Upcoming Events

Join us at the Desert Museum for our signature Spring event, the Desert Gala! The 31st annual Gala, Colors of the Desert, will offer local culinary delicacies, craft libations, and up-close visits with some famous animal residents, plus live and silent auctions!

Coati Kids Club members meet for a fun event that includes on-grounds exploration, classroom animal encounters, crafts, and more.

Earth Day Poetry Contest Winners read their winning poems, followed by a reception. (2 p.m. grades K-3, 3:15 p.m. grades 4-6)

To the desert and beyond! Our engaging camps will explore the Sonoran Desert region’s diverse land, sea, animals, and plants. This summer, sign up for week-long day camps for kids entering grades 1-3 or 4-6 in Fall 2024.

Why would a Museum focused on the desert celebrate World Oceans Day? Water is one of the most precious resources in the Sonoran Desert, which includes the Gulf of California. This body of water is a support system – not only to us – but also to the creatures that inhabit it. Help us celebrate the big blue by wearing blue in honor of World Oceans Day! Bring your flashlight and explore, experience live animal encounters, scamper in Packrat Playhouse, feel the touch of a stingray, and more!

Did you know the Desert Museum has its own Art Institute? Explore the world of the arts throughout grounds. Bring your flashlight and explore, scamper in Packrat Playhouse, feel the touch of a stingray, or participate in special nightly activities.

Have you heard that the Sonorasaurus is officially Arizona's state dinosaur? Based on the fossils, it is estimated that the dino was about 50 feet long and weighed 4,000 pounds. Come see the REAL Sonorasaurus bones (only at the Desert Museum)! You can also become an amateur paleontologist in the fossil dig at our Ancient Arizona exhibit. Bring your flashlight and explore, grab a local beer and wander, experience live animal encounters, scamper in Packrat Playhouse, feel the touch of a stingray, and more!

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! Bring your flashlight and explore, grab a local beer and wander, experience a live animal encounter, scamper in Packrat Playhouse, feel the touch of a stingray, and learn more about star maps from our Docents. Tonight we're staying open an extra hour, until 10:00 p.m.!

The desert comes alive at night as nocturnal animals awake. Bats perform aerial acrobatics in pursuit of dinner, beavers splash around in their pond, and scorpions glow green under black light. Bring your flashlight and explore, grab a local beer and wander, experience a live animal encounter, scamper in Packrat Playhouse, feel the touch of a stingray, or participate in special nightly activities.

More info coming soon!

Summer day camp for students entering grades 6-8. Discover the many colors of the Sonoran Desert as we observe the world around us through the lenses of culture, art, and science. Each day brings a new adventure as we explore the colors of the desert!

More info coming soon!

Coati Kids Club members meet for a fun event that includes on-grounds exploration, classroom animal encounters, crafts, and more.

Incredible lightning storms and the intoxicating aroma of creosote after the first rain are two of our favorite things about monsoon season! Bring your flashlight and explore, grab a local beer and wander, experience a live animal encounter, scamper in Packrat Playhouse, and feel the touch of a stingray.

Howl and boogie with the Desert Museum Family Band! Join education specialists Michelle Miner and Kyleigh Sacco — plus special guests like Mr. Nature, Syndenn Sweet, and Eli Beren — in a desert style Singalong at the Warden Oasis Theater. Get your paws on our nature inspired music album! Bring your flashlight and explore, scamper in Packrat Playhouse, and feel the touch of a stingray.

Let’s celebrate incredible insects and amazing arthropods! The Sonoran Desert is a hot spot of insect diversity and this is your chance to meet them. Get a bugs-eye view of many of the million species of arthropods that make the Sonoran Desert their home. Bring your flashlight and explore, grab a local beer and wander, experience a live animal encounter, scamper in Packrat Playhouse, and feel the touch of a stingray.

Coati Kids Club members meet for a fun event that includes on-grounds exploration, classroom animal encounters, crafts, and more. Afterwards they are invited to stay for the CSN activities.

Are you feeling batty? Come celebrate the only flying mammals — bats! The evening will be filled with fun, educational activities, talks, and crafts designed to help you better appreciate these amazing aerial acrobats! Bring your flashlight and explore, grab a local beer and wander, experience a live animal encounter, scamper in Packrat Playhouse, and feel the touch of a stingray.

Help us close out the final Cool Summer Nights with celebrating Teachers and Support Staff. Teachers and Support Staff, enjoy free admission (including Stingray Touch), swag bags, freebies, raffle, and more. We appreciate all the hard work that it takes to inspire and educate our children. Bring your flashlight and explore, grab a local beer and wander, experience a live animal encounter, scamper in Packrat Playhouse, and feel the touch of a stingray.

Coati Kids Club members meet for a fun event that includes on-grounds exploration, classroom animal encounters, crafts, and more.

Coati Kids Club members meet for a fun event that includes on-grounds exploration, classroom animal encounters, crafts, and more.

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.

Coati Kids Club members meet for an overnighter in the Packrat Playhouse.