Nicknamed "Old Pueblo," Tucson, Ariz., is a city with many faces. There are many interesting thing to do when we visiting Tucson, Arizona because it's a
college town. It's an artist town. It's even still a Wild West town.
Every February, southern Arizona's biggest city, located 115 miles (185
kilometers) below Phoenix, keeps schools open on President's Day but
closes them later in the week for the annual Tucson Rodeo Parade. There are more than 15 tourist attraction that we can visited, such as; Old Tucson Studios, The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, The Pima Air & Space Museum, The Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO, Tucson Botanical Gardens, The Reid Park Zoo, The Arizona State Museum (ASM), The Tucson Convention Center (TCC), DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun Historic Distric, Saguaro National Park, and many more. Before we informs the tourist attraction in Tucson, Arizona, let we informs how the city itself.
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States, and home to the University of Arizona. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116, while the 2012 estimated population of the entire Tucson metropolitan area was 992,394. The Tucson MSA forms part of the larger Tucson-Nogales combined statistical area, with a total population of 980,263 as of the 2010 Census. According to the United States Census Bureau, as of 2010, the City of Tucson has a land area of 226.71 square miles (587.2 km2). The city's elevation is 2,643 ft (806 m) above sea level (as measured at the Tucson International Airport). Tucson is situated on an alluvial plain in the Sonoran desert, surrounded by five minor ranges of mountains: the Santa Catalina Mountains and the Tortolita Mountains to the north, the Santa Rita Mountains to the south, the Rincon Mountains to the east, and the Tucson Mountains to the west. The high point of the Santa Catalina Mountains is 9,157 ft (2,791 m) Mount Lemmon, the southernmost ski destination in the continental U.S., while the Tucson Mountains include 4,687 ft (1,429 m) Wasson Peak. The highest point in the area is Mount Wrightson, found in the Santa Rita Mountains at 9,453 ft (2,881 m) above sea level.
1. Old Tucson Studios
Old Tucson Studios is a movie studio and theme park just west of Tucson, Arizona, adjacent to the Tucson Mountains and close to the western portion of Saguaro National Park. Built in 1939 for the movie Arizona, it has been used for the filming of several movies and television westerns since then, such as Gunfight at the O.K. Corral and Little House on the Prairie. It was opened to the public in 1960, and historical tours are offered about the movies filmed there, along with live cast entertainment featuring stunt shows and shootouts.
2. The 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.[citation needed] 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. The museum is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, a member of the American Alliance of Museums and the American Public Gardens Association.
3. The Pima Air & Space Museum
The Pima Air & Space Museum, located in Tucson, Arizona, is one of the world's largest non-government funded aerospace museums. The museum features a display of nearly 300 aircraft spread out over 80 acres (320,000 m²) on a campus occupying 127 acres (610,000 m²). It is also home since 1991 to the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame. Opened to the public in May 1976 with 48 aircraft on display, the Museum's main hangar houses an SR-71A Blackbird, an A-10 Warthog, an Air Force Through the Years exhibit, and a mock-up of a control tower. The museum is adjacent to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. The 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (AMARG), affiliated with the base, also known as the "Graveyard of Planes" or "The Boneyard", is the largest aircraft storage and preservation facilities in the world. Bus tours of the boneyard leave from the museum several times a day from Monday to Friday, except Federal holidays.
4. The Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO)
The Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO) is a United States astronomical observatory site located on 2,096 m (6,880 ft) Kitt Peak of the Quinlan Mountains in the Arizona-Sonoran Desert on the Tohono O'odham Nation, 88 kilometers (55 mi) west-southwest of Tucson, Arizona. With 24 optical and two radio telescopes, it is the largest, most diverse gathering of astronomical instruments in the world. The observatory is administered by the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO).
5. Tucson Botanical Gardens
Tucson Botanical Gardens is a collection of 16 residentially scaled gardens located at 2150 North Alvernon Way, Tucson, Arizona, USA. A five-and-a-half-acre urban garden, Tucson Botanical Gardens is a lush and tranquil oasis in the heart of the city. Built from the historic nursery and home of the Porter Family, the shaded Historic Gardens and the Porter House Gallery offer visitors the opportunity to enjoy eleven rotating exhibits annually; these focus on emerging and established local and regional artists whose themes interpret the flora, fauna, and landscape of desert regions.
6. The Reid Park Zoo
The Reid Park Zoo, founded in 1967, is a 17-acre (6.9 ha) city-owned and operated non-profit zoo in Tucson, Arizona. The zoo features more than 500 animals. It was unofficially established in 1965 by Gene Reid, the parks and recreation director at the time. Reid Park Zoo consists of four zones that are organized by the types of habitats and animals they house. The Adaptation Zone houses animals such as the polar bear and Aldabra giant tortoise, the South American Animals zone houses animals such as the jaguar and spectacled bear, the Asian Animals zone features animals such as the tiger and Malayan sun bear, and the African Animals zone features animals such as the lion and giraffe. A large aviary named "Flight Connection" hosts dozens of species of birds from Australia, Africa, and Asia.
7. The Arizona State Museum (ASM)
The Arizona State Museum (ASM), founded in 1893, was originally a repository for the collection and protection of archaeological resources. Today, however, ASM stores artifacts, exhibits them and provides education and research opportunities. It was formed by authority of the Territorial Legislature. The Museum is operated by the University of Arizona, and is located in Tucson. The Arizona State Museum (ASM), founded in 1893, was originally a repository for the collection and protection of archaeological resources. Today, however, ASM stores artifacts, exhibits them and provides education and research opportunities. It was formed by authority of the Territorial Legislature. The Museum is operated by the University of Arizona, and is located in Tucson.
8. The Tucson Convention Center (TCC)
The Tucson Convention Center (TCC), previously named the Tucson Community Center, is a large multi-purpose convention center located in downtown Tucson, Arizona. Built in 1971, the location includes a 9,275-seat indoor arena, two performing arts venues, and 205,000 square feet (19,000 m2) of meeting space. In 2009, ground was broken on a major renovation to construct a new convention center hotel and substantially expand the exhibition space.
9. DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun Historic District
DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun Historic District was the artistic manifestation and architectural constructed of Ettore DeGrazia. The property is a series of buildings scattered throughout a natural desert setting. Built in Tucson near the intersection of Swan Road and Skyline the property is now a museum open to the public. Construction began in 1951 with the open air Mission in the Sun followed by a series of other expressionistic adobe buildings. The gallery/museum was constructed in 1965 with details including cactus flooring, exposed wood beams, rafters and unique artistic finishes. The gallery replaced the first DeGrazia Building constructed in 1944 on the corner of Prince and Campbell Road. Artists and friends who spent time at the new gallery included Thomas Hart Benton, Olaf Wieghorst, Jack Van Ryder, Pete Martinez and Ross Santee. In 2006, the 10-acre (40,000 m2) property, now a museum of DeGrazia's work, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
10. Saguaro National Park
Saguaro National Park, located in southern Arizona, is part of the United States National Park System. he park is divided into two sections, called districts, lying approximately 20 miles (32 km) east and 15 miles (24 km) west of the center of the city of Tucson, Arizona. The total area in 2011 was 91,442 acres (37,005 ha) of which 70,905 acres (28,694 ha) is designated wilderness. There is a visitor center in each of the two districts. Both are easily reached by car from Tucson, but there is no public transport into the park. Both districts conserve fine tracts of the Sonoran Desert, including ranges of significant hills, the Tucson Mountains in the west and the Rincon Mountains in the east. The park gets its name from the saguaro, a large cactus which is native to the region. Many other kinds of cactus, including barrel, cholla, and prickly pear, are abundant in the park. One endangered animal, the Lesser Long-nosed Bat, lives in the park part of the year during its migration, together with one threatened species, the Mexican Spotted Owl.
