While visiting a friend in Tucson, he suggested that we go out the the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum. He had never been there. I had never heard of it, but I usually enjoy museums. My son was with me too. He also tends to like museums. So six of us headed over the mountains and out to the museum.

What an amazing place!!!

It is like a natural history museum, an arboretum, aviary, and a zoo, all rolled into one. We marveled at the cave exhibits which showed how caves form, the types of animals that are found in them, and the various types of minerals which are extracted from the earth.

We enjoyed the riparian display, which showed otters, beavers, fish, and other animals which live in and around rivers and water holes in the desert environment.

We saw displays which showed the big mammals found in the desert; deer, cougars, ocelots, bighorn sheep, and black bears. These displays all looked like very natural habitats.

There was also a nice exhibit which displayed many of the arthropods and reptiles which are found in the area. There were a variety of snakes and lizards, including the Gila monster and the Mexican beaded lizard. There tarantulas, scorpions, and other representatives of the arthropods. All of the displays were well-done.

The grounds were covered with a wide variety of desert flora. It was very carefully placed to look natural, yet it was placed in many areas in such a way as to provide the visitors with much needed shade.

We spent about 3-4 hours there. We could have easily spent several more and walked along the many nature trails through the museum. But alas, the flight home waits for no one. We were more or less forced to leave so that we wouldn’t miss our plane.

This is definitely a place worth visiting.