Upcoming Events

To the desert and beyond! Our hands-on, minds-on camps will open your eyes to the Sonoran Desert region’s diverse land and sea. Campers will explore every nook and cranny of the Museum as they use science to make their own desert discoveries, observe live animals up close, create art, and chill out in our Packrat Playhouse.

Water is one of the most precious resources in the Sonoran Desert, which includes the Gulf of California. Help us celebrate the big blue and have a jaw-some time! Please wear blue in honor of World Oceans Day!

Tonight's Schedule:

6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Hands-on Activities and Education:
Conservation activities and info from: Desert Dolphins, The Dive Shop, University of Arizona Biosphere 2, Civano Community School, Fin Foundation, and CEDO: Intercultural Center for the study of Deserts and Oceans.


Presentations in the Warden Oasis Theater:

6:30 p.m. Our Changing Oceans
Join our featured speaker, Shaun Pipes, from the Fin Foundation as he discusses how climate change and other impacts of human activities are changing the oceans in profound ways. We’ll dive into how rising temperatures, ocean acidification, and pollution are altering marine ecosystems and threatening biodiversity. Additionally, we will examine the alarming consequences of icecap melt, including rising sea levels and changes in ocean circulation patterns. Finally, we will discuss current conservation efforts and innovative solutions aimed at protecting our oceans, from marine protected areas to sustainable fishing practices and global climate action. By understanding these challenges and solutions, we can take meaningful steps toward preserving the health of our oceans for future generations.

8:00 p.m. Aquaculture: Farming a Responsible Seafood Future
Enjoy the cool of the airconditioned Warden Oasis Theater while listening to our featured speaker, Bill Hoenig from Global Seafood Alliance. Bill is the Director of Market Development-Latin America, and a Responsible Seafood Advocate.

To the desert and beyond! Our hands-on, minds-on camps will open your eyes to the Sonoran Desert region’s diverse land and sea. Campers will explore every nook and cranny of the Museum as they use science to make their own desert discoveries, observe live animals up close, create art, and chill out in our Packrat Playhouse.

Let's celebrate the spectacular starry skies! Tucson is arguably the best city for stargazing in the United States. View the wonders of the night skies at one of our telescope stations and enjoy space-themed activities and lectures.

Tonight's Schedule:

6:00 - 10:00 p.m.
Hands-on Activities and Education:
Discover the celestial skies through telescopes throughout grounds. With experts on-hand, learn about what you're viewing and ask all your burning questions!

Warden Oasis Theater:
7:00 p.m. Talk by Sadie Carmen of Noir Lab.
8:00 p.m. Talk by Ruskin Hartley of the International Dark Skies Association.
More details on each lecture to be announced.

Coati Kids Club families are invited to a special event in our education classrooms and around the grounds: Solstice Celebration.

Celebrate and explore the desert dwellers that call our grounds home. Many Sonoran Desert flora and fauna are more active during summer nights, like the evening primrose or kangaroo rats. Witness the desert coming alive at night as nocturnal animals awake. Bats perform aerial acrobatics in pursuit of dinner, otters splash around in their pond, and scorpions glow green under black light. Grab a refreshing drink and wander, experience a live animal encounter, scamper in Packrat Playhouse, feel the touch of a stingray, or participate in special nightly activities!

Tonight's Schedule:
First 200 guests receive a FREE blacklight flashlight! Explore the desert dwellers hidden in the night.

Presentations in the Warden Oasis Theater:
6:30 p.m. Sonoran Animal Spotlight
7:30 p.m. Sonoran Animal Spotlight

Did you know the Desert Museum has its own Art Institute and two galleries on-site? Explore the world of the arts throughout grounds!

Tonight's Schedule:

6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Witness the magic of plein air artists across grounds and enjoy live music!

6:00 - 9:00 p.m.
Hands-on Activities and Education:
Coloring station, art scavenger hunt with prizes at the Ironwood Gallery, and paint your very own 3D gila monster!

Discover the many colors of the Sonoran Desert as we observe the world around us through the lenses of culture, art, and science. During the day we will explore the Desert Museum grounds, have up close live animal experiences, learn with Tohono O’odham and NOIRlab teachers, as well as create projects out of natural materials using nature as our inspiration. Each day brings a new adventure as we explore the colors of the desert!

To the desert and beyond! Our hands-on, minds-on camps will open your eyes to the Sonoran Desert region’s diverse land and sea. Campers will explore every nook and cranny of the Museum as they use science to make their own desert discoveries, observe live animals up close, create art, and chill out in our Packrat Playhouse.

Become a certified Young Naturalist at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum! Gain confidence, form connections, and explore careers as you learn about the Sonoran Desert. Build skills in plant, animal, and mineral identification, nature conservation, and outdoor safety. Discover ecological relationships through nature journaling. Learn and use your art, science, and nature skills with the Desert Museum. See yourself as a part of the ecosystem around you and earn an official Young Naturalist Certificate!

Coati Kids Club families are invited to a special event in our education classrooms and around the grounds: Santa Rita Overnight Adventure.

Become a certified Young Naturalist at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum! Gain confidence, form connections, and explore careers as you learn about the Sonoran Desert. Build skills in plant, animal, and mineral identification, nature conservation, and outdoor safety. Discover ecological relationships through nature journaling. Learn and use your art, science, and nature skills with the Desert Museum. See yourself as a part of the ecosystem around you and earn an official Young Naturalist Certificate!

Become a certified Young Naturalist at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum! Gain confidence, form connections, and explore careers as you learn about the Sonoran Desert. Build skills in plant, animal, and mineral identification, nature conservation, and outdoor safety. Discover ecological relationships through nature journaling. Learn and use your art, science, and nature skills with the Desert Museum. See yourself as a part of the ecosystem around you and earn an official Young Naturalist Certificate!

Coati Kids Club families are invited to a special event in our education classrooms and around the grounds: Migration Exploration.

Become a certified Young Naturalist at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum! Gain confidence, form connections, and explore careers as you learn about the Sonoran Desert. Build skills in plant, animal, and mineral identification, nature conservation, and outdoor safety. Discover ecological relationships through nature journaling. Learn and use your art, science, and nature skills with the Desert Museum. See yourself as a part of the ecosystem around you and earn an official Young Naturalist Certificate!

Girl Scouts and accompanying adults explore the grounds and complete activities to earn their naturalist badges. Registration is through the Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona.

Become a certified Young Naturalist at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum! Gain confidence, form connections, and explore careers as you learn about the Sonoran Desert. Build skills in plant, animal, and mineral identification, nature conservation, and outdoor safety. Discover ecological relationships through nature journaling. Learn and use your art, science, and nature skills with the Desert Museum. See yourself as a part of the ecosystem around you and earn an official Young Naturalist Certificate!

Become a certified Young Naturalist at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum! Gain confidence, form connections, and explore careers as you learn about the Sonoran Desert. Build skills in plant, animal, and mineral identification, nature conservation, and outdoor safety. Discover ecological relationships through nature journaling. Learn and use your art, science, and nature skills with the Desert Museum. See yourself as a part of the ecosystem around you and earn an official Young Naturalist Certificate!

Coati Kids Club families are invited to a special event in our education classrooms and around the grounds: Migration Exploration.

Become a certified Young Naturalist at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum! Gain confidence, form connections, and explore careers as you learn about the Sonoran Desert. Build skills in plant, animal, and mineral identification, nature conservation, and outdoor safety. Discover ecological relationships through nature journaling. Learn and use your art, science, and nature skills with the Desert Museum. See yourself as a part of the ecosystem around you and earn an official Young Naturalist Certificate!

Become a certified Young Naturalist at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum! Gain confidence, form connections, and explore careers as you learn about the Sonoran Desert. Build skills in plant, animal, and mineral identification, nature conservation, and outdoor safety. Discover ecological relationships through nature journaling. Learn and use your art, science, and nature skills with the Desert Museum. See yourself as a part of the ecosystem around you and earn an official Young Naturalist Certificate!