Plan Your Visit
Tohono Chul is a vibrant 49-acre public garden and nature preserve located in Northwest Tucson, Arizona, celebrating the natural beauty, art, and culture of the Sonoran Desert and its neighboring regions. The garden features lush landscapes, scenic walking paths, native flora, and desert wildlife. In addition, visitors can enjoy art galleries, local shopping, an array of year-round cultural programs, children’s activities, sales and special events, classes/workshops, daily tours, and more!
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SUMMER ADMISSION
May 25 – Sept. 7
Member: Free
General: $15
Senior (62+): $13
Youth (2-17): $8
Children (under 2): Free
*Active Military: Free
*Museums for All: $3
SPECIAL DISCOUNTS
- Blue Star Museums | Every Year, Tohono Chul offers free admission for active duty military and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Learn more.
- Museums for All | Admission of $3 per person for up to 4 people is available for families with SNAP or WIC cards and valid IDs through the Museums for All program.
- Culture Pass | Act One’s Culture Pass program offers free passes to museums, gardens, and more through libraries statewide—visit your local library to check one out today! Learn more.
ADMISSION-FREE OFFERINGS
Access to the Garden Bistro, La Fuente Museum Shop, La Entrada Garden Shop, and the Desert Corner Nursery are not subject to admission charges. General admission rates and guest passes do not apply to ticketed special events.
SUMMER HOURS
May 25 – Sept. 7
Tohono Chul grounds:
7 am – 2 pm | Daily
Exhibit House Galleries:
8 am – 2 pm | Daily
Desert Corner Nursery: 8 am – 2 pm | Daily
La Fuente Shop: 8 am – 2 pm | Daily
La Galeria Shop: Closed Daily | Open during Chillin’ at the Chul, Fri. & Sat., 6pm – 9 pm
Children’s Museum Oro Valley at Tohono Chul:
9 am – 12:30 pm | Tuesday – Sunday
Administrative Offices:
9 am – 5 pm | Monday – Friday
Garden Bistro:
8 am – 2 pm | Daily
Holiday Closures:
Tohono Chul, the Garden Bistro, and Children’s Museum Oro Valley are closed on New Year’s Day, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, & Christmas
Christmas Eve: 8 am – 3 pm
Christmas Day: Closed
New Year’s Eve: 8 am – 3 pm
New Year’s Day: Closed
SPECIAL EVENTS
Tohono Chul offers a diverse array of special events, concerts, classes and workshops, daily tours and eco-stations, children’s events, and Ed-Ventures year-round.
SERVICE ANIMAL POLICY
Pets are not allowed on the grounds and should not be left in your car. However, as provided for by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Arizona State Law, service animals and service animals in training are welcome. We ask that you and your service animal check in with Admissions when you arrive. While a license or documentation is not required, we are allowed to ask whether the animal is needed because of a disability and what work or task the animal has been trained to perform for you.
Please note that most of our grounds are natural Sonoran Desert, which may be unsuitable for some animals. Temperatures can rise above 100° with correspondingly high surface temperatures that can be harmful to a dog’s feet. Spiny cactus and other plants, as well as potentially dangerous (coyotes and javelina) or venomous (rattlesnakes and scorpions) animals, may also be encountered along the trails.
Tohono Chul does not allow therapy or emotional support animals, not defined as service animals under the ADA.
PARKING
On-site parking is available just inside the entrance at Paseo del Norte. Parking for motor homes and buses is available along the exit drive. If attending an event at the Education Center, parking is open in the adjacent lot off Northern Avenue (off of Ina Road).
ACCESSIBILITY
Grounds, buildings, and most trails are handicapped accessible. Handicapped parking is available in both public parking lots. Wheelchairs are available at Admissions on a first-come basis. For more information, please call our admissions office at (520) 742-6455 x 240.
DISCOUNTED ADMISSION PRESENTED BY:
About the Gardens
Scattered across Tohono Chul’s 49 acres are several unique botanical gardens with varying themes.
- Ethnobotanical Garden
- Hummingbird Garden
- Penstemon Garden
- Desert Palm Oasis
- Performance Garden
- Children’s Garden
- Streamside Garden
- Sin Agua Garden
- Sonoran Seasons Garden
- Succulent Garden
Awards & Acknowledgements
2024 COPPER CACTUS AWARDS
WINNER | Copper Cactus Awards, Tucson Electric Power Social Impact Award ($2,000,000+ revenue)
BEST OF THE NORTHWEST
2025 WINNER | Voted Best Plant Nursery/Garden Center for Desert Corner Nursery, Best Event/Festival for Holiday Nights, Best Brunch for the Garden Bistro, and Best Art Gallery by Tucson Local Media’s Explorer Newspaper.
2024 WINNER | Voted Best Plant Nursery/Garden Center for Desert Corner Nursery and Best Event/Festival for Holiday Nights by Tucson Local Media’s Explorer Newspaper.
2023 WINNER | Voted Best Place to Take Visitors by Tucson Local Media’s Explorer Newspaper.
Reciprocal Admissions Program
Your Passport to Public Gardens Across North America!
A current membership card from the American Horticultural Society or a garden participating in the AHS Reciprocal Garden Network entitles you to special admission privileges and discounts at 360+ gardens throughout North America, including Desert Botanical Garden (DBG) in Phoenix, AZ!
Show your membership card at the admissions window for access to the gardens!
Visitor Guidelines & Safety
Please review these safety tips to ensure a great experience for you and other visitors!
Respectful Conduct
- Tohono Chul is committed to providing a safe, welcoming, and respectful environment for all visitors.
- Guests may be asked to leave if they engage in threatening, harassing, or disruptive behavior, or display clothing, signs, gestures, or materials that reasonably promote violence, threaten others, or create an unsafe environment.
- Help us maintain a peaceful atmosphere by keeping noise levels down and respecting the experience of other visitors.
- During special events and programs, please follow any additional instructions provided by staff.
Garden & Wildlife
- Please be gentle with our animal residents. Do not yell, tap on exhibits, throw objects, or attempt to touch wildlife.
- Observe animals from a safe distance, and alert staff if you encounter a potentially dangerous animal.
- Please do not feed wildlife, including free-roaming birds, reptiles, and squirrels.
- Help us keep our gardens beautiful by leaving flowers and plants where they belong. If you fall in love with a plant, stop by the Desert Corner Nursery to see if it’s available for purchase!
Visitor Safety
- Stay on designated paths and do not enter staff-only or restricted areas.
- Firearms and other weapons are not permitted on Tohono Chul grounds.
- For the safety of our guests and wildlife, drones and other flying devices are not permitted without prior approval.
- Children must be supervised by an adult or guardian at all times, including during family events and at Children’s Museum Oro Valley.
- Arizona weather can change quickly. Wear comfortable, closed-toe shoes, a hat, and sunscreen, bring a water bottle, and take advantage of refill stations throughout the gardens.
- Seek shade or shelter if needed.
- Don’t hesitate to ask a staff member or volunteer if you need assistance—we’re here to help!
Food & Cleanliness
- Outside food and drinks are welcome at our picnic tables but are not permitted during special events or inside the Garden Bistro.
- Please clean up after yourself using the trash receptacles located throughout the grounds.
- Smoking is not permitted anywhere on the grounds.
- Please dispose of trash in designated receptacles and recycle whenever possible.
Photography
- Photography for personal use is encouraged. Please avoid using flash or large equipment that could disturb plants, wildlife, or other visitors, and respect the privacy of those around you.
- Commercial photography requires prior approval. To inquire about location shoots at Tohono Chul, please contact marketingteam@tohonochul.org. During busy periods, response times may be longer than usual, so please submit your request as far in advance as possible.
Diversity & Land Acknowledgement
As an organization, Tohono Chul strives to uphold the values of diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion.
Our 49-acre grounds sustain thousands of native and desert-adapted plants and are home to a wide range of Sonoran Desert animals whose lives are inextricably linked to that flora. Complementing this natural diversity, our staff and volunteers are people whose differing races, ethnicities, gender identities, ages, religious beliefs, physical abilities, and world views contribute to a shared vision to preserve this “desert corner”. Tohono Chul also respectfully acknowledges that it is on the traditional lands of the Indigenous peoples of greater Tucson, the Tohono O’odham, and Yoeme.
Everyone is welcome at Tohono Chul and we are committed to every aspect of a positive guest experience. We will continue to model our values through exceptional programming that promotes the nature, arts, and culture of our region.