Night-time Adventures and Indoor Escapes
Whether you’re looking for family fun, a grown-up getaway, or something for everyone, Tucson has plenty of cool summer attractions and events
Kids
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Saturday Evenings
As darkness descends, the desert comes alive! Head to the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum for family fun under a starry night sky. June through August, this world-renowned zoo and botanical garden extends its Saturday hours into the beautiful summer nights. While some exhibits close at night so the animals can rest, mountain lions, beavers, bats, and other nocturnal desert dwellers are especially active at night. Along the Museum’s nearly two miles of paths, docents offer entertaining information on night-sky wonders, fluorescent minerals, night pollinators and insects, animal eye shine, and more. Special Saturday night events include a chance to make your own erupting volcano, bug night, bat night, family astronomy night, storytelling sessions, and more. Phone: (520) 883-2702.
International Wildlife Museum Pack Night - Raptors of the Sonoran Desert
Aug. 6, 6-8p.m. Bring the entire family out for a night of fun as you learn about animals of the world! The International Wildlife Museum highlights over 400 species of insects, mammals and birds from around the globe. Join us for a presentation by Wendy Burroughs of Pima County Natural Resources and see live raptors up close. Enjoy crafts, activities, movies, popcorn, and more. Phone: (520) 629-0100.
The Mini-Time Machine Museum of Miniatures - Magical Mini Adventures Summer Camp
Beginning June 7, The Mini-Time Machine Museum will offer seven weekly summer camp sessions. Kids will explore distant and magical lands inhabited by colorful characters, animals, elves, fairies, and wizards. Camp adventures include gallery games, special guests, and creating magical miniature works of art! Reservations are required and space is limited. Visit the website for a registration form. Phone: (520) 881-0606.
Titan Missile Museum - Moonlight Madness Tours
Beat the heat and tour the Titan Missile Museum at night. Once one of the United State’s top secret places, the Titan Missile Museum now welcomes visitors to explore the depths of the country’s cold war history. Special Moonlight Madness activities for kids include launching seltzer rockets, sampling space food and taking the astronaut test. Moonlight Madness Tours will be held June 12, July 10, August 14, and September 11. Reservations required. Titan Reservations: Call (520) 625-7736 or email info@titanmissilemuseum.org.
Tucson Children’s Museum - Interactive Exhibits and Kinder Camps
This museum is filled with fun and educational hands-on activities including a farmers' market, an enchanted rainforest, and an electricity gallery. Expect to find such perennial kid favorites as a fire truck, a vet clinic, and dinosaur sculptures. During the summer Tucson Children’s museum offers week-long specialty themed camps for kids ages 4-6. Themes include animals, dinosaurs, science, circus, insects, oceans and more. Campers will enjoy hands-on activities, experiments and demonstrations. Weeklong camps cost $95 for members and $125 for non-members. Phone: (520) 792-9985.
Adults
Casino of the Sun/Casino del Sol - Gaming, Concerts, and More
Proudly owned and operated by the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, Casino Del Sol and its sister casino, Casino of the Sun, have been in operation for the past 20 years. Try your hand at cards, or test your luck on the slot machines. Enjoy fine dining or catch a show. The nearly 5,000-seat Anselmo Valencia Tori Amphitheater, also known as AVA Amphitheater, is a Southern Arizona hot spot. The summer line up includes Tony Bennett, Goo Goo Dolls, Robert Plant, and more. Phone: (800) 344-9435.
DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun - Rotating Exhibits
Renowned artist Ettore "Ted" DeGrazia captured the Southwest with a style unlike any other painter before him. At DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun, there are six permanent collections of paintings that trace historical events and native cultures of the Southwest. Rotating exhibitions display some of the 15,000 DeGrazia originals housed at the gallery, including oils, watercolors, sketches, serigraphs, lithographs, sculptures, ceramics and jewelry. A consignment room displays DeGrazia originals available for purchase, while the gift shop offers a wide selection of reproductions. Phone: (520) 299-9191.
Desert Diamond Casino - Gaming, Nightlife, and More
Play for big money at bingo, slots, poker, blackjack, and keno. Desert Diamond Casino brings you the games you love seven days a week. The on-site Monsoon Nightclub offers top flight entertainment in an elegant setting, and the new Desert Diamond Casino Hotel is only a few steps away. Desert Diamond Casino is part of the Tohono O'odham Gaming Enterprise. Phone: (520) 294-777.
Museum of Contemporary Art - Art Exibitions and Education
Tucson’s Museum of Contemporary Art — MOCA — offers art exhibitions and educational events around the city. The Museum focuses on artists from 1970 to present, featuring a range of work from around the world and, of course, from talented Tucson artists! MOCA programming changes throughout the year. For the most current information, please call (520) 624-6873 or email info@moca-tucson.org.
The Center for Creative Photography - Rotating Exhibits and Private Viewings of Selected Works
Visitors will be hard-pressed to find a better photography museum than The University of Arizona’s Center for Creative Photography — and did we mention it’s free? Founded in 1975 by world-famous photographer Ansel Adams and former UA president John Schaefer, the CCP holds more archives and individual works by 20th-century North American photographers than any other museum in the nation. Exhibitions change throughout the year, but the permanent collection includes more than 90,000 prints by 2,225 photographers. The Center offers anyone the chance to schedule a private session to carefully examine original prints — access to more than 60,000 works by nearly 2,000 photographers. For information, call (520) 621-1331 or visit the website.
