Tucson Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is one of our favorite spots in Tucson. Although it does have some indoor exhibits, most of it is spread out over a large outdoor natural area. It is popular but because there are miles of trails people get spread out and it doesn't seem crowded. (They even have a small aquarium, which seems incongruous at a "desert" museum!)

Many of the animals are in large natural looking areas with no obvious bars or fences, like the coyotes.



A bit later they were sleeping in the sun. (The fence is just visible in the background.)



It wasn't the best time for bird watching, but I always enjoy the common cactus wrens.



The hummingbirds in the aviary were a little easier to photograph.



People here are always surprised that we have desert-like areas in Canada with some of the same wildlife, like Burrowing Owls and Prairie Dogs.







There were enough flowers out for the bees to be busy.







Of course, they have a lot more kinds of cactus here than we do in Canada.





And unlike most zoos, which only have crappy fast food, there is a nice restaurant where you can take a break from walking the trails.

See all 38 photos as a slideshow or overview

(Also photos from a previous visit)