Its captivating Southwestern terrain and active metropolitan surroundings make Tucson a majestic location with a rich heritage. Located in the Sonoran Desert, student group travel planners can take advantage of this city’s adventurous outdoor activities and other popular attractions, including museums, performing arts and annual festivals. Tucson’s awe-inspiring environment offers school trip experiences packed with culture, Native American history and open-air exploration.
Top Student Travel Attractions in Tucson
There are over 120 parks to visit in Tucson, such as the Coronado National Forest, Saguaro National Park and Sabino Canyon. Hiking, cycling and camping are among the most popular outdoor activities for students. Twenty minutes north of the city, Biosphere 2 is a 3.15-acre research complex that contains an enclosed ecological system home to an ocean, rainforest and deserts. Guided tours of the facility include exhibits and multi-media displays.
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is a world-renowned zoo, botanical garden and natural history museum that recreates the Sonora Desert region landscape with more than 300 animal species and 1,200 kinds of plants. Over 100 years of aerospace history can be explored in the Pima Air and Space Museum with 300 aircraft on 80-acres of land.
Popular Sightseeing Tours in Tucson for Students
The Tucson City Tour allows students to discover the city’s origins as established by the Spanish Conquistadors in the 1500s while visiting such sites as El Tiradito Shrine, Snob Hallow, Old Town and “A” Mountain. History of the American Cowboy is a tour of the real Old West including Tombstone, the real-life site of “O.K. Corral’s Gunfight” and numerous Hollywood movies. Students learn about the Native American warriors’ victories and defeats in the Warriors Past and Present tour. School trips can find out how Western films are created on the Old Tucson Studios tour of a mock Western town built as a set for the 1939 movie Arizona and later used in over 70 movies.
Student Performance Venues in Tuscon
The Reid Park Demeester Outdoor Performance Center, with an accommodation of up to 7,000, is fully equipped with an amplification system and lighting. Lincoln Park Children’s Outdoor Performance Area is not designed for large scale concerts, however, it has a 700 square-foot event Gazebo and amphitheater measuring 40-feet deep and 52-feet wide. Although the facility is intended for equestrian use, Rodeo Grounds is a 36-acre arena with grandstand seating that is occasionally used for musical concerts.
Student Accommodations in Tucson
Tucson, Arizona
The Comfort Inn Tucson has 67 guest rooms and is centrally located one block west of I-10. Best Western Royal Sun Inn and Suites is situated less than a mile from the middle of downtown Tucson. Holiday Inn and Suites Tucson Airport North has simple access to the airport and most attractions, including Pima Air & Space Museum and Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.
Food & Dining for Students in Tuscon
Student-friendly local restaurants include: Hungry Fox, Arizona Pizza, Art’s BBQ, Zinburger and 5 & Diner.
Tuscon’s Student Friendly Festivals & Events
Tucson Gem and Mineral Show
Several of Tucson’s annual festivals and events are as follows: Tucson Gem and Mineral Show in February; Tucson Folk Festival held on the first Saturday and Sunday of May; the Fourth Avenue Street Fair in December and March.
Tucson’s unique landscape will provide memorable outdoor experiences for any school trip. With cultural heritage that can only be found in America’s southwest region, this city is a perfect balance of education and recreation.
