About
Founded in 1952, The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is a renowned botanical garden, zoo, and natural history institution advocating for the conservation of the Sonoran Desert. Through its mission statement to “live in harmony with the natural world by fostering love and appreciation of the Sonoran Desert”, the Desert Museum educates both young and old alike about the unique and fragile landscapes of the Sonoran Desert.
Nestled on 100 acres in the Tucson Mountains the grounds are made up of four types of gardens; conservation gardens, habitat gardens, wildlife gardens and specialty gardens. These include a People and Plants Garden, Mountain Woodland exhibit, Cactus Garden, Butterfly Garden and a Demonstration Garden among others.
The Desert Museum’s rich botanical displays also highlight its work with threatened and imperiled species and acts as a repository to steward and preserve these plants that may be impacted by climate change and habitat loss or catastrophic events.