DAILY TOURS AND ECO-STATIONS
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When available, all public tours are included in the price of admission, no reservations are necessary. For bus tours, corporate, or destination management companies please contact marketing@tohonochul.org.
Wildflowers — What’s Bloomin’?
Tuesdays, Thursdays, & Saturdays at 10:30 am
Spring has sprung (well, almost)! Join us for a floral adventure as we guide you through the gardens to explore the colors of spring. Be sure to bring your camera with you as we explore our annual wildflowers!
Butterflies and their Plants
Saturdays and Sundays at 11 am
Explore the seasonal world of butterflies and discover the plants favored by caterpillars and adults! This tour through the gardens provides a unique opportunity to observe these colorful creatures up close and personal in a natural environment—that is, if you know which plants caterpillars prefer and what flowers adult butterflies love!
Reptile Ramble
March – May | Fridays at 10 am | Overlook
Learn to identify resident reptiles and find the answer to the age-old question, “Why do lizards do push-ups?” Be prepared to meet a few non-venomous snakes, perhaps a lizard or even a tortoise.
Weekly Happenings
MONDAYS
TOUR | Birds of Tohono Chul
Year-round: 8:30 am
ECO STATION | Winged Things | Overlook
May-Sept: 9 am to 11 am | Oct-Apr: 11 am to 1 pm
TOUR | Walk in the Gardens
May-Sept: 10 am | Oct-Apr: 10 am , 12 pm & 2 pm
TUESDAYS
ECO STATION | Ocean to Desert | Overlook
May-Sept: 9 am to 11 am | Oct-Apr: 11 am to 1 am
TOUR | Walk in the Gardens
May-Sept: 10 am | Oct-Apr: 10 am, 12 pm & 2 pm
TOUR | Wildflowers: What’s Bloomin’?
Mar-Apr: 10:30 am
EVENT | Gallery Buzz | Oct-Apr: 11 am
WEDNESDAYS
TOUR | Birds of Tohono Chul
Year-round: 8:30 am
ECO STATION | Rock & Ruins | Overlook
May-Sept: 9 am to 11 am | Oct-Apr: 11 am to 1 pm
TOUR | Walk in the Gardens
May-Sept: 10 am | Oct-Apr: 10 am, 12 pm & 2 pm
EVENT | Birds of Prey – Night & Day | Children’s Ramada |
Feb-Apr | 2nd & 4th Wednesdays | 11 am to 1 pm
THURSDAYS
ECO STATION | Desert Chow | Overlook
May-Sept: 9 am to 11 am | Oct-Apr: 11 am to 1 pm
TOUR | Walk in the Gardens
May-Sept: 10 am | Oct-Apr: 10 am, 12 pm & 2 pm
TOUR | Wildflowers: What’s Bloomin’?
Mar-Apr: 10:30 am
EVENT | Gallery Buzz | Oct-Apr: 11 am
FRIDAYS
TOUR | Birds of Tohono Chul
Year-round: 8:30 am
ECO STATION | Creepy Crawlies | Overlook
May-Sept: 9 am to 11 am | Oct-Apr: 11 am to 1 pm
TOUR | Walk in the Gardens
May-Sept: 10 am | Oct-Apr: 10 am, 12 pm & 2 pm
TOUR | Connecting Plants & People
Year-round: 11 am
EVENT | Reptile Ramble | Overlook |
mid-Aug to mid-Nov & Mar-May | 10 am
SATURDAYS
TOUR | Birds of Tohono Chul
Year-round: 8:30 am
TOUR | Desert Landscaping
Year-round: 9 am
ECO-STATION | Plants and People | Overlook
May-Sept: 9 am to 11 am | Oct-Apr: 11 am to 1 pm
TOUR | Walk in the Gardens
May-Sept: 10 am | Oct-Apr: 10 am, 12 pm & 2 pm
TOUR | Butterflies & Their Plants
Year-round: 11 am
TOUR | Wildflowers: What’s Bloomin’?
Mar-Apr: 10:30 am
SUNDAYS
TOUR | Walk in the Gardens
May-Sept: 10 am | Oct-Apr: 10 am, 12 pm & 2 pm
TOUR | Butterflies & Their Plants
Year-round: 11 am
TOUR | Art in the Gardens | Oct-Apr: 12 pm
Activity Descriptions
Walk in the Gardens –
Experience Tohono Chul while learning some of the basics of the ecology of the Sonoran Desert.
Birds of Tohono Chul –
Learn to identify residents and those just passing through, plus information on habits and habitat.
Download Tohono Chul Bird Checklist (PDF)
Gallery Buzz –
Catch the latest look at our changing art and cultural exhibits.
Stories in the Garden –
Traditional and original stories about the desert and its creatures in the Children’s Ramada.
Wildflowers: What’s Bloomin’? –
Bring your camera to capture the colors of spring and develop more than a nodding acquaintance with our annual wildflowers. View the Wildflower ID Guide here.
Reptile Ramble –
Learn to identify resident reptiles and find the answer to the age-old question, “Why do lizards do push-ups?” Be prepared to meet a few non-venomous reptiles, perhaps a lizard or even a tortoise, and a few venomous, rattlesnakes and or a Gila monster.
Connecting Plants and People –
Discover the edible and useful plants of the Sonoran Desert.
Butterflies and Their Plants –
Explore the seasonal world of butterflies and discover the plants favored by caterpillars and adults.
Desert Landscaping –
Unearth the how-tos for using native and arid-adapted plants in water-saving landscapes.
Art in the Gardens
Get to know the sculptures and art pieces that embellish our gardens.
Eco-Stations at the Overlook
These touch carts, staffed by Docents, feature hands-on Sonoran Desert learning opportunities for visitors of all ages. Stocked with everything from binoculars and hand lenses to mounted specimens and scientific models, and supplemented with an amazing array of feathers, bones, skins, and plant parts, these investigation stations allow for a full range of sensory experiences.
Winged Things – Mondays
From birds to butterflies, a look at the winged things of the skies
Ocean to Desert – Tuesdays
Explore the tide zones of the Gulf of California and witness how the desert changes as you travel inland
Rocks and Ruins – Wednesdays
Explore Tucson Basin geology and archaeology
Desert Chow – Thursdays
Follow the predator/prey trail 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