At the compact Reid Park Zoo, a global menagerie – including grizzly bears, jaguars, giant anteaters and pygmy hippos – delights young and old. Cap a visit with a picnic in the surrounding park, which also has playgrounds and a pond with paddleboat rentals.
Reid Park Zoo
Tucson
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
14.7 MILES
Home to cacti, coyotes and palm-sized hummingbirds, this 98-acre ode to the Sonoran Desert is one part zoo, one part botanical garden and one part museum …
Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures
4.1 MILES
Divided into the Enchanted Realm, Exploring the World and the History Gallery, this delightful museum of miniatures presents dioramas that are fantastical…
8.75 MILES
The dazzling white towers of this mission rise from the dusty desert floor 8 miles south of Tucson – a mesmerizing structure that brings an otherworldly…
2.91 MILES
Linking historic downtown and the university, lively 4th Ave is a rare breed: a rough-around-the-edges, alt-flavored strip with not a single chain store…
5.72 MILES
An SR-71 Blackbird spy plane and a massive B-52 bomber are among the stars of this extraordinary private aircraft museum. Allow at least two hours to…
2.58 MILES
To learn more about the history and culture of the region's American Indian tribes, visit the Arizona State Museum, the oldest and largest anthropology…
3.35 MILES
For a small city, Tucson boasts an impressive art museum. There's a respectable collection of American, Latin American and modern art, and the permanent…
12.31 MILES
Nicknamed 'Hollywood in the Desert,' this old movie set of Tucson in the 1860s was built in 1939 for the filming of Arizona. Hundreds of flicks followed,…
Nearby Tucson attractions
2.06 MILES
Astronomers can get their geek on during 90-minute tours of this laboratory – it's where the world's largest telescope mirrors are made. The entrance is…
2.58 MILES
To learn more about the history and culture of the region's American Indian tribes, visit the Arizona State Museum, the oldest and largest anthropology…
3. Center for Creative Photography
2.65 MILES
The CCP is known for its ever-changing, high-caliber exhibits. It also administers the archives of Ansel Adams – perhaps the best-regarded landscape…
2.7 MILES
For an engaging look at highlights from Arizona's past, spend an hour at this family-friendly museum near the University of Arizona. You can walk though a…
5. University of Arizona Museum of Art
2.73 MILES
Founded in its current building in the 1950s, the university's impressive museum showcases 500 years of European and American creativity. The permanent…
2.81 MILES
This wall-to-wall mosaic of about 7000 Tucsonian faces is a simple yet powerful testament to the diversity of the city's population. It's in the underpass…
2.91 MILES
Linking historic downtown and the university, lively 4th Ave is a rare breed: a rough-around-the-edges, alt-flavored strip with not a single chain store…
2.93 MILES
Parents sing the praises of the Tucson Children’s Museum, which has plenty of engaging, hands-on exhibits – from the Discovery Garden to Pet Vet and…