Set inside a flat valley hemmed in by mountains and swaths of saguaro, Arizona's second-largest city smoothly blends American Indian, Spanish, Mexican and Anglo traditions. That unique mix of scenery and history makes Tucson ideal for budget travelers – there's plenty to see and do without ever opening your pocket book. Instead, you are able to soak up unique neighborhoods full of southwestern flavor and explore the one-of-a-kind landscape full of saguaro cacti, colorful desert flora, and an unbelievable array of wildlife.
If you're looking for samples by mail to do in Tucson, we have ten of the best attractions to begin with the following (plus another five not-quite-free but budget-friendly attractions to look at, too).
View the white towers of Mission San Xavier del Bac
The dazzling white towers of this mission rise in the dusty desert floor 8 miles south of Tucson – a mesmerizing structure that brings an otherworldly glow towards the scrubby landscape surrounding it. Nicknamed 'White Dove of the Desert,' the current structure was built-in the 1700s inside a harmonious mixture of Moorish, Byzantine and Mexican Renaissance styles. Carefully restored within the 1990s with the aid of experts from the Vatican but still religiously active, the Xavier del Bac one of the best-preserved and most beautiful Spanish missions in the united states.
A small museum explains a brief history of the mission and it is construction. Free 45-minute docent tours (four to 10 each day, Monday to Saturday) add helpful context. Go to the website for tour times. American Indians sell frybread, jewelry and crafts within the parking lot.
See the works of Ansel Adams in the center for Creative Photography
The CCP is known for its ever-changing, high-caliber exhibits. Additionally, it administers the archives of Ansel Adams – probably the best-regarded landscape photographer in American history – and often displays his works.
Witness the diversity from the city using the Tucson Portrait Project
This wall-to-wall mosaic of about 7000 Tucsonian faces is a simple yet powerful proof of the variety of the city's population. The Tucson Portrait Project is incorporated in the underpass where 4th Ave ducks under the railway line. Or explore the panels online.
Hang out with the cool kids in Barrio Histórico District
This compact neighborhood was an important business district in the late 1800s, bordered by I-10, Stone Ave, and Cushing and 17th Streets. Today the Barrio hosts funky shops and galleries in brightly painted adobe houses that are begging to be photographed. Don't miss El Tiradito while you're here, either. Situated in Tucson's Barrio Histórico, this shrine to a 19th-century local, purportedly killed by his father-in-law as he fell for his mother-in-law, receives offerings to this day for anybody commemorating a lost loved one.
Take within the special exhibits at Tucson Museum of Art
For a small city, Tucson boasts a remarkable art museum. There's a respectable assortment of American, Latin American and modern art, and also the permanent exhibition of pre-Columbian artifacts will awaken your inner Indiana Jones. The special exhibits are varied and fascinating, there's an excellent gift shop, and the block surrounding the building holds numerous notable historic homes. The museum stays open to 8pm around the first Thursday from the month, when admission is free from 5pm.
Hop aboard at Southern Arizona Transportation Museum
Perfect for families with train-obsessed kids, the Southern Arizona Transportation Museum is located in the historic Southern Pacific Railroad Depot on Toole Avenue. There are statues of “Doc” Holiday & Wyatt Earp, who dispatched Frank Stilwell near this spot in vengeance for the 1882 attack at the OK Coral in Tombstone, Arizona. There's also a Southern Pacific locomotive #1673 – the type of classic steam engine that originally connected Tucson far-flung western towns from New Orleans to Portland Oregon, in addition to Amtrak trains currently operating.
Hit the trails at Tumamoc Hill hike
A paved trail with stunning views of the city, this three mile hike has moderate elevation gain and is surrounded by wildflowers early in the year. It's also open 4am-10pm, thanks to the proven fact that Tumamoc Hill is on University of Arizona property. Park in the pub along Anklam Road when you go, rather than within the Saint Mary's Hospital lot or even the spaces before nearby medical offices, that are required by doctors and their patients. You will find limited bathroom facilities and a place to refill your water bottle on site.
Watch street performers at 2nd Saturdays
2nd Saturdays is a free family-friendly music festival that takes place, you got it right, the next Saturday each month in downtown Tucson from Toole Avenue & Congress west to Church Avenue & Congress. You will find musicians, vendors, street performers and much more. Note: 2nd Saturdays are temporarily on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Visit one the oldest inhabited places in The united states: The Presidio District
The Tucson Museum of Art is part of this low-key neighborhood, bounded by W 6th St, W Alameda St, N Stone Ave and Granada Ave, and embracing the website from the original Spanish fort and upmarket 'Snob Hollow.' This is among the oldest continually inhabited places in North America: the Spanish Presidio de San Augustín del Tucson goes back to 1775, however the fort itself was built over a Hohokam site that's been dated to AD 700 to 900.
Cheap things you can do in Tucson
Travelers on a tight budget will appreciate that, along with Tucson's free attractions, you can even find more that provide you a lot of value for your money. Just for a few dollars here and there, you can get access to a few of the city's best galleries, state parks, national forests, and more. We've included some of the best almost-free attractions, too.
Learn about historical events at DeGrazia's Gallery within the Sun
Since 1950, DeGrazia's Gallery under the sun has celebrated both regional art and also the work of artist Ettore “Ted” DeGrazia. The gallery boasts six permanent collections of paintings that trace historical events and native cultures from the Southwest, too rotating exhibits of DeGrazia's own prolific ouevre. Not just may be the artwork well worth taking in, the setting is pure Tucson. DeGrazia built the Gallery under the sun on 10-acres in the Santa Catalina Foothills. Its classic adobe facade fits right in to the landscape, surrounded by indigenous plants and constructed with the help of local Indigenous peoples. Admission fees are $8.00 for adults, $5.00 for a long time 12-18, and youngsters under 12 are free.
Get active in Catalina State Park
With a day-use area, campgrounds and plenty of hiking, biking and horse trails, this state park in the Santa Catalina Mountains northeast of Tucson is one of the city's favorite playgrounds. The .75 mile Romeo Ruins Interpretive Trail offers an opportunity to learn more about the Hohokam people who lived here 1,Five centuries ago. There are many other easy one mile hikes here, too, which are simple to match even a short trip to Tucson. Park entrance fees are $7.00 per vehicle and $3 per individual or cyclist.
Get hands-on at Tucson Children's Museum
Parents sing the praises from the Tucson Children's Museum, which has lots of engaging, hands-on exhibits – in the Discovery Garden to Pet Vet and Bodyology. Admission is $3 around the 3rd of each month.
Take a tram tour at Sabino Canyon
Sabino Canyon, a lush, pretty and shaded mini-gorge, is well worth a trip in fine weather. Narrated hop-on, hop-off tram tours along the Sabino Canyon Trail (adult/child $10/5) depart every 30 minutes in the visitor center at the main car park for any 45-minute, nine-stop loop with access to trailheads and riverside picnic areas. It's nicest within the afternoon once the sun plays hide and go seek from the canyon walls. You will need a Coronado Recreation Pass to go to Sabino Canyon, which runs $8 for the day, $10 for the week, or $40 a year.
Head to a desert in playground in Saguaro National Park
Saguaros (sah-wah-ros) are icons from the American Southwest, and an entire cactus army of these majestic, ribbed sentinels remains safe and secure within this desert playground. Or even more precisely, playgrounds: the park is split into east and west units, separated by 30 miles and Tucson itself. Both sections – the Rincon Mountain District within the east and Tucson Mountain District in the western world – are full of trails and desert flora; if you only visit one, allow it to be the spectacular western half. A Saguaro National Park Weekly Pass is $25.00 per vehicle.
Do some watching birds in Coronado National Forest
This 2781-sq-mile national forest includes the Santa Catalina and Rincon Mountains, north of Tucson. Rincon Peak is a popular hike in this tiny mountain range, with panoramic views from the 8482 foot summit – but it's 16 miles out and back. More accessible may be the scenic drive along Mt Lemmon Highway – the only real paved road that will reach top of the reaches from the Santa Catalina Range. Madera Canyon is well-liked by birders, while in the winter Coronado National Forest has got the distinction to be the southernmost ski area in the continental Usa. Entry fees are $8 per vehicle per day or $10 per vehicle each week.
See Five centuries of labor at University of Arizona Museum of Art
Founded in its current building within the 1950s, the university's impressive museum showcases Five centuries of European and American creativity. The permanent collection features Rodin, Matisse, Picasso and Pollock. Admission is $8 for adults, $6.50 for seniors, and youngsters have the freedom.
