Visit Tucson

Tucson is a special place for anyone who find their inspiration in nature. Whether your "happy place" is a Zen rock garden, an orchid greenhouse, a hummingbird aviary, or a vast desert of enormous cacti, you can find it right here in Tucson thanks to these five unique and beautiful environments.

Five Tucson Area Gardens That Will Inspire

The Tucson Botanical Garden, located on about six acres in the heart of the city, is often described as a hidden gem in the world of urban gardens. Like the Desert Museum, it’s a great place to learn about the surprisingly verdant desert ecosystem that surround Tucson. But if you’re not in a desert mood, step inside the pavilion to get up close and personal with butterflies, orchids, and exotic plants from around the world. The “Butterfly Experience,” an immersive exhibit that is open October through May, is a favorite among visitors.

The grounds also include a Zen garden, a prehistoric garden, and a children’s garden. The “xeriscape” experimental garden demonstrates techniques for gardening that don’t require irrigation. Yume offers a wide  variety of classes and programs for kids and adults, including meditation and yoga in the garden, and art classes inspired by the beautiful surroundings.

Get inspired with orchids and butterflies

Cover photo: tucsonbotanical via Instagram.


Tucson Botanical Garden

If you think a desert is a lifeless wasteland, you're in for a big surprise.

Viewed from the window of an airplane, Tucson might seem like a sad place for nature lovers. It’s surrounded by what appears, from a distance, to be a vast, lifeless wasteland. In fact, the Sonoran desert is a gem of biodiversity, home to countless fascinating animal and plant species, many of which can only be found here. The AZ-Sonora Desert Museum, a 98-acre mostly-outdoor museum surrounded by a pristine desert ecosystem, lets visitors experience it up-close.

The Museum describes itself as “a fusion experience: zoo, botanical garden, art gallery, natural history museum, and aquarium.” Its 16 gardens are home to over 40,000 plants representing about 1,300 species, all native to the Sonoran desert region. If you include the plants that grow on the grounds, the museum estimates you an see about 1,400 species here. That’s in addition to about 230 species of animal and over 14,000 geological specimens.

This is a great place to see tree-sized saguaro cacti and big, vibrant cactus flowers, as well as a variety of desert wildflowers. It's also one of the only places to see a Mexican gray wolf, a nearly-extinct native of this region that the museum is helping to repopulate. 

If you’re looking for inspiration, there’s nothing like a close encounter with a hummingbird. Here you can check out a variety of species in the indoor hummingbird aviary, or meet he local birds in the outdoor hummingbird garden.

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

The landscape that inspired a great artist.

DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun was created in the 1950s by artists Ettore “Ted” and Marion Degrazia and served as the couple’s home, studio, gallery, and 10-acre retreat. It’s now a National Historic Site and gallery dedicated to Ted DeGrazia, housing over 15,000 of his works.

Ted DeGrazia was the son of Italian immigrants, born in Arizona when it was still a territory. He attended the University of Arizona where he supported himself by planting trees on campus and playing trumpet in a band. During a trip to Mexico, he met legendary artists Diego Rivera and José Clemente Orozco and interned at their studio. Back in Tucson, he couldn’t find a gallery to sell his work, so he built his own studio/gallery that was very successful. Ted married Marion, a sculptor from upstate New York, in the early 1950s when Tucson was growing rapidly. The couple bought this land outside the city to create a new studio/gallery.

The grounds offer a desert landscape to explore, featuring DeGrazia’s sculptures and a view of the Catalina mountains. A smaller building on the property, an adobe building resembling a Spanish mission, was actually built by Ted DeGrazia as an interfaith chapel called the Mission in the Sun. It’s dedicated to Eusebio Kino, the Jesuit priest who established missions throughout Arizona and Northern Mexico, and the Virgin of Guadalupe.

Cover image: degraziagallery via Instagram.


DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun

An ancient tradition of inspiring design.

Yume Japanese Gardens is made up seven gardens that are distinct in style but all distinctly Japanese. They include a courtyard garden, dry river garden, stone and gravel garden, Zen contemplation garden, strolling pond garden (featuring a koi pond), and modern garden, each making different use of stones, plants, and water features.

Garden design in Japan is an ancient tradition that includes many different styles and functions with some key themes in common. While much of the world thinks of a garden as primarily a place for plants, in the Japanese tradition, carefully placed stones are the most essential element. A book on gardening written in Japan in the 11th century listed five different styles, defined in terms of their stone placement, and advised gardeners to follow the “desire" of the stones. While the ancient gardens were generally places for noblemen to party, in the medieval period they evolved into places for meditation, ritual and allegorical storytelling.

As if seven gardens weren’t enough to fit into three quarters of an acre in central Tucson, Yume also includes a a museum and art gallery. It serves as an embassy of Japanese culture in Tucson, offering tea ceremonies, holiday events, and classes in modern and traditional Japanese arts including ikebana, origami, and calligraphy.

Cover image: desert_rain88 via Instagram.


Yume Japanese Gardens

Like many of the destinations on this adventure, Tohono Chul combines a botanical garden with some unexpected but welcome elements for a unique Tucson experience. In this case, the garden is accompanied by art, brunch, wine, and a view of the Catalina mountains.

The name means “desert corner” in the language of the Tohono O’odham, the indigenous people of Southern Arizona, but the park is the legacy of Richard Wilson, a geologist at the University Arizona and son of a Texas oilman, and his wife Jean. In the 1960s, the couple bought a home here, then began to buy up land around it, eventually creating a park that would celebrate the nature, art, and culture of the Sonoran desert region.

Tohono Chul’s courtyard celebrates the desert environment, with sections including a xeriscape (non-irrigated) garden, a Moorish garden, and a meditation garden. Outside the courtyard are several more themed gardens, including an ethnobotanical garden (featuring plants used by indigenous people and early settlers), a hummingbird garden, a children’s garden, and a “geology wall” made up of rock samples from the mountains.

In addition to gardens and walking trails, the park includes a bistro that serves brunch from 8-4:30 Monday through Sunday, featuring mimosas and margaritas. There’s also an art gallery with a permanent collection and exhibitions dedicated to Southwestern regional artists. Tohono Chul offers a variety of public events as well as art and wellness classes.

Cover image: travelandfood18 via Instagram.


Tohono Chul Park

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Plan your spring break family fun in Chicago! Check it out on the Choose Chicago channel on Vamonde.

Plan a family getaway the kids won't soon forget!

Spring Break Family Fun

Explore some of the locations of the Chicago blues scene of the 1960s with this VAMONDE adventure, based on the Chicago History Museum exhibition, "AMPLIFIED: Chicago Blues."

Chicago History Museum

Explore some of the locations of the Chicago blues scene of the 1960s with this VAMONDE adventure, based on the Chicago History Museum exhibition, "AMPLIFIED: Chicago Blues." Southern black migrants brought the blues to Chicago, where the music helped them forge connections and transform an unfamiliar, often inhospitable city into a new home. The music was also transformed—electrified and amplified to compete with urban noise. The photography of Raeburn Flerlage captures the streets, clubs, homes, and studios where a community of musicians defined the Chicago blues sound.

AMPLIFIED: Chicago Blues

From a 20th century resurgence that rivaled the Harlem Renaissance, to spectacular displays of Victorian Era architecture, this South Side neighborhood is responsible for tremendous cultural and social advances that are not to be missed.

The heart and soul of Chicago lies in its 77 vibrant neighborhoods, and going beyond the loop (Chicago’s downtown business district) will give you a much needed escape from the hustle and bustle of the skyscraper district. As part of the Beyond the Loop video series, The Second City and Goose Island Beer Company have teamed up with Choose Chicago to explore the local hotspots in Chicago’s Bronzeville neighborhood. Discover why Bronzeville is more than just an artsy pocket on the South Side.

Bronzeville and Beyond

"How can I possibly be expected to handle school on a day like this?" We've all been there, even if we're not Ferris Bueller. After your mornings stretch, you look outside at the shining sun, soft breeze, and then wonder, "How can anyone expect me to handle work on a day like this?" So take the day off! While you're at it, follow in Ferris Bueller's footsteps too as Choose Chicago takes you through the film locations that made Ferris Bueller's Day Off such a wonderful adventure (but make sure Ed Rooney isn't on your tail).

It’s Ferris Bueller's Day Off! Take a day to explore the city, but don't get caught by the incredulous Principal Rooney! Kick it like a couple of wise-cracking high school kids at The Art Institute of Chicago and peer down from over 100 stories in the air with the Skydeck at Willis Tower. (Cover photo from @thiswashollywood via Instagram)

Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Chicago’s legendary Second City comedy troupe and Goose Island Beer Company have teamed up with Choose Chicago to create the quintessential Old Town experience. Join us as we explore the historic neighborhood and discover its many claims to fame.

As part of the Beyond the Loop video series, The Second City and Goose Island Beer Company have teamed up with Choose Chicago to create the quintessential Old Town experience. Discover why this neighborhood has been home to immigrant families, gays, hippies and young professionals alike over the years.

Quintessential Old Town

The Second City and Goose Island Beer Company team up with Choose Chicago to how you why even 120 years after the Columbian Exposition, Hyde Park is still a profound point of historical and social importance in Chicago.

The heart and soul of Chicago lies in its 77 vibrant neighborhoods, and going beyond the loop (Chicago’s downtown business district) will give you a much needed escape from the hustle and bustle of the skyscraper district. As part of the Beyond the Loop video series, The Second City and Goose Island Beer Company have teamed up with Choose Chicago to explore the local hotspots in Chicago’s Hyde Park neighborhood. Join us as we show you why even 120 years after the Columbian Exposition, Hyde Park is still a profound point of historical and social importance in Chicago.

Hyde Park: Obama's Neighborhood

The Budget Savvy Travelers

Temperatures are rising and the days are getting longer. This is a sure sign that schools will soon be out for summer vacation. Families looking for fun, affordable ways to keep kids busy during hot days will appreciate this guide that shares some great ways to cool off around Chicago—most are even free.

Best Places to Cool Off in Chicago

Craving a getaway, but short on vacation time or extra travel funds? Why not consider embarking on a culinary adventure? Chicago is a great city to experience the world through food! There are over 100 different neighborhoods in the city, each with its own unique flavors and traditions to share. Chicago has always celebrated a diverse array of people, cultures, and cuisines. Therefore, it's not surprising that Chicago consistently ranks high in top foodie destinations in the United States. For those of us that can’t book a plane ticket to satisfy our travel “craving,” taking a culinary adventure is truly the next best thing. Chicago offers a great opportunity to be carried away to a dreamy, distant place–if only through our palates alone.

Traveling the World Through Food | Chicago

Haley Guidry

Only have a short time to visit Chicago? No problem! With this guide, you can fit it all in - in just a weekend!

Spending a Weekend in Chicago

Looking for some free activities to explore in Chicago? You'll be surprised to learn that there are many things to do around the city that are absolutely free of charge!

6 Chicago Hidden Gems to Explore For Free

Wrigley Field holds the very identity of the Chicago Cubs. But Wrigley isn’t the only spot that embodies the spirit of the Cubbies. Lakeview is home to so many rich businesses that are full of North side pride!

Lakeview Chamber of Commerce

Wrigleyville isn’t the only haven for fans of the Chicago Cubs. Take an adventure “Beyond Wrigley” into West Lakeview to explore some of the neighborhood icons and local businesses that are full of Cubbies pride!

Beyond Wrigley

Glessner House

Glessner House -

An architectural treasure in Chicago

Glessner House - An architectural treasure in Chicago

Welcome to the Chicago Cultural Center, a landmark home of the arts.

The People's Palace

Chicago Architecture Center

Chicago has long been a laboratory for architectural innovation and experimentation. Let the Chicago Architecture Center lead you through the stories behind some of the city’s most significant skyscrapers. Come on an adventure to unlock the secrets of ten iconic Chicago Buildings.

Cover photo courtesy of Jessica Cabe

10 Iconic Chicago Buildings

Chicago Chinatown Chamber of Commerce

An Adventure through all the Best Spots in the City

Must Visit Attractions in Chicago

Chicago has one of the most iconic skylines in the world. This insider guide shows you the best vantage points to capture a memorable photo of the skyline of Chicago. Best of all? These are all places that you can visit that are all free of charge.

Where to Find Chicago's Best Skyline Views for Free

Start on Chicago's South Side and travel back in time as you explore visit the homes of some of the most influential LGBTQ+ people in the city's vibrant history. Make your way through Washington Park and Woodlawn moving north towards Rogers Park.

Learn about Chicago's vibrant LGBTQ+ history on this cultural excursion through various parts of the City. This tour covers the historic markers and residences of some of Chicago's top LGBTQ+ luminaries. Find out how they left their marks from Washington Park and Woodlawn all the way up north to Rogers Park.

Explore Gay Chicago History: LGBTQ+ Landmarks Tour

Around every corner of The Magnificent Mile lie surprising pieces that make up the rich history of downtown Chicago.

The Magnificent Mile

Around every corner of The Magnificent Mile lie surprising pieces that make up the rich history of downtown Chicago. Unexpected turn-of-the-century ballrooms, lavish chandeliers, stained glass fit for royalty, atlases of the Renaissance, former mansions of America's elite, eclectic bars, iconic burger joints, classic cocktails, and unbeatable views make up our guide to the top hidden gems around the district.

The Magnificent Mile's Hidden Gems

Chicago is a city built of neighborhoods and cultures and Chinatown is the prime example. Just south of Chicago's Loop, Chinatown is bustling with people, traditional cuisine, and of course culture.

Chicago is a city built of neighborhoods and cultures and Chinatown is the prime example. Just south of Chicago's Loop, Chinatown is bustling with people, traditional cuisine, and of course culture. Hop on the Red Line, a bus, or even a water taxi and discover one of Chicago's most unique neighborhoods.

Chicago's Chinatown

This adventure, based on the Chicago History Museum exhibition, "Remembering Dr. King: 1929–1968," invites you to explore some of the locations Dr. King frequented in Chicago.

A Baptist minister and champion of nonviolent activism, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the most influential figures of the civil rights movement. He spent considerable time in Chicago protesting racial discrimination, particularly in housing and education.
This VAMONDE adventure is based on the Chicago History Museum exhibition, "Remembering Dr. King: 1929-1968," and invites you to explore in person some of the locations King frequented in the city and to consider how Dr. King’s work remains relevant today, 50 years after his assassination.

Martin Luther King Jr. in Chicago

Join Julia Bachrach, former Chicago Park District historian, on a journey through Humboldt Park to learn more about the role the 150-year-old park served as key experimental grounds for Jens Jensen's Prairie style of landscape architecture.

Julia Bachrach

Established 150 years ago, Humboldt Park can be thought of as a living landmark with layers of history that reflect contributions by important landscape designers, architects, and artists. The most noteworthy, Danish immigrant Jens Jensen (1860 – 1951), revered the indigenous scenery of the Midwest and created the Prairie style of landscape architecture. Humboldt Park provided important grounds for his process of experimentation. Jensen went on to design estates for prominent businessmen such as Julius Rosenwald, Harold Florsheim, and Henry Ford. Join Julia Bachrach, former Chicago Park District historian and author of "The City in a Garden: A History of Chicago’s Parks," on a journey to learn more about how Humboldt Park served as Jens Jensen’s Experimental Grounds.

Humboldt Park: Jens Jensen’s Experimental Grounds

The Art Institute of Chicago is no stranger to "best museums” list, but beyond Michigan Avenue there are many amazing galleries displaying works from heavy hitters like Keith Haring and Hebru Brantley. Get inspired by these galleries and their collections

Chicago Scene

Chicago is home to countless world renowned cultural institutions. The Art Institute of Chicago is no stranger to "best museums” list, but beyond Michigan Avenue there are many amazing galleries displaying works from heavy hitters like Keith Haring and Hebru Brantley. There’s something for everyone at these galleries, whether you’re simply an appreciator of art or a seasoned collector.

Art Galleries: Beyond The Museum Campus

Not your everyday Chicago adventure, these unique outings go inside, behind-the-scenes, and even underground to show off a different side of the city.

From the lair of a notorious Chicago gangster to the infectious groove of a legendary blues club, this adventure will have you socializing, singing, and exploring the city all day (and night!) long. Personally curated by the Vamonde team (a group of foodies, architecture buffs, music fanatics and bar-hopping explorers) this adventure will provide you with the incredible stories and secrets behind some of Chicago’s notorious and renowned spots. Did we mention gingerbread cookies at the Waldorf Astoria?

A Chicago Insider’s Adventure

Join the American Writers Museum on a journey through Chicago's neighborhoods to learn the fascinating stories of some of the city's literary landmarks.

American Writers Museum

Join the American Writers Museum on a journey through Chicago's neighborhoods to learn the fascinating stories of some of the city's literary landmarks. A special adventure created in honor of the 2017 American Library Association Annual Exhibition and Conference.

Chicago Literary Landmarks Hunt

Photojournalist Paul Natkin captures his love for music through the lens of his camera and has worked with the biggest names in music during his 40-year career. Paul speaks with blues experts to help you explore Chicago’s blues scene past and present.

Paul Natkin

Photojournalist Paul Natkin captures his love for music through the lens of his camera and has worked with the biggest names in music during his 40-year career. In this adventure,  Paul goes beyond the Chicago Blues Festival to speak with blues experts to help you explore Chicago’s blues scene past and present.

Beyond the Blues

The Gathering Spaces are a series of artist-designed community areas along the Burnham Wildlife Corridor, a 100-acre ribbon of urban wilderness spanning Lake Shore Drive. Travel along the corridor to discover how the artists linked nature and culture.

Chicago Park District

The Gathering Spaces are a series of five artist-designed community areas along the Burnham Wildlife Corridor (BWC), a 100-acre ribbon of urban wilderness spanning both sides of Lake Shore Drive. The five Gathering Spaces reflect the nature and culture of the area and serve as assembly grounds and rest areas for people exploring the Corridor. The spaces were designed and created by teams of local artists in partnership with community-based organizations in the Chinatown, Bronzeville, and Pilsen neighborhoods. On this adventure, we'll travel along the BWC to get the inside scoop on the creative process, community goals, and environmental context of each Gathering Space.

Lakefront Gathering Spaces

Broadway in Chicago

With more than 200 theaters, Chicago is home to a rich and varied theater community, well known for a diverse mix of original productions that began here and then went on to Broadway and the world. Broadway In Chicago currently own many of the anchor theatres in Theatre District, including the CIBC Theatre (home of Hamilton), the Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place, the Cadillac Palace Theatre, and the James M. Nederlander Theatre which broke records when it housed Wicked from 2005-2009. Let Broadway In Chicago take you through a tour of the theatres that make up the Chicago Theatre District.

Chicago Historic Theatre District

Jason Brammer is known for his distinctive mixed media assemblage based works, surreal paintings and drawings, murals and site-specific installations. Join us as we take you across the city and unearth how some of your favorite works came to be.

Jason Brammer

Portals, Pyramids, & Octopods: The Art of Jason Brammer

You might have already heard about a few of these destinations, consider this your local guide to the Wicker Park bars that are in some way (think hidden entrance) or another (think no address) -- secret.

Holiday Jones Hostel

Because we’re terrible at keeping secrets and because Wicker Park has too many cool off-the-beaten-track places to explore, Holiday Jones Hostel has created this adventure to give you the inside scoop on the best lounges, dive bars, and speakeasies to visit and pretend like you’re a regular.

Wicker Park's Best Kept Secrets

The story of public housing is the story of America. Explore the untold stories of people who created community across racial and economic divides and confronted social injustice.

National Public Housing Museum

​The story of public housing is the story of America. This tour, curated by the National Public Housing Museum, introduces you to the heart of Chicago’s Near West Side with its vibrant communities, diverse cultures, and history of activism and resistance. Explore fascinating sites where public housing residents built community across racial and economic divides, restaurants and bakeries that continue to create delectable food from various cultures and learn about overlooked and invisible stories about where people studied, organized, and confronted social injustice. We recognize this land as being indigenous, and we follow the lead of the first peoples who, despite massive genocidal violence, have never relinquished the struggle for land, water, culture, their people.

This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

The Near West Side and The Jane Addams Homes: Chicago's Ellis Island

The story of literary Chicago is one of overlapping communities; avant-garde, intellectuals, journalists, activists, artists, and migrants from places near and far.

​The story of literary Chicago is one of overlapping communities: ​avant-garde, intellectuals, journalists, activists, artists, and migrants from places near and far. The city's many newspapers, magazines, and literary journals have offered experience and exposure for aspiring writers. Programs at local libraries, bookstores, and cafes have connected writers with the reading public.

City of Writers

Choose Chicago® is the official destination marketing organization for Chicago, Illinois. When you’re in Chicago, you’re home. With the countless experiences there are to have here, you're absolutely welcome to do any and all of them.

Five Tucson Area Gardens That Will Inspire

Tucson Botanical Garden

Tucson Botanical Garden

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun

DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun

Yume Japanese Gardens

Yume Japanese Gardens

Tohono Chul Park

Tohono Chul Park

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