The city of Tucson (pronounced Too-sahn) is a great city to begin your tour of the Mexican Copper Canyon as its location makes travelling to Mexico. The city of Tucson itself offers a wide range of activities for tourists to partake in such as visiting wildlife museums and national planetarium observatories, to name a few.

For science enthusiasts, head to the Flandrau Science Centre and Planetarium which is located on the University of Arizona’s campus in Tucson. Here you can witness both standard star shows and laser light shows which are set to music. Exhibits feature minerals and hands-on demonstrations for all ages. During clear evenings, gaze through the 16- inch telescope to the view the stars in the sky. Science enthusiasts will also really enjoy the Biosphere 2, which is one of the largest living laboratories in the world. It is an airtight greenhouse covering 3.15 acres and 7.2 million cubic feet of volume. Inside Biosphere 2 is a rainforest, a million gallon salt-water ocean, a coastal fog desert, and four other wilderness ecosystems, which are fun for everyone! 

Nature lovers will have a great time at the International Wildlife Museum, which was built as a replica of a French Foreign Legion in Chad, Africa. This museum features over 400 different kinds of insects, birds and mammals from Arizona and around the world. There are many interactive videos and exhibits, which will enhance your experience at the museum.

Next, an afternoon at Old Tucson Studios Theme Park and Movie Studio is in order! This theme park was built in 1939 and has been used for more than 300 different film and television productions. Highlights of the park include gunfights; gold panning and a ride through a haunted copper mine. This is a great theme park for the entire family!

A trip to Tucson would not be complete without a visit to the Colossal Cave Mountain Park. This beautiful 2,000-acre desert park showcases crystal-filled Colossal Caves as well as the historic La Posta Quemada Ranch. Tour the cave, visit the historical museum, picnic, go for a hike or experience a real Western Trail ride.

Whether you are looking at the world through a telescope at the Kitt Peak National Observatory, visiting the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, or admiring the animals found at the Sonoran Sea Aquarium, Tucson offers its visitors a way to step back in time as well as jump into the future with a visit to this unique city.