United States of America, Arizona, Tuscon, Pima Air & Space Museum

Pima Air & Space Museum in Tuscon - stock photo

Marc Dozier/Getty

Pima Air & Space Museum

Tucson


An SR-71 Blackbird spy plane and a massive B-52 bomber are among the stars of this extraordinary private aircraft museum. Allow at least two hours to wander through hangars and around the airfield where more than 300 'birds' trace the evolution of civilian and military aviation. Take a self-guided tour using the museum's GPS-guided app, or pay an extra $6 for the one-hour tram tour departing at 10am, 11:30am, 1:30pm and 3pm from November to May.

Hardcore plane-spotters must call ahead (minimum 10 days) to book a spot on the 90-minute bus tour of the nearby Aerospace Maintenance & Regeneration Group – aka the 'Boneyard' – where 4000 or so aircraft are mothballed in the dry desert air.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Tucson attractions

1. Reid Park Zoo

5.72 MILES

At the compact Reid Park Zoo, a global menagerie – including grizzly bears, jaguars, giant anteaters and pygmy hippos – delights young and old. Cap a…

2. Richard F Caris Mirror Lab

7.7 MILES

Astronomers can get their geek on during 90-minute tours of this laboratory – it's where the world's largest telescope mirrors are made. The entrance is…

3. Tucson Children's Museum

8.07 MILES

Parents sing the praises of the Tucson Children’s Museum, which has plenty of engaging, hands-on exhibits – from the Discovery Garden to Pet Vet and…

4. Barrio Histórico District

8.09 MILES

This compact neighborhood was an important business district in the late 19th century. Today it's home to funky shops and galleries in brightly painted…

5. Tucson Portrait Project

8.1 MILES

This wall-to-wall mosaic of about 7000 Tucsonian faces is a simple yet powerful testament to the diversity of the city's population. It's in the underpass…

6. El Tiradito

8.16 MILES

Located in Tucson's Barrio Histórico, this shrine to a 19th-century local, purportedly killed by his father-in-law when he fell for his mother-in-law,…

7. Arizona State Museum

8.19 MILES

To learn more about the history and culture of the region's American Indian tribes, visit the Arizona State Museum, the oldest and largest anthropology…

8. Arizona History Museum

8.3 MILES

For an engaging look at highlights from Arizona's past, spend an hour at this family-friendly museum near the University of Arizona. You can walk though a…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "usa/southwest/tucson/attractions/pima-air-space-museum/a/poi-sig/427331/362148",
      "destination": "Tucson",
      "continent": "North-America",
      "country": "USA",
      "region": "Arizona",
      "city": "Tucson",
      "position": "superzone"
    }