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All United States Arizona Tucson

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Tucson

34 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Tucson, Arizona

Updated August 15, 2023

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Unusual Attractions in Tucson

Tucson, Arizona

Valley of the Moon

The Magical World of George Phar Legler.
Desert landscape encroaching.

Tucson, Arizona

Lisa Frank Factory

The fading, forgotten remains of a once bright and booming factory.

Tucson, Arizona

Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures

Miniature art that tells an enormous story.
A partial view of the Davis Monthan Air Force Base via GoogleEarth.

Tucson, Arizona

309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group

The world's largest military aircraft cemetery.
Diamondback Bridge

Tucson, Arizona

Rattlesnake Bridge

In Tucson a giant metal snake helps pedestrians cross a busy highway.
The movable sculptures of the Museum of Kinetic Art

Tucson, Arizona

Mat Bevel's Museum of Kinetic Art & Surrealistic Pop Science Theater

A Tucson museum and performance space full of found-object movable sculptures.
History of Pharmacy Museum.

Tucson, Arizona

Coit Museum of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

An Arizona museum with a collection of pharmaceutical oddities, including a jar of a gangster's chewed gum.
Tucson Mineral and Gem World.

Tucson, Arizona

Tucson Mineral and Gem World

A natural history wunderkammer in the middle of the desert.
See All 34 Things To Do in Tucson

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Tucson

Tucson, Arizona

Barrio Bread

From working out of his garage to the James Beard semifinals, one Tucson baker has kept his fan base—and his grains—local.

Tucson, Arizona

El Charro Cafe

One of the oldest Mexican restaurants in the United States air-dries its trademark beef in a dangling outdoor cage.

Tucson, Arizona

Polo's Taqueria

Some of Arizona's best spit-roasted tacos al pastor can be found at a weekend swap meet.
The Shelter lit up at night

Tucson, Arizona

The Shelter Cocktail Lounge

This bomb shelter-themed bar has barely changed since it opened.
See all 5 Places to Eat in Tucson
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Atlas Obscura Itineraries

Taste of Tucson

The people of Tucson have been eating off the land for 4,100 years. From grains to livestock to produce introduced by missionaries in the 1600s, this UNESCO City of Gastronomy is home to some of the oldest farmland in North America. What once was old is new again in The Old Pueblo where ancient flavors are found in nearly every dish — trendy to traditional.

View Itinerary

Explore Tucson, Arizona

Museums And Collections 5
Collections 4
Art 4
Deserts 4
Unique Restaurants & Bars 2

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Recent Tucson Activity

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Stories About Tucson

Podcast: The Mirror Lab

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
by The Podcast Team
September 14, 2021
The cacti's fruit are also known as tunas.

How an Arizonan Company Turns Cacti Into Candy

Prickly pear gummies are a taste of the Sonoran Desert.
by Bevin Dunn
February 23, 2021
Joe Orman stands below 4 Square, one of the first crested saguaros he discovered.

Arizona's Most Unusual Cacti Have Their Own Fan Club

The Crested Saguaro Society is on a quest to document the Sonoran Desert's strangest succulents.
by Kerry Wolfe
April 24, 2019
These rescuers are transporting a six-foot saguaro on a day with temperatures reaching more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

When Cactus Destruction Is Imminent, These Rescuers Come Running

The Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society is closing in on 100,000 salvaged plants.
by Leslie Nemo
October 25, 2018

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