Tucson Museums: Winter Hotspot of Art, History, and Culture
The DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun was designed by the famed Ted DeGrazia himself and built under his watchful eye. In addition to viewing a permanent display of the artist’s work, visitors can purchase items such as plates, notecards, and ornaments portraying the artwork in the gallery’s gift shop. Also on the property is an adobe structure referred to DeGrazia’s Mission in the Sun. The chapel was hand-built in 1952 by DeGrazia and some Native American friends (the materials were delivered in the artist’s car). DeGrazia’s frontier-style grave is onsite as well.
Established in 1893 by the University of Arizona, Arizona State Museum is the oldest and largest anthropology museum in the southwest. The Museum offers exhibitions and programs that allow visitors to encounter native southwestern cultures firsthand. Typical exhibits include intricate Navajo blanket weavings, colorful masks of Mexico and fascinating saguaro harvest traditions of the Tohono O’odham people. Programs presented include workshops such as “Care of Navajo Textiles,” lectures, and book sales. The museum store is the perfect place to shop for authentic Native American crafts.
The Sonoran desert comes to life at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. This unique zoo has enthralled visitors for over 50 years, allowing them to view desert animals and vegetation in a vibrant, natural setting. Guests have the opportunity to trek nearly 2 miles of picturesque desert trails and observe more than 300 species of animals, including many that are threatened and endangered. While the mild winter months are ideal for an outing such as this, if you decide to visit you should plan on wearing sunscreen, carrying water, and spending a few hours outdoors.
While distinct from the Desert Museum, the International Wildlife Museum is equally enlightening and entertaining. Dedicated to increasing knowledge and appreciation of wildlife, the museum utilizes taxidermy displays as well as replications to show animals in their natural habitats. Natural history movies are also shown daily in the Wildlife Theater.
The Pima Air & Space Museum is the largest of its kind in the western U.S. Over 200 commanding, impressive aircraft are on display, including old B-58’s, Migs, and even President Kennedy’s Airforce One plane. Tram tours as well as walking tours are offered, and you can grab lunch in the Thunderbird’s CafÃ?© before hitting the gift shop.
The Fort Lowell Museum is part of the Arizona Historical Society. Located in the lovely Old Fort Lowell Park, the museum is built at the site of an 1880’s military fort that served as barracks for soldiers protecting pioneer settlers. Exhibits offer insight to frontier-days military life. The surrounding park is perfect for a picnic; bring extra snacks to share with the ducks and ground squirrels!
Another offering of the Historical Society is the Sosa-Carrillo-Fremont House. Constructed in the late 1800’s, the house is now a museum displaying period-dÃ?©cor rooms, exhibits on Hispanic families from the frontier era, a shop, and walking tours of unique downtown Tucson.
Tucson Museum of Art is also nestled in the historic Old Town section of downtown Tucson. The museum has been collecting art of the Americas for a quarter of a century. Permanent collections vary from Pre-Columbian to Spanish Post-Colonial to Western American art and artifacts, while changing exhibits range from eye-catching black-and-white photography to contemporary paint-on-metal sculpture to mind-boggling computer enhanced images. Also offered are programs and events, lectures and classes, and an extensive library. The Museum Shop is brimming with one-of-a-kind gifts and lunch at the innovative CafÃ?© Ã?¯Ã?¿Ã?½ la C’Art is a must.
A trip to Tucson would not be complete without including the San Xavier del Bac Mission. In 1700, Father Eusebio Francisco Kino laid the foundations of the first church, naming it in honor of his chosen patron, St. Francis Xavier. The present church, in the Tohono O’odham Community of Wa:K, was built from 1783 – 1797. Nicknamed “The White Dove of the Desert,” the beautiful Spanish architecture is breathtaking against the desert sky. Visitors taking the self-guided tour will discover striking carvings, frescoes and statues inside the mission, and Tohono O’odham artisanship such as hand-woven baskets and traditional foods including sweet fry bread are often purchasable on the grounds.
Should your travels take you to the desert oasis that is Tucson, you are certain to come away educated, entertained, and with a winter tan that is sure to make the neighbors envious. Enjoy!
