The Sonoran Desert Museum is a botanical garden, zoo and natural history museum all in one. Their goal is to inspire people to live in harmony with the life of the Sonoran Desert. The museum is on the other side of the Saguaro National Park from our Arizona B&B. It is an easy and enjoyable drive across the park, about 15 miles, and the museum is not to miss.

The animals there are in distinctly realistic housing, and that is all part of their goal, to re-create real environments for study. So the visitor finds themselves in close contact with mountain lions, huge gila monster lizards and more. There are over 300 species of animal and 1200 plants. There are 2 miles of paths through 21 acres of desert landscape.

Events happening at the Sonoran Desert museum include “Running Wild” and “Live and on the Loose”. “Running Wild” is an “innovative live-animal demonstration that combines natural behaviors of small desert mammals, birds and reptiles with projected images, music and narration. In its inaugural year, the program will focus on fur, feathers and scales.” The presentation is daily except Wednesdays and Thursdays at the Warden Oasis Theater at 11 a.m.

“Live and on the Loose” is a live animal presentation that changes regularly. It is also at the Warden Oasis Theater at 12:15 pm and lasts for an hour. These could be great activities for after breakfast at our Arizona Bed and Breakfast.

If Geology is your thing, the museum has an extensive Sonoran Desert region gem, mineral, and fossil collection totaling 14,095 cataloged specimens, some of which are on display at the Earth Sciences Center. They also have a new vertebrate paleontology collection contains the first and only significant dinosaur skeleton from Southern Arizona.

Another example of a great way to explore the desert around our Arizona Bed & Breakfast.