Daily Tours, Programs & Eco-Stations
The best way to learn about the Sonoran Desert is to experience it firsthand. That’s why we offer daily tours of our garden which cover a wide range of topics. Whether you’re a nature enthusiast, an art aficionado, or an aspiring botanist, there is a tour for everyone!
A member of our trained docent team will lead you through the gardens and teach you everything you need to know about this unique ecosystem. Our daily tours are a great way to acquaint yourself with the grounds and take home some valuable information about the Sonoran desert.
To receive the most up-to-date information, please follow us on social media or sign up for our email newsletters.
Featured Tours & Programs
Connecting Plants and People
June – August
Fridays | 8:30 AM
Discover the edible and useful plants of the Sonoran Desert.
Walk in the Gardens
June – August
Daily | 8 AM + 9 AM
Get an intimate look at the plants and animals that call Tohono Chul home! Learn more about desert wildlife and how to identify common native plants as we take a stroll through the beautiful grounds.
Nature Journaling
June – August
Thursdays | 7 AM
Join the Southern Arizona Nature Journal Club at Tohono Chul to sketch, observe, and spend time with fellow nature enthusiasts.
Daily Tours
*subject to volunteer availability
Walk in the Gardens | Daily
Experience Tohono Chul while learning about the ecology of the Sonoran Desert.
September – May | 9 am + 10 am
June – August | 8 am + 9 am
Gallery Buzz | Tuesdays + Thursdays
Check out our latest art and cultural exhibits.
September – May | 11 am
June – August | Summer Vacation
Connecting Plants and People | Fridays
Discover the edible and useful plants of the Sonoran Desert.
September – May | 10:30 am
June – August | 8:30 am
Poetry & Plant Walk | Saturdays
Celebrate the Sonoran Desert through the words of poets and naturalists.
September – May | 8:30am
June – August | Summer Vacation
Special Programs
*subject to volunteer availability and weather conditions
Reptile Ramble | Fridays
Get up close and personal with the Sonoran Desert’s scaled and slithery creatures from snakes and lizards to tortoises and turtles.
September – October | 10 am – 11 am
March – May | 10 am – 11 am
Birds of Prey | 2nd + 4th Wednesdays
Explore the secret lives of the Southwest’s amazing birds with wildlife rehabilitator Kathie Schroeder and friends from the Arizona Raptor Center.
October – December | 11 am – 1 pm
February – April | 11 am – 1 pm
Eco-Stations
*subject to volunteer availability
September – May | 9am – 11am
June – August | 8am – 10am
Ocean to Desert | Tuesdays
Explore the intertidal zones of the Gulf of California and witness how the desert changes as you travel inland.
Rocks and Ruins | Wednesdays
Discover the geology and archaeology of the Tucson Basin.
Desert Chow | Thursdays
Follow the predator/prey chain and explore a tangled food web.
Creepy Crawlies | Fridays
Sometimes scary, but always cool! Spiders, scorpions, snakes, and lizards.
Plants and People | Saturdays
Living side by side for millennia, plant use has shaped people along the way.
Winged Things | Sundays
From birds to butterflies, a look at the winged things of the skies.
All Tours, Special Programs, and Eco-Stations are subject to volunteer availability and weather conditions. Included with admission. For more information about upcoming events at Tohono Chul: