Museum focused on Sonoran Desert conservation

  • Published
  • By Lacey Quattlebaum
  • 56th Fighter Wing Public Afairs
LUKE AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum located in Tucson is home to a world-renowned zoo, natural history museum and botanical garden, all in one.
 
Founded in 1952 by William Carr and Arthur Pack, the Desert Museum is a private, nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of the Sonoran Desert. The current operations and future growth are funded entirely by admissions, memberships, contributions and grants. 

The museum offers public programs including a walk with a keeper; a behind-the-scenes tour, raptor free flight and tortoise adoption. The ASDM also features habitats such as the cactus gardens, cat canyon, walkin aviary and riparian corridor. While walking through the habitats, it is possible to see other animals not common to the area. 

A new habi tat called 'Life on the Rocks'  is being constructed and is scheduled to open this summer. Exhibits of earth sciences, reptiles and pollination gardens can also be seen. 

Dining at ASDM is available at four locations including sit down meals and snack shops. There are two gift shops as well. The Ironwood gift shop offers hand crafted items and designer jewelry created by local artists. The Mountain House gift shop contains a variety of books as well as the ASDM's own press. It also features Native American crafts from Arizona, New Mexico and Mexico. 

Summer hours began in March and continue through September. The museum is open from 7:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. with no admittance after 4:15 p.m. June through August the museum is open from 7:30 p.m. until 10 p.m. on Saturdays and offer nighttime activities. September through May, admission is $12 per adult and $4 for children, ages 6 through 12. June through August admission is $9 per adult and $2 for children. Children age 5 and under are free year-round. 

With a paid admission to the ASDM, daily demonstrations are free. Demonstrations include bird walk and interpretive tours, venomous reptiles and live animals. 

To get to the museum, take Interstate-10 to Tucson. From I-10, take the Speedway Boulevard exit and go west. Turn right onto Kinney Road and go about two and a half miles. The museum is on the left. 

For more information, visit http://www.desertmuseum.
org.