Tucson Hub & Spoke

Suggested 4-day Schedule

 

DAY 1 — TUCSON

Get to know Tucson by exploring some of our one-of-a-kind top attractions.

Begin your day with a tour at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, a 100-acre outdoor attraction that tells the unique story of the Sonoran Desert region. More than 300 species of live animals and 1,400 species of plants indigenous to the Sonoran Desert are exhibited in naturalistic habitats.

Desert Museum Families

 

Pima Air & Space Museum, where more than 300 aircraft are on display, representative of America's aviation history. This impressive aircraft collection ranges from the first (a replica of the Wright flyer) to the ultimate flying machine, the famous SR-71A Blackbird.

Pima Air & Space Museum

 

Mission San Xavier del Bac, the oldest intact European structure in Arizona and one of the finest examples of Spanish mission architecture in the United States. Founded in 1692 by a Jesuit missionary, Father Eusebio Francisco Kino, the mission was created to serve, as it still does, the Tohono O’odham (“Desert People”) of the village of Wa:k.

Exterior of Mission San Xavier del Bac

 

DAY 2 — BISBEE

2 hour drive from Tucson

Founded in 1880, Bisbee was once a booming mining town that thrived on the area’s rich reserves of copper and precious metals. Today, Bisbee’s extraordinarily well-preserved early-twentieth-century downtown draws visitors who appreciate its historic architecture, creative spirit and cool climates.

hostoric small town building at night, with dim yellow lights around the building and colorful string lights strung between the street

 

Queen Mine Tour - Outfitted in hard hat, miner’s headlamp and a yellow slicker, thousands of Bisbee visitors descend into the Queen Mine Tour each year—heading underground and back in time. Tour guides, retired Phelps Dodge employees, lead the group 1,500 feet into the mine and recount mining days, techniques, dangers and drama.

With a history deserving of National Landmark status, it's only fitting that Bisbee's past be captured and reflected in a museum like no other – which is exactly why the Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum recently joined forces with the Smithsonian's Affiliation Program.

 

DAY 3 — TOMBSTONE

1 hour 30 minute drive from Tucson
30 minute drive from Bisbee

Step back in time and enjoy the Old West Atmosphere of the “Town Too Tough To Die!”, Tombstone, Arizona.

Walk the very same streets where Wyatt Earp and his brothers enjoyed the company of the likes of Doc Holliday! Step inside The Bird Cage Theater the site of the longest-running poker game in history. Watch the infamous Gunfight at O.K. Corral and learn what caused the 30-second showdown that left three cowboys dead.

cowboy on a horse in front of an old western building with a sign that says "Longhorn restaurant"

 

Stand where the legendary stories of the past actually occurred and encapsulate yourself in our authentic Wild West History!

Today Tombstone offers a glimpse into the past with historic attractions such as museums, history tours on foot, by stagecoach or trolley, underground mine experiences, paranormal adventures, shopping, dining and of course gunfight reenactments!

 

DAY 4 — TUBAC

1 hour drive from Tucson

Where art & history meet, Tubac features over 100 eclectic shops, world class galleries and delicious restaurants.

Located in Tubac’s Old Town, The Tubac Presidio State Historic Park museum offers a fascinating look at the history of the Santa Cruz Valley and Arizona’s first printing press. The park is Arizona’s first state park and marks the location of Arizona’s first European settlement. An underground archaeological site displays the adobe presidio ruins. The furnished 1885 Schoolhouse, Otero Hall and Rojas House are all on the National Register of Historic Places.

Soldiers-Presidio

 

Located just 4 miles south of Tubac on the East Frontage Road, the Tumacacori National Historical Park is not to be missed. The main unit of the park preserves the remains of the Spanish mission church San Jose de Tumacacori and the associated cemetery, mortuary chapel and portions of the convento. An adobe visitor center and museum displays exhibits.

a lone, old Spanish building in a field

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