drive | Places to stay | People | Typical home | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tucson | 19 mi east | 30 min | 182 121 hotels · 21 motels · 18 inns & B&Bs · 6 lodges & cabins · 3 campgrounds · 13 RV parks | 548,371 | $266K | D |
| Marana | 16 mi north | 25 min | 24 19 hotels · 3 motels · 1 inn or B&B · 1 RV park | 65,523 | $414K | B− |
| Tucson Estates | 5 mi southeast | 10 min | 7 1 inn or B&B · 2 lodges & cabins · 1 campground · 3 RV parks | 12,136 | $205K | — |
| Casas Adobes | 11 mi northeast | 15 min | 11 7 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs · 1 lodge or cabins · 1 campground | 72,059 | $343K | — |
| Tucson Mountains | 6 mi northeast | 10 min | 4 2 hotels · 2 inns & B&Bs | 11,353 | $473K | — |
| Catalina Foothills | 17 mi east | 25 min | 11 10 hotels · 1 lodge or cabins | 52,593 | $652K | — |
| Oro Valley | 17 mi northeast | 25 min | 10 10 hotels | 48,085 | $476K | B+ |
| South Tucson | 12 mi east | 20 min | 5 5 motels | 4,452 | $167K | — |
Day trip from
Straight-line miles.
Getting there
Nearest airports with airline service
Places to add to Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
These well-known sights sit within 67 miles.
13 mi Stadium & arenaArizona Stadium
19 mi MuseumPima Air & Space Museum
33 mi National ParkSaguaro National Park848K visitors a year
26 mi MountainMount Lemmon
26 mi MuseumTitan Missile Museum66 mi AttractionThe Thing?
56 mi CaveKartchner Caverns State Park
56 mi National MonumentCasa Grande Ruins National Monument88K visitors a yearPhoto credits
Arizona Stadium: Wcarlisle4, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Pima Air & Space Museum: The original uploader was MCB at English Wikipedia. Later versions were uploade, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Saguaro National Park: Luke Jones from Yucca Valley, CC BY 2.0 · Mount Lemmon: Debby Kriegel, Public domain · Titan Missile Museum: Mike McBey, CC BY 2.0 · Kartchner Caverns State Park: Mike Lewis, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Casa Grande Ruins National Monument: Greg Hume, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Before visiting Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
What town is Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum near?
Tucson Estates, AZ, about 5 miles southeast.
When is the best time to visit Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum?
February, March, April and November, with highs of 70–83°.
How far is Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum from Mesa?
About 86 miles north of Mesa, as the crow flies.
What is the closest airport to Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum?
Tucson (TUS), about 16 miles away.
What hotels are near Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum?
Posada by The Joshua Tree House (1.8 mi), Gilbert Ray Campground (2.2 mi) and JTH Tucson (3.6 mi). 3 places to stay are within 4 miles.
Locals’ advice in Tucson Estates
Tips will appear here once someone posts in Tucson Estates’s Town Square.
Sources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · NOAA climate normals · U.S. Census.