Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum facts for kids
Museum logo
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| Date opened | September 1, 1952 |
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| Location | Tucson, Arizona |
| Land area | 98 acres (40 ha) (21 acres (8.5 ha) accessible to the public) |
| Coordinates | 32°14′38″N 111°10′5″W / 32.24389°N 111.16806°W |
| No. of animals | 12,370 |
| No. of species | Over 230 |
| Annual visitors | 400,000 |
| Memberships | AZA,
AAM, APGA |
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is a special place near Tucson, Arizona. It's not just a zoo, but also an aquarium, a botanical garden, and a natural history museum! It opened in 1952.
This amazing museum covers 98 acres (about 40 hectares). You can walk along two miles (3.2 km) of paths. These paths take you through 21 acres (8.5 ha) of beautiful desert. It's one of the most popular places to visit in Southern Arizona.
The museum is a nonprofit group. It teaches people about the plants and animals of the Sonoran Desert. You can see over 230 types of animals and 1,200 kinds of plants here. The museum is open every day of the year. About 400,000 people visit annually, including many from other countries.
The museum is a trusted member of several important groups. These include the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. It is also part of the American Alliance of Museums and the American Public Gardens Association.
Contents
History of the Museum
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum started in 1952. Its goal was to show the full natural history of the Sonoran Desert. It brings together plants and animals from this region in its exhibits.
A man named William H. Carr had the idea for the museum. His friend, Arthur Newton Pack, helped him. Pack was a conservationist and editor of Nature Magazine. Carr had also started a similar museum in New York. There, he learned to create exhibits focused on local plants and animals.
Arthur Newton Pack's foundation gave money to open the museum. Because of this, the museum did not charge admission at first. In 1953, they started charging a small fee. Today, the museum still gets its money from tickets, memberships, and donations. It does not get money from public taxes.
From 1953 to 1985, a TV show called Desert Trails featured the museum. It was a fun show with live animals and guests. It taught people about the desert and what was happening at the museum. Later, in 1991, the museum helped create a national TV show called Desert Speaks. This show was seen in many places and ran for 19 seasons.
The museum has won many awards. TripAdvisor said it was Tucson's #2 attraction in 2018. It was also named one of the top museums in the U.S. and one of the best public gardens. In 2013 and 2014, it was ranked among the top museums in the world by "Traveler’s Choice."
Live Animal Shows
The museum offers exciting live presentations. These shows help visitors learn more about desert animals.
Venomous Reptiles Up Close
This show is called "Live & (sort of) on the Loose." It features venomous reptiles that people often misunderstand. Each show presents two different species. You might see a Mexican beaded lizard or a Gila monster. You could also see different types of rattlesnakes, like the Western diamondback rattlesnake.
Raptor Free-Flight
This amazing show features birds of prey flying freely. It takes place in the open desert. Spectators watch as the birds fly very close to them. You might even feel their feathers brush by!
These shows happen daily from mid-October to mid-April, if the weather is good. The birds fly without any ropes or straps. Only birds that live in the Sonoran Desert are part of the show. One special bird is the Harris's hawk. These hawks are unique because they hunt together as a family, like wolves.
The morning and afternoon shows feature different birds. So, each show is unique! You might see peregrine falcons, barn owls, or red-tailed hawks. Other birds include ferruginous hawks, great horned owls, and chihuahuan ravens.
Docent Stations and Tours
Throughout the museum, you'll find "Docent Stations." These are places where trained volunteers, called docents, share information. They might have live reptiles, birds, or small mammals. They also show animal skulls, skeletons, or fossils. Some stations teach about the desert's geology, including rocks and special stones.
You can also book special tours online. These tours include "Zookeeper for a Day" and "Winged Wonders" (a hummingbird tour). There are also tours about reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates.
Conservation and Science
The museum does important scientific work. They study plants and animals, especially in Mexico. They look at how plants spread their seeds and how climate change affects desert life.
The museum staff also works with other scientists. They help save animals that are in danger. This includes frogs like the Tarahumara frog and the Chiricahua leopard frog. They also help snakes, turtles, and many types of desert fish.
Desert Ark Outreach Programs
The "Desert Ark Community Programs" bring the museum to you! Museum staff travel around Southern Arizona. They bring live Sonoran Desert animals to schools and other places. These programs can include talks, slide shows, and fun activities.
For programs in Arizona, they might bring reptiles, birds, mammals, and insects. The specific animals depend on the program. These programs help more people learn about the desert's amazing creatures.
Digital Library for Learning
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum has a huge digital library. It has thousands of photos of plants and animals. This online library also has a special kids' page. It features videos, animal sounds, and games.
Another cool part is the "Time of Year" feature. You can pick a date on a calendar. Then, you can see which plants are flowering or are expected to flower. For past dates, you can even see temperature and rain data!
Art Institute
The Art Institute opened in 2001. It uses art to help people care about the Sonoran Desert. It offers art classes, exhibits, and helps take care of the museum's art collection.
The Institute has a special program to teach nature illustration. Over 80 art classes are offered each year. They have workshops on topics like "Sonoran Desert Birds." They also offer photography classes, from basics to advanced nature photography.
Ironwood Gallery Exhibits
The Ironwood Gallery shows art from many talented artists. These artists come from southern Arizona, the Southwest, and Mexico. The gallery also hosts national artists and traveling exhibits.
Desert Museum Press
Since 1995, the ASDM Press (Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Press) has published many books. They have over 40 books and guides. These include 22 popular books about the natural history of the Sonoran Desert.
They have also published six picture books for children. These books are available in both English and Spanish. The press also makes small pocket guides for hummingbirds, other birds, plants, lizards, and snakes. In 2000, they helped publish a very important book called A Natural History of the Sonoran Desert.
How the Museum Works
The museum is a not-for-profit organization. This means it uses all its money to support its mission. Most of its money comes from selling tickets and memberships. It also gets money from grants, donations, and special events.
Volunteers and Docents
The Desert Museum has about 120 paid staff members. But it also has about 500 amazing volunteers! These volunteers help the museum in many ways. Together, they give about 130,000 hours of their time each year.
The "Docent Program" started in 1972. It's known as one of the best volunteer programs around. Nearly 200 docents go through a 15-week training program. They learn all about natural history education. Another 300 volunteers help in different departments. The museum also offers a few unpaid internships for college students.
Hal Gras and the Desert Ark
One very important person in the museum's history was Harold W. "Hal" Gras Jr. He was born in New Jersey in 1919. After serving in World War II, he moved to Tucson in 1950. He worked in radio and TV.
When the museum opened in 1952, Hal Gras and his wife visited. Soon, Gras started hosting the museum's TV show, Desert Trails. This show began in 1953 and ran for 32 years! Hal Gras hosted 1,551 shows.
From 1955 to 1972, Gras was the museum's public relations director. He visited local groups and talked about the museum. Even though he didn't have much animal experience, he started bringing animals with him. People loved his talks! He began taking animals from the museum to schools, hospitals, and fairs. This program, and the car he used, became known as "The Desert Ark."
Hal Gras retired in 1985. By then, he had given 5,382 Desert Ark programs! A few years after he retired, a small street near the museum was named Hal Gras Road in his honor. He passed away in 1999.
See also
In Spanish: Museo del Desierto de Arizona-Sonora para niños
