Upcoming Events

Let’s celebrate incredible insects and amazing arthropods! The Sonoran Desert is a hot spot of insect diversity and this is your chance to meet them. Get a bugs-eye view of many of the million species of arthropods that make the Sonoran Desert their home. Bring your flashlight and explore, grab a local beer and wander, experience a live animal encounter, scamper in Packrat Playhouse, and feel the touch of a stingray. First 250 guests (starting at 6:00 p.m.) receive a FREE blacklight flashlight! What glowing insects will you discover throughout the night?

Join us* for an evening exploring rewilding efforts of wolves in the Southwest. We will watch two films, Welcome Home and Almost Ancestors followed by a panel discussion by conservation experts in the NGO community, including our Executive Director, Hollie Colahan, and Welcome Home director Alan Lacy.

Welcome Home tells the story of the historic wolf reintroduction into Colorado that all came about due to a ballot initiative started and voted for by the public of Colorado. Despite great challenges these wolves represent the first of many efforts to restore ecosystems to health as mediated by a top carnivore.

Almost Ancestors is a reflection and call to action and invites you to "experience the poignant parallel paths of displacement experienced by Mexican gray wolves and indigenous peoples."

Following these films questions will be fielded from the audience for our panel. So come, learn about our wild heritage, and ask all the questions you may have about wolves returning to our mountains and deserts and never leaving our hearts.

* Note: This event is not at the Desert Museum, but will be hosted by Catalyst Creative Space at the Tucson Mall (4500 N Oracle Rd Suite 110, Tucson, AZ 85705).

Become a certified Young Naturalist at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum! Gain confidence, form connections, and explore careers as you learn about the Sonoran Desert. Build skills in plant, animal, and mineral identification, nature conservation, and outdoor safety. Discover ecological relationships through nature journaling. Learn and use your art, science, and nature skills with the Desert Museum. See yourself as a part of the ecosystem around you and earn an official Young Naturalist Certificate!

Are you feeling batty? Come celebrate the only flying mammals — bats! The evening will be filled with fun, educational activities, talks, and crafts designed to help you better appreciate these amazing aerial acrobats! Bring your flashlight and explore, grab a local beer and wander, experience a live animal encounter, scamper in Packrat Playhouse, and feel the touch of a stingray.

Tonight's Schedule:

6:00 - 9:00 p.m. Batty Facts and Educational Activities in the Baldwin Education Building
Chat with experts from Kartchner Caverns and learn with the Children's Museum Tucson.

Presentations in the Warden Oasis Theater:
6:30 p.m. Basically Bats
Are bats flying rodents? Are they blind? Do they fly into people’s hair? If you find yourself unsure of these and other bat-related questions, come learn with Crystal Holcombe at this fun theater presentation.
8:00 p.m. Talk by Susan Chappel of Kartchner Caverns State Park.

Help us celebrate Teachers and Support Staff! We appreciate all the hard work that it takes to inspire and educate our children. Bring your flashlight and explore, grab a local beer and wander, experience a live animal encounter, scamper in Packrat Playhouse, and feel the touch of a stingray.

Teacher Appreciation Night Highlights:
- Free Admission for K-12 Teachers and Support Staff that Work in a School (Must show current school ID or a letter from your principal on letterhead attesting you are a school employee)
- Free Stingray Touch
- Freebies from community organizations
- Raffle

Coati Kids Club families are invited to a special event in our education classrooms and around the grounds: Santa Rita Overnight Adventure.

Celebrate 73 years of the Desert Museum with us!

Free cookies for the first 300 guests, live music, animal encounters and we'll be screening an episode of our old television series "Arizona Desert Trails"!

Become a certified Young Naturalist at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum! Gain confidence, form connections, and explore careers as you learn about the Sonoran Desert. Build skills in plant, animal, and mineral identification, nature conservation, and outdoor safety. Discover ecological relationships through nature journaling. Learn and use your art, science, and nature skills with the Desert Museum. See yourself as a part of the ecosystem around you and earn an official Young Naturalist Certificate!

Become a certified Young Naturalist at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum! Gain confidence, form connections, and explore careers as you learn about the Sonoran Desert. Build skills in plant, animal, and mineral identification, nature conservation, and outdoor safety. Discover ecological relationships through nature journaling. Learn and use your art, science, and nature skills with the Desert Museum. See yourself as a part of the ecosystem around you and earn an official Young Naturalist Certificate!

Coati Kids Club families are invited to a special event in our education classrooms and around the grounds: Migration Exploration.

Become a certified Young Naturalist at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum! Gain confidence, form connections, and explore careers as you learn about the Sonoran Desert. Build skills in plant, animal, and mineral identification, nature conservation, and outdoor safety. Discover ecological relationships through nature journaling. Learn and use your art, science, and nature skills with the Desert Museum. See yourself as a part of the ecosystem around you and earn an official Young Naturalist Certificate!

Girl Scouts and accompanying adults explore the grounds and complete activities to earn their naturalist badges. Registration is through the Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona.

Become a certified Young Naturalist at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum! Gain confidence, form connections, and explore careers as you learn about the Sonoran Desert. Build skills in plant, animal, and mineral identification, nature conservation, and outdoor safety. Discover ecological relationships through nature journaling. Learn and use your art, science, and nature skills with the Desert Museum. See yourself as a part of the ecosystem around you and earn an official Young Naturalist Certificate!

Become a certified Young Naturalist at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum! Gain confidence, form connections, and explore careers as you learn about the Sonoran Desert. Build skills in plant, animal, and mineral identification, nature conservation, and outdoor safety. Discover ecological relationships through nature journaling. Learn and use your art, science, and nature skills with the Desert Museum. See yourself as a part of the ecosystem around you and earn an official Young Naturalist Certificate!

Coati Kids Club families are invited to a special event in our education classrooms and around the grounds: Migration Exploration.

Become a certified Young Naturalist at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum! Gain confidence, form connections, and explore careers as you learn about the Sonoran Desert. Build skills in plant, animal, and mineral identification, nature conservation, and outdoor safety. Discover ecological relationships through nature journaling. Learn and use your art, science, and nature skills with the Desert Museum. See yourself as a part of the ecosystem around you and earn an official Young Naturalist Certificate!

Become a certified Young Naturalist at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum! Gain confidence, form connections, and explore careers as you learn about the Sonoran Desert. Build skills in plant, animal, and mineral identification, nature conservation, and outdoor safety. Discover ecological relationships through nature journaling. Learn and use your art, science, and nature skills with the Desert Museum. See yourself as a part of the ecosystem around you and earn an official Young Naturalist Certificate!