Ten Locations in Tucson- Spring Break Edition

How can it already be spring break(ours actually starts on the 16th)?! I feel like the school year just started, but none the less it’s time for some fun AND turning off 6 am alarms! Since moving to Tucson almost 2 years ago, we’ve been able to check out a lot of the local places, but I’m really excited to take advantage of these ideas I’m about to give you. Are you heading anywhere fun for Spring break? Let me know down below. Here is my roundup of ten locations in Tucson- spring break edition.

Reid Park Zoo

The Reid Park Zoo, founded in 1967, is a 24-acre city-owned and operated non-profit zoo located within Reid Park. The zoo features more than 500 different animals. It was unofficially established in 1965 by Gene Reid, the parks and recreation director at the time. Hands down our favorite place in Tucson. They have so many different animals and are always building to add room for more. The exhibits they offer are:

• South American Animals
• Adaptation Zone
• Flight Connection
• Asian Animals

They offer a quick-service restaurant, gift shop and also a carousel with a large grassy lawn for the kiddos to run around on. The play area for the kiddos is outside of the reptile exhibit and they often bring some scaly friends for you to pet and learn more about. This is definitely my favorite of the ten locations in Tucson- spring break edition.

Children’s Museum Tucson

This museum for children of all ages features immersive art, music, nature & educational exhibits. I was so happy when we found out they have a Children’s Museum here. It is such a great way for kids, and parents, to learn something new and have fun at it. Their founders believed play was an essential part of learning for children. Their exhibits include:

• Gravity
• Music Garden
• Wee World
• Discovery Garden
• Bodyology and so many more!

Our favorite one is the grocery store, which includes magnetic fruit gardens, play kitchens and even check out stands! It is so much fun watching them go through “purchasing” items. Brooklynn was buying me coffee and chips for dad! It is really fun. Their main location is in the heart of downtown Tucson, but they have another location in Oro Valley. That one is geared for kiddos age 1-5 whereas the main location is all ages.

Funtasticks Family Fun Park

This park for families features laser tag, batting cages, go-karts, mini-golf, rides & more. Funtasticks Family Fun Park is the best of both worlds, water, and land. They have a full arcade with a food court and outside carnival attractions as well as mini-golf and bumper cars. And on the other side, open during the summer, is a small water park. It has slides, a water bucket and so much more.

Trail Dust Town

Trail Dust Town is a historical outdoor shopping center. It operates as a for-profit shopping mall, but on its grounds exist a number of historical artifacts, including an Allan Herschell merry-go-round which was manufactured in 1954 that still contains its original horses and benches. We’ve been there for a couple of events, but never to enjoy the historical side. I’m excited we get a chance to soon.

Tucson Botanical Gardens

The Tucson Botanical Gardens is a 5.5-acre collection of sixteen residentially scaled urban gardens. Paths connect each of these gardens, which include:

• Zen Garden
• Prehistoric Garden
• Barrio Garden
• Butterfly Garden
• Xeriscape Garden
• Children’s Garden

Botanical gardens always remind me of Alice in Wonderland or The Secret Garden. It is always so peaceful and the sights are so vibrant. This is another one I can’t wait to check off my list.

Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures

The Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures’ collection of fine-scale artifacts includes over 500 antique and contemporary dollhouses and room boxes, while special exhibitions highlight the diversity of the art of minis. Mini is trending now, yes? Well, this museum is unlike anything I’ve seen. Apart from the lego exhibit in Pheonix, this is the tiniest exhibit I’ve seen.

International Wildlife Museum

The International Wildlife Museum is a non-profit natural history museum. It was established in 1988 by C. J. McElroy as an educational program of the Safari Club International Foundation. The museum highlights over 400 species of insects, mammals and birds from around the globe.

Sonoran Desert Museum

The Sonoran Desert is a North American desert which covers large parts of the Southwestern United States in Arizona and California and of Northwestern Mexico in Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur. It is the hottest desert in Mexico. It has an area of 260,000 square kilometers. This is one of our favorite places to go in Tucson. They even have a kiddo play area that shrinks you down to the size of a packrat. All the play structures are from the pack rats’ point of view. Sure, they’re cute until they invade your attic! I recommend going when it’s cool because it’s all outside. The blaring heat doesn’t appeal to me when I’m there.

Pima Air & Space Museum

The Pima Air & Space Museum 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 on a campus occupying 127 acres. This is a great place for anyone who loves airplanes and space! Kids will have such an awesome time learning about space and aircraft.

Tohono Chul

Tohono Chul is a botanical garden, nature preserve, and cultural museum. The words “Tohono Chul” translate as “desert corner” and are borrowed from the language of the Tohono O’odham, the indigenous people of southern Arizona. The gardens include:

• Hummingbird
• Penstemon
• Desert Palms Oasis
• Children’s Garden and so many more

I am so excited for spring break to start so we can explore a few of these locations. Which one are you excited to visit? My favorite ten locations in Tucson- spring break edition would be Reid Park. Make sure to let me know down below, and maybe we can meet up!! And if you’re not from Tucson, I’d love to know where you are from. And for more Tucson inspired posts, my Tucson family life page. Also, I’d love for you to join the Pinterest family and start pinning with me! Follow the button down below to pin this post to your boards!