I had a great visit to the Tucson Visitors Center ~ not only did I find plenty of brochures to…read moreutilize on my trip but the staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. They made many excellent suggestions and even gave me tips on a good location for dining. I was very pleased and pleasantly surprised by this quick stop. They have lots and lots of brochures about the area, they also sell the fun pass with coupons to various attractions and also have a gift shop to purchase items relating to Arizona, Tucson and the overall general desert area. There was parking at this location but is a bit confusing since there was some road construction going on but non the less parking was convenient and just outside the door.

From the owner: Please note, temporarily closed to in-person visitation. Please call  (520) 621-5130 or email via…read morevisitor@arizona.edu. Why pop in to the UArizona Visitor Center? Local experts with answers to questions you didn't know you had. Tons of brochures you can take to flip through later while sipping that mojito poolside. One-stop souvenirs for the grandkids, nieces, and nephews. You'll be in the heart of University of Arizona-grab a bite, snag a smoothie, check out places you'll want to revisit while you're here. Get information on other area visitor centers. On the corner of Euclid Ave. and University Blvd.

Unfortunately, I didn't get the woman's name but she was so nice and friendly. We had a nice chat…read moreand she told us things to do in the area. There is a section of the VC about the history of Benson. Well worth the stop.

The young lady in the visitor center was knowledgeable and friendly. They offer a short film that…read morewas easy to watch. They are well stocked with brochures with trip ideas. Check out the model train it wasn't just yet running but soon. Thank you Benson !

Dec, 2025. When we first visit a new city, we often visit the official Visitor Center to pick up…read moremaps and to get insiders' recommendations about the best things about their city. In this case, we visited the Southern Arizona Heritage and Visitor Center in Tucson, which is open daily (except holidays) from 10-5 and offers free admission. The two staff members at the Center were very helpful. When we asked about the free tours that are offered daily at 11 am and 2 pm (that were mentioned on their website), we learned that they're usually only for groups and that they only cover the indoor exhibits. (See next paragraph). A volunteer offered to accompany us as we reviewed the exhibits, but we declined. The Center was a great starting place to discover all that southern Arizona, the Sonoran Desert, and the Sky Islands have to offer. The Center is modern, clean, and successfully highlights the attractions of the area. There are seven large, multi-paneled storytelling portals that showcase innovation, history, arts and culture, food, recreation, water, and nature, as well as a huge topographic map, a theater with rotating content, and an attractive gift shop. After we reviewed the exhibits and picked up some souvenirs in the gift shop, we ventured outside into the courtyard -- finding that the free "Music in the Courtyard" musicians were just starting. Different musicians play on Wednesdays and Fridays from 11 am - 1 pm. (See website for list of scheduled performers). We were fortunate to be entertained by Liz and Pete's Sparrows, natives of Tucson. The duo, Liz Cerepanya and Peter Dalton Ronstadt, refer to themselves as songsters of the Postmodern American West. With two voices, a guitar, and a Pennsylvania stompbox, they played Americana, soulful desert, and roots music. The courtyard is a beautiful setting but, in our opinion, wasn't conducive for interactions between the musicians and the audience. They were so tucked into a corner that we could hardly see them. What we heard though was excellent. We next took in the beauty of the exterior of the Pima County Historic Courthouse, which was built in 1929 and was in-service for 86 years. It obtained its "historic" designation from the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. It has been dubbed "the most outstanding Spanish Colonial Revival building in Arizona with its elegant blue-tiled dome recorded as its most prominent feature." We reflected and remembered at the January 8th Embrace Memorial. Nineteen people had been shot by a lone gunman as they gathered at a grocery store in NW Tucson in 2011, to speak Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords at an event designed for community engagement. Six persons were killed, and thirteen wounded. The Memorial is a tribute of remembrance and a tribute of hope. The film that shows in the VC theater also honors and remembers these victims. Our next activities, recommended by the VC, but taking us away from the VC were to: (1) walk "the Turquoise Trail" (Presidio Trail), which is a 2.5 mile self-guided walking loop through historic downtown Tucson, marked by a turquoise line painted, and sometimes peeling, line painted on the sidewalk, connecting over 20 historic sites like the Presidio Museum (starting/ending point), Hotel Congress, and the Pima County Courthouse. Printed maps are available at the VC and at museums for $2; there's also an app for $5. (2) to take the free Sun Link streetcar on its 3.9 mile route through five of Tucson's neighborhoods. Underground parking is easy at the El Presidio Parking Garage, at a minimum rate of $2 for 0-2 hours, increasing by $1 per hour up to a maximum of $8 (for 7+hours). Validated parking is available with a $20 purchase at the Visitor Center or with tickets from the Gem and Mine Museum. There are clean restrooms available.

Stopped in today to check out our new Tucson visitor center. It is just beautiful inside! Huge full…read moreimages of our life here in the desert! There are panels and gorgeous images of the festivals, the food, the wildlife, what to do, and much more, there's a video playing, a loop gift shop, and staff are super friendly and helpful. They got me in the right direction to find some scorpion lollipops right around the corner! It will be a pleasure to bring out-of-towners here!

Hadn't had a chance to pick up information on Arizona. Saw that there was this visitor center and…read morefigured we would at least get some info on the area. It's a bit off of the freeway and doesn't look like much. Totally surprise upon entering, the place is quite large and had a huge array of information on not only Willcox and vicinity, but the whole state. The gentleman tending the center was very friendly and knowledgeable. We ended up with an arm full of information. There is also multiple displays to look at as well.

Visit Tucson is here for locals, business owners and tourists alike. The folks here are so…read morededicated and have really done a stellar job with their recent rebranding and marketing campaigns for the Old Pueblo. I especially love that their offices are located in the heart of downtown. Do know if you're planning to stop by their office- They are located in the La Placita Village complex- the bright multi-colored structure that really can't be missed. You can park in the garage or park on the street (I find the street parking more convenient). New to Tucson? Go there! Visiting Tucson? Go there! Local business owner? Go there! Really, they are here to hook you up with all kinds of information on everything local. Do visit their website too, it's jam-packed with information that is useful to everyone (locals, business owners and tourists). I total fan of Visit Tucson!

I am part of a pretty small group of business owners. We were all meeting here in Tucson and I got…read morea hold of Richard at MTCVB for information that might make the participants visit better. They loved it!

Arizona 01-2024 Tony and I went to Tombstone for the afternoon and we stopped in at the Visitors…read moreCenter to get some information about Boot Hill and Tombstone Courthouse. The staff there was very helpful and there was so much information available. The Visitors Center is located in the old Cochise Bank Building and I was excited about the building itself. Recommend that you go to the Visitors Center when in Tombstone Arizona and their service is free.

The visitor's center is a place to get information about what's available for tourists in Arizona,…read moreas opposed to an expectation that it's the attraction. There's a gentleman here who is happy to answer questions and point one in the right direction. Tombstone's visitor's center had a water cooler with cups available as well (no cost to the visitor) - beats buying a bottle of water at the stores along the old town strip. The AC does not seem to work well here, so coming in to cool off may not be the best reason to stop.

Another amazing drive through National Park. With the…read moreshutdown we were surprised to be able to drive thru. Just the drive was open. Desert beauty... huge cactuses and the variety of plants. Worth every minute that we were able to walk around the open areas. Saw no wildlife but plenty of footprints and scat. Will be back to be able to access more areas in the future.

In any season but winter, I'd advise visiting early in the day to avoid the heat…read more We drove about 3o minutes from our hotel in Tucson to visit Saguaro NP. We stopped first at the visitors' center. We had a park pass, but otherwise here was where we'd have paid our fee. We checked in with the help desk to ask about short hikes. I admire the rangers for probably answering the same question a hundred times a day, 5 days a week. There is a loop road within a mile or two of the VC. It is unpaved, but it has 2 nice short hikes along the way. However, you should note: while 80% of the loop is 2-way traffic, the other 20% is NOT! Hence, unless you want to do more than a single pass around the loop, you should enter at the end nearest the VC and proceed CCW around the loop to the other end. We did 2 hikes here. The Signal Hill trail is on the side of the loop furthest from the VC. The Valley View trail is on the leg closer to the VC (but after the point where the road becomes 1-way). The Signal Hill trail is short. It descends from the parking lot down to a wash and then up around a hill. At the base you can see some rocks displaying petroglyphs. When you get to the top, you are quite close to several rocks with large carvings (spiral circles, etc.). There was adequate parking divided into a lower and upper lot. It may get crowded at other times, but when we visited (early) there were spots available. The Valley View trail is a bit longer but is mostly level. It winds through cactuses for a while until it ends at a point which overlooks the land to the west. You get a huge vista from this point, though on the day we went there was a lot of dust in the air which cut down on the view. Parking here was limited, but people just parked along the (1-way) road after the lot filled up. That could add a bit of extra hiking. Neither of these hikes is that strenuous. We spent a bit over 2 hours here, but it would have been a bit shorter if we'd started the loop at the correct end.

5/5 TOP RECOMMENDATION! Saguaro is now one of my favorite national parks in the country! If you're…read morea fan of cacti and the intricacies of plant life this is the spot for you. There's so many shapes and sizes you'll run into. The massive amount of cacti and plant life is astounding in such a vast desert environment. The park is super popular with Tucson locals and visitors alike. It's a perfect place for an adventure and introverts! I saw people relaxing as they marveled at the landscape around them. Saguaro is about 20 mins from Tucson. The roads are smooth inside the park and signage is pretty clear. Just don't go off the beaten trail and watch for rattle snakes! I felt safe, but it's always good to be cautious. The visitor center is sizable, it's got a cool gift shop, mini-museum, and information booth. I bought a National Park Passport so I can start stamping and inserting cancellations to my book. It's a perfect way to track your adventures across the US. The staff are slightly wet blankets, but hey I didn't come to see them. Guess they must be jealous!

Saguaro National Park. Dec 1, 2025. My husband and I are frequent visitors to National Parks, and…read moreconsider them to be one of our country's greatest resources. We're visiting the Tucson area this week specifically so we could visit Saguaro NP, a part of the Sonoran Desert. This park has two districts -- both in the Tucson area and separated by about a one-hour drive -- the Tucson Mountain District (West) and the Rincon Mountain District (East). This review refers to our visit today to the Tucson Mountain District. We started our day at the Red Hills Visitor Center, where our first activity was to check-in with a ranger regarding admission fees. Entry fees are $25 per private vehicle, $20 per motorcycle, and $15 per person entering on foot or bicycle, with passes valid for seven days for both park districts. We have an America the Beautiful Lifetime Pass, so admission was free. After showing our pass credentials to a ranger, she gave us the park brochure and then directed us to a colleague who gave us hiking maps for both parks and walked us through our options. Both were very friendly and helpful. The Visitor Center offers information, exhibits, films (4 today, but we were off-schedule), a NP cancellation station,a gift shop offering t-shirts and other souvenirs (had to buy some cacti candies, Native-made soaps, and a requisite refrigerator magnet!), the Cactus Garden Trail, a wheelchair-accessible walkway through a variety of desert plants, a clean restroom, and, importantly, the park's only potable water. It's important to stay hydrated in the desert! After the Visitors Center, our next activity was to begin to drive the Bajada Loop Drive, which is a 5-mile loop drive on an unpaved road. While unpaved, the road is in good condition and does not require 4WD. No oversized vehicles are allowed. (Note that there's a 1.2 mile offshoot from the main loop, along Golden Gate Rd, to the Ez-Kim-In-Zin picnic area that we found to be rougher in our small rental car. We turned around). What's particularly fun about the loop road is that you can enjoy the desert surroundings from the comfort of your car, or get out to explore the desert on well-marked trails or stop at one of the picnic areas. We ate our lunch at the Sus picnic area, under a shade ramada. It has picnic tables, grills, and a clean pit toilet and hand sanitizer but no water. We parked up the road to hike the Valley View Overlook Trail, which was only 0.8-mile roundtrip, family-friendly, and rated easy, but had it all - views of the mountains, desert, saguaro forests, and the valley. There were two benches at the turn-around point, with views of the valleys. The elevation change was only 52'. In the words of the Hiking Guide, most "trails are natural soil with some rock steps. ... Many trails have low lines of rock angled across the trail, These are called "water bars" and are installed to slow and divert rain runoff to reduce the formation of gullies." Also on the loop road was the Signal Hill roundtrip (0.3 mile) trail which leads to dozens of drawings etched into rock that date to the Hohokam period, 450-1450 CE. We also returned to walk the Desert Discovery Nature Trail, a flat, paved, and accessible 0.5 mile loop through a stand of large saguaros that begins at a parking area about one mile north of the Visitors Center. (The small parking lot was full earlier in the day). We touched only a small fraction of the 175 miles of trails in the two districts of the park. We'll have to return again someday.

Back again, my Wife is going to do Phone Line Trail at the top of Sabino with 3 friends…read more Tough trail. i ll be back at 2 to pick her up. Starts at 0830. all good.

Sabino always delivers. I have noticed less rangers, less maintained bathrooms and trash cans…read more(thank you Trump administration) but overall this is our favorite park in metro Tucson. Always crowded.

Nancy is fantastic!! We would have never seen Iceland if it were not for Nancy. She booked a trip…read moreto England for us. She then asked if we wanted to stop in Iceland and spend sometime at no extra airline cost. She told us that Iceland Air would let you stop in Iceland, stay up to 7 days, get back on the plan and continue on to your original destination at no cost!! Thank you Nancy!!

Excellent service by Nancy to fit budget and accommodations!…read moreNancy put together a lovely trip for 2 to Greece for 2 weeks!