Things to do in Tucson
presented by Tucson.com

1. DISCOVER THE DESERT IN THE HILLS

Tucked away in Saguaro National Park West lies the Red Hills Visitor Center, which features displays covering the legends and cultural history of the region. Start in the center's theater where you can experience Sonoran living through the eyes and hearts of the Tohono O'odham people as they recite the ancient folklore of their ancestors. An automated slide presentation also provides insight into the Sonoran Desert. Visitors can try one of two easy hiking trails or explore the hands-on photographic displays throughout the center. Make sure to check out the bookshop's extensive collection of reading about the region. The Red Hills Visitor Center is located 18 miles west of Tucson; admission is free. Phone 733-5158.

2. WHERE THE WEST WAS FILMED

One of the most visited attractions in Arizona (after the Grand Canyon), Old Tucson Studios is a movie location with daily "behind-the-scenes" guided tours for the whole family. First established in 1939, the Old West town has been built up from the more than 300 movies and television shows filmed there-including Kurt Russell's Tombstone, John Wayne's Rio Lobo, and the High Chaparral series. Admission fee. For hours, please see www.oldtucson.com, or phone 883-0100. You can also step back in time with a guided tour of Gammons Gulch, a ghost-town movie set with the look and feel of the Old West. This authentic 1890s town is located 12 miles north of Benson and offers tours by reservation during the summer months. Visit www.gammonsgulch.com, or phone 520-212-2831 for reservations.

3. AMERIND FOUNDATION

The Amerind Foundation Museum (Amerind is short for "American Indian") contains a fine collection of archaeological and ethnographic materials. The Amerind Art Gallery features works by Native American and Anglo-American artists. Visit the museum store and enjoy the scenic picnic area. Located east of Benson, an hour from Tucson, in the spectacular rock formations of Texas Canyon. Take I-10 east to exit 318 (Dragoon Rd.). Open 10 a.m.-4 p.m., 7 days a week Oct.-May and Wed.-Sun. June-Sept. Admission fee. Phone 520-586-3666, or visit www.amerind.org.

8. WILLCOX MUSEUMS

Nearby Willcox, birthplace of the late Western film and singing legend Rex Allen, now honors him with the Rex Allen Museum (150 N. Railroad Ave., 520-384-4583), which traces the life of the "Arizona Cowboy" through movie posters, costumes designed by Nudie (of Elvis-outfit fame), and photographs of Allen during his Hollywood heyday. The Chiricahua Regional Museum and Research Center (127 E. Maley St., 520-384- 3971) exhibits focus on the Apache Indians, the Butterfield Stage Line, and area agriculture and ranching. Take I-10 east for 90 miles to exit 336.

9. RAFTING

For some people, rafting means the thrill of white-water rapids. For others, it means drifting down secluded canyons. Arizona's waters offer both types of experiences. Outfitters offer a variety of packages, ranging from a few hours to many days. Phone Arizona River Runners (800-477- 7238), Cimarron Adventures and River Company (480-994-1199), Far Flung Adventures (800-359-4138), Wilderness River Adventures (800-992-8022), or AAM's Mild to Wild Rafting (800-567-6745).

10. CAVES & CAVERNS

Cave explorers of all ages and abilities can have a field day in Arizona. Kartchner Caverns State Park near Benson has been described as an underground nature preserve. Providing spectacular sights in a footballfield- sized room, this living cave also features a 52-foot-tall stone column dubbed Kubla Khan. Guests can now explore the newly opened Big Room- a much-anticipated addition to the tour. Also on the grounds are a hummingbird garden, hiking trails, and campgrounds. Reservations are recommended (520-586-CAVE). Colossal Cave Mountain Park, 20 miles east of Tucson on Old Spanish Trail (647-7275), is a local favorite. Coronado Cave, near the Mexican border and part of the Coronado National Memorial (520-366-5515), is a more primitive cave, but worth the effort to enjoy the cool temperature and calcite formations. Visitors need flashlights, good shoes, and a permit from the visitors center for this 3Ú4-mile hike. All except Coronado Cave charge admission fees.

11. EXPLORING BIOSPHERE 2

Experience hands-on science exhibits that allow visitors to explore the Biosphere 2 while learning about the environment. A nonprofit research and educational center, the 3.1-acre glass-and-steel complex- designed as a prototype for space colonization-contains a million-gallon ocean and living coral reef, a rain forest, savannah, marsh, and desert. For 2004, the center has created a new tour that takes visitors through all parts of the attraction, including the multi-million-dollar conference center and "under the glass" of biosphere itself. The grounds also offer a visitor center complete with a movie on Bio2, a restaurant, hotel, and gift shops. On AZ Hwy. 77 at mile marker 96.5, about 30 miles north of Tucson. Admission fee. Phone 838-6200, or visit www.bio2.edu.

12. AIRPLANE GRAVEYARD

Tucson's "boneyard" has served as a backdrop to numerous videos and movies. If you've missed its cinematic appearances, now might be the time to see it in person. Acres of planes and helicopters laid to rest by the government can be viewed from Kolb Rd., south of Broadway, and retired planes are also on the list of things to see on the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base tour. Phone the Pima Air & Space Museum at 574-0462 for tour schedules.

13. WHITE MOUNTAINS

Whether you've been reading your Hemingway or you're just ready for a break from the desert heat, the White Mountains offer more campsites, pine trees, cold fresh air, and lakes than you can shake a fishing rod at. Found in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest and the White Mountain Apache Indian Reservation in east-central Arizona, this getaway has more than 40 fishing lakes and ponds and 240 miles of trout streams. Some popular fishing spots and campgrounds include Big Lake, Crescent Lake, and Becker Lake; the Tunnel, Bunch, and River Reservoirs; and Lyman Lake State Park. For more information, visit www.wmonline.com.

14. REID PARK ZOO

If you see a young giraffe learning to run across an open field, a polar bear taking a plunge, or ostriches, cranes, and other birds sharing an African grassland with antelope, you must be at Reid Park Zoo. The zoo has carefully created natural habitats and multi-species exhibits-a pleasant setting for animals and visitors alike. The South American exhibit has jaguars, spectacled bears, and capybara. Don't miss the aviary, dubbed the Flight Connection, or the newly added South American Aviary. In Reid Park off 22nd St., between Alvernon Way and Country Club Rd. Open 7 days a week from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission fee. Phone 791-4022.

15. GUEST RANCHES & RIDING

Saddle up and ride through the land that inspires cowboys to write poetry. Guests of Lazy K Bar Guest Ranch (744-3050) can enjoy trail riding, bullriding demonstrations, and Wild West shows. If you already have a place to stay and just want to go on a trail ride, check out Arizona Horseback Experience (883-6807), Pantano Riding Stables (298-8980), Pusch Ridge Stables (825-1664), or Walking Winds Stables at the Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Resort (742-4422), which provides trail rides for guests as well. Or for another option that includes trail and sunset rides, try Big Sky Rides at Hacienda del Sol Guest Ranch Resort (299-RIDE). Phone the Metropolitan Tucson Convention & Visitors Bureau at 800-638-8350, or see its Tucson Official Visitors Guide for more information.

16. TOMBSTONE

About 70 miles southeast of Tucson is the "town too tough to die," where Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp fought the Clantons at the famous OK Corral. Visit Boothill Graveyard, the Crystal Palace Saloon, numerous shops and galleries, and more. Spend the night in one of Tombstone's B&Bs, motels, or RV parks. To get to Tombstone, take I-10 to Benson and head south on AZ Hwy. 80. Phone the Tombstone Office of Tourism at 520-457-3421, or the Tombstone Chamber of Commerce at 520-457-9317 or 888-457-3929, or visit www.tombstone.org.

17. INTERNATIONAL WILDLIFE MUSEUM

Have you ever petted a polar bear? Touched a toucan? Come face-to-face with more than 400 preserved species of mammals, birds, and insects from around the world at Tucson's museum of natural history. You'll find a display on prehistoric mammals, revolving exhibits, and successful conservation projects, as well as interactive displays, a restaurant, theater, and an international gift bazaar. Admission fee. Open Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sat.-Sun. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Located on Speedway Blvd., 5 miles west of I-10. Phone 617-1439.

18. IN A MINER'S SHOES

Walk in the footsteps of a miner on a simulated tour, or meander through the many exhibits at Arizona's mining and mineral museums. The University of Arizona Mineral Museum (on the lower level of Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium, 621-4227) houses one of the largest mineral collections in Southern Arizona, with approximately 2,200 minerals, gemstones, and meteorites on display from its permanent collection of more than 20,000. The Arizona Historical Society (628-5774) features a mineshaft replica, and the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum's Earth Sciences Center (883-2702) has an extensive trove of minerals and exhibits. Travel south to Sahuarita and tour the Asarco Mineral Discovery Center (625- 7513). A little farther south is the Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum (520-432-7071), with stunning mineral collections from prominent pioneer families dating back to the turn of the century. Also in Bisbee, you can check out the Lavender Open Pit Mine or take an underground tour with Queen Mine Tours (520-432-2071). If that's not enough, you can explore the enormous collection of minerals and mining artifacts at the Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum (602-255-3795) in Phoenix.

19. AIR, SPACE & DEFENSE MUSEUMS

One of the largest collections of historic aircraft in the US is at the Pima Air & Space Museum, 6000 E. Valencia Rd. Its Space Gallery offers a historic look at space travel, while several hangars house memorabilia, airplanes, and displays. More than 250 aircraft are on display, inside and out, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Admission charge. Phone 574-0462. While you're there, stop by the Challenger Learning Center, where you'll find a mission briefing room, transportation room, mission-control area, and space station. Another sure bet is the underground tour at the Titan Missile Museum. You can see the massive 760-ton roll-back silo door, visit the launch-control center, and watch demonstrations of countdown procedures. In Sahuarita (take Duval Mine Rd., exit 69 off I-19). Phone 625-7736. Take a jaunt into Southeastern Arizona for Fort Huachuca's Main, Annex, and Intelligence Museums. The Main and Annex Museums explore our military past from 1877 to the present (520-533-5736), and the Intelligence Museum records Fort Huachuca's place in the history of US Army intelligence. Open weekdays 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and weekends 1-4 p.m. Free admission, but $2 suggested donation.

20. WATERFALLS

In late summer, monsoon rains turn Tucson washes into rivers, and craggy mountain watersheds create spectacular falls. Seven Falls, in Lower Bear Canyon, can be reached by tram from the Sabino Canyon visitors center and a 5.5-mile round-trip hike. To reach Tanque Verde Falls, take Tanque Verde Rd. until it turns into Redington Rd. and then a graded gravel road as it curves up into the lower northwest corner of the Rincon Mountains. Walk down the trail to the base of the falls. As the warning sign says, many hikers have died due to carelessness, so remember that rocks can be extremely slippery, waters have strong currents, and you can get the best view looking up from the base of the falls-not peering over the top. Contact the Santa Catalina Ranger District, 520-749-8700.