university of arizona walking tour

Tips for Your Campus Tour

Get ready for your first taste of Tucson life.

This is where it all starts: Your very first time experiencing the University of Arizona’s campus. 

Your campus tour is your chance to get a feel for campus, imagine yourself as a student, and get the inside scoop on being a Wildcat. Here are a few pro tips to help you make the most of your experience:

• Dress comfortably: There’s a lot to discover at the University of Arizona, so make sure you’re ready for a whole day of exploration. Our campus is about one square-mile, so don’t forget your walking shoes!
• Wear sunscreen: It’s no secret that Tucson can get hot, especially with 350 days of sunshine per year on average. Whether you come in winter or summer, make sure to protect yourself from the Arizona sun. And don’t forget to check the weather, you’ll want to bring an umbrella if it’s monsoon season.
• Visit a classroom or dorm: This is your chance to get a glimpse of what Arizona life is really like. Check out the places you’ll be spending time in everyday, and snap a few pictures around campus to look back on later.
• Bring questions: Our experienced Arizona Ambassadors are students, too, so they know all the ins and outs of campus life. Don’t be afraid to ask questions!

So Much to Do, So Little Time

The University of Arizona is full of buildings both old and new that will be a big part of your college experience. Here are some key places on campus to keep an eye out for on your tour:

• Old Main: This is Arizona’s HQ, where your tour will start. It’s also the oldest building on campus, with construction beginning in 1887. 
• Arizona Stadium: You can’t miss it. Check out where the Wildcats play their home football games. 
• Student Union Memorial Center: The Student Union is not just a place to get great food, it’s also the center of campus life and home to plenty of resources you’ll want to know. 
• SouthREC: The biggest of our three on-campus recreation centers, complete with a full gym, Olympic-sized swimming pool, climbing wall, and so much more. 
• Student Success District: This part of campus is home to the Main Library, the Bear Down Building, and several important resources like Think Tank and LifeLab . 
• McKale Memorial Center: Where our Wildcat basketball teams make history. It’s never too early to anticipate your first game day (psst … check out tips for ZonaZoo here ). 

Another highlight of campus is the scenery all around you! Learn more about the beautiful plants you’ll see at Arizona through the Campus Arboretum . 

Make Tucson Your Home

After you’re done with your tour, you can check out everything else Tucson has to offer. University Boulevard is just steps from campus and features shops and dining spots that Wildcats love. 

Didn’t get a chance to see it all? No worries – you can always come back. And maybe one day soon, our campus will be just as familiar to you as your hometown! 

Learn more about planning a visit to campus .

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The Daily Wildcat

Ua visitor center offers campus tours.

The UA Visitor Center began its fall Campus Walking Tours this month. The tours, which are typically conducted by UA Visitor Center volunteers and UA alumni, occur every Wednesday at 10 a.m.

This year the Visitor Center is offering four types of walking tours around campus including “Things to Do at the U,” the public art tour and the history tour. The newest addition to the list is the Sustainability/Sustainable Landscapes Tour, which focuses on various locations around campus that have turned into sustainable environments by using water harvesting or solar resources.

“We’re working really close with the campus arboretum to provide information about sustainability throughout the walk,” said Wendi Rountree, program coordinator at the UA Visitor Center.

The tours are free to the public and visitors are provided with a water bottle and carrying case before they take a 90-minute trek around the UA campus. While on the history tour, participants will be educated on historic campus landmarks including the Arizona State Museum, Old Main and Centennial Hall.

James Bly, a UA alumni and volunteer for the Visitor Center, has been leading the history tour for the last four years. He says he is still finding new things about the campus.

“It’s amazing how much public art items there are on campus because they don’t initially jump right out at you, so you never realize it,” Bly said. “At least, I didn’t.”

Aside from walking tours every Wednesday, the center also hosts special tours during events on campus like Family Weekend or Homecoming. On the first Saturday of the month, the center also gives shuttle tours of the campus to people who have mobility issues.

“It’s basically like the historic tour but you are on a bus route,” Rountree said.

The tours start at the Visitor Center, located on the corner of University Boulevard and Euclid Avenue. The Visitor Center advises tour attendees to wear comfortable clothing and shoes.

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Self Guided Tours

Click here to go directly to the mobile tours.

Few places in Tucson rival the serenity of the University of Arizona main campus on a weekend or early morning. The landscape ethos communicates unrivaled vitality and an equivalent calm that needs to be experienced! Perhaps you have felt it. Have you wondered in amazement at the diversity and beauty of the trees on the campus grounds? Collectively, these trees have a rich history rooted in our Land Grant Mission and individually, they also each have an interesting story to learn.

In an effort to promote stewardship and conservation of almost 8000 of these historic and botanically diverse trees, the UA Campus Arboretum hosts a variety of outreach and educational programs that extend university science and expertise to communities throughout the state.  Our impact begins with the ubiquitous botanical signage installed throughout the grounds targeting every campus resident and visitor but extends further through our online resources to benefit the whole world.

Since the recognition of the campus as an arboretum in 2002, more than 550 botanical signs have been installed to promote understanding of their diversity and history. The wide distribution of these signs creates a compelling opportunity to leverage our expertise in urban ecological sustainability through detailed interpretation of sustainability initiatives on campus. To this end, we installed new interpretive signs embedded with Quick-Response (QR) codes that allow mobile users direct access to a wide range of content online. With generous support from  the UA Green Fund , and significant contributions from  Campus Arboretum donors , we were able to fund the removal, repair, redesign, and restallation of nearly 550 new signs. Students also created web content describing almost half of the species in our campus collection and added nearly 3000 new stunning photographs. The signs, along with additional web content and images allowed for the creation of mobile tours that supplement our docent-guided tours. To learn how to use the QR coded signs or take a mobile-guided-tour, see the help sheet below. 

Other resources for you to explore online include an interactive map to help you locate and ID campus trees, a plant selection tool to help you find the right plant for your site and terrific guided tours provided by the Pima Co. Master Gardeners and other volunteers. The campus tree tours highlight a variety of important trees and reveal principles of particular relevance to our communities including: working with edible and medicinal plants in the landscape, exploring the uses of Sonoran native plants, and conquering the challenges of landscape management in the southwest, among many others. These tours are offered according to a regular schedule or by special request . For convenience, there are also self-guided tour booklets available for you to print (online) or to check out (from 101 Herring Hall). 

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University of Arizona Walking Tour

November 15, 2023 @ 9:00 am - 11:30 am.

University of Arizona Walking Tour November 15, 9-11:30 am $20/member, $30/non-member

After a discussion of the interesting beginnings of the University in 1885, we will tour the historic portion of the campus beginning with the Main Gate at University at Park. The history, the personalities, and the architecture will be emphasized in a somewhat chronological order.  The architecture of the older buildings varies from Classical Revival to Italian and Spanish Romanesque. The tour will also include newer sites such as the Women’s Plaza of Honor and the Student Union Memorial Center. As we stroll the campus, we will investigate some of the plants – the University is a recognized arboretum – and the public art.  The tour will end after a short visit to the front of the Arizona History Museum.

***This tour is 1.25-miles long and meets in the Arizona Historical Center Parking Lot on the northeast corner of Euclid and 2nd Street.

Pre-registration is required. Click here to register.

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Campus arboretum tours, university of arizona pima county cooperative extension.

Did you know that the University of Arizona campus is a famous Arboretum? Considered one of the best campus Arboretums in the country, the 400 acres are home to outstanding trees from around the world or from our own Sonoran Desert.

Every Sunday morning from mid-September to mid-May, Master Gardeners lead free tours around the Campus Arboretum. There is a series of six tours, each one highlighting something different about this unique collection. Check out the descriptions (below) and use this link to register for any of these tours.

Register Here

A great way to spend a Sunday morning!

Old Main Tour

What makes Old Main so important? It’s the first building on the University of Arizona campus and has been a place of education and learning for over 130 years. But it’s also the site of beautiful and water-wise landscaping: it combines the best of desert and adapted trees and plants with water conservation practices suitable for our hot and dry climate. Join us to see how it’s done."

Arboretum History Tour

Learn the history and the heritage of Arizona's oldest University. Follow our guides as they show you beautiful places and tell you fascinating facts about the growth and development of the University, and how it came out of the sands of the Sonoran Desert to become the jewel of Arizona!

Sonoran Native Plants

When the University of Arizona was established, Dr. James Toumey, a botanist for the Agricultural Experiment Station, started a cactus display garden that, eventually became what we now know as the Joseph Wood Krutch (pronounced KROOCH) Garden. This tour features the Sonoran native plants in that garden and celebrates desert ecology and ethnobotanical wisdom .

Trees Around the World Tour

For more than a century the campus landscape has served as testing grounds for arid-adapted trees, supplying the Campus Arboretum with a collection of unusual but delightful specimens. Trees around the World features some of these unique trees and describes their native uses and interesting folklore .

Edible Landscapes Tour

This tour originated as a brilliant idea of an (undoubtedly hungry) undergraduate student, and has been customized for the benefit of all locovores. Join us to learn the identities of trees and plants with edible products which grow well in our campus landscape. The tour features arid-adapted introduced species as well as Sonoran desert native plants .

Medicinal Plants Tour

Plants have been used for centuries to treat and remedy all sorts of ailments; on this tour you will learn about some of the Sonoran Native medicinal plants found here on campus and the current science confirming their therapeutic properties for human health .

Success Events

Reserve Space

Experience the Student Success District  

Get to know your way around before you visit. Take a tour with Brach Drew.

Making the most of your college experience often takes resources you find outside the classroom─tutoring, wellness, career counseling. The University of Arizona has brought these and a wealth of other student services together in the Student Success District.

Take a self-guided tour

Self-guided tours are welcome and encouraged. 

Download or pick up the Self-Guided Tour Map  in the lobby of the Main and Weaver Libraries, the Bartlett Academic Success Center, and the Bear Down Building.   

Student success is the highest priority at the University of Arizona. Tour the Student Success District to see how four interconnected buildings in the heart of campus bring this priority to life as one seamless experience.

With student input, the 9-acre District was created to improve the student experience by providing different services in the center of campus for students from all disciplines and colleges. Library Download services, learning support, tutoring, advising, mentoring, career services and health programs are more accessible now that the Main Library, the Albert B. Weaver Science-Engineering Library, Bear Down Building and the Bartlett Academic Success Center are connected through the District’s intentional design. 

The vision for the District was greatly enhanced by private gifts from generous donors, including Patricia and Bruce Bartlett, the Frederick Gardner Cottrell Foundation, Terry Seligman, and Graham and Kathleen Tubbs, who contributed long-term investments in the students.

Need assistance planning a guided tour? 

Reach out to [email protected] .

1. Main Library, 2nd floor – CATalyst Studios

Students from all disciplines and majors have access to the  University Libraries'  cutting-edge creative spaces, individual quiet study rooms and digital technologies for collaborative and individual learning.  CATalyst Studios , a 9,700 square-foot interdisciplinary hub that occupies the entire east wing of the  Main Library’s  ground floor, inspires formal and informal learning through technologies such as virtual/augmented reality, data visualization, and fabrication equipment.

Students, faculty, staff, and community members are welcome to engage in workshops, get certified to use equipment and explore the space which includes:

• The  Maker Studio , where you can explore creative technologies such as laser and vinyl cutters, CNC routers, 3D printers, sewing machines, and other equipment.
• The  Terry Seligman VR Studio  and Green Screen Room , which enable you to experience and create virtual and augmented reality content.
• The  Data Studio   features a high-resolution 20x7 foot visualization wall for image and data processing, teaching, and learning.
• The Sound Studio , where you can record podcasts and audio content with our professional microphones and podcasting equipment.  
• The One Button Studio , where you can record and create professional-quality video presentations, lectures, and instructional videos.
• Three modular  learning studios  designed for collaborative instruction and learning.

2. Main Library, 2nd floor – Monumental staircase

The Main Library's two-floor ecosystem is dedicated to technology, skill development, collaborative research, and experiential learning to elevate the student experience at the University.

The 30x30 foot monumental staircase in the west wing provides a highly visible vertical connection and pathway between the renovated second (ground) floor and first floor where spaces and services are provided. 

Collaborative study areas surrounding the staircase include a large open study space with a variety of seating options and wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling windows that bring in natural sunlight.

Scholars' Corner offers a comfortable space with large windows and natural light for small group or individual work and an outdoor patio.

Students also enjoy the shaded, landscaped seating areas outside the library with WiFi and access to electrical power.

3. Main Library, 1st floor – Rhonda G. Tubbs Tech Toolshed

The first floor of the Main Library is home to the  Rhonda G. Tubbs Tech Toolshed  has 1,500 pieces of technology that students can borrow , including laptops, cameras, scanners, tablets, and more. 

The University’s IT department operates the   Tech Zone ,   a computer lab that provides video, audio, and design software, and the 24/7 Lounge , which provides in-person tech support for students and University employees.

The library's Learning Studio 112 provides a collaborative instruction and learning space.

Multiple building entrances and exits, along with transformed outdoor study spaces, create more welcoming and integrated facilities that allow students to travel between the library and other buildings within the District.

4. Bear Down Building, East entrance

The 60,000-square-foot Bear Down Building is home to a wide range of services and spaces for students, including:  academic support and career services ,  physical and mental wellness services , and  meeting and gathering spaces . 

Modern technology, utility infrastructure updates, and safety and accessibility improvements are installed so this treasured building can continue to serve the University for many years to come. The renovation respected the historic character and fabric of the original building by preserving the iconic elements of the building exterior, maintaining the historic interior volume of space, and retaining essential elements of the bow trusses, suspended mezzanine bleachers, and gym floor. 

The  Carranza Healing Garden  between the Main Library and Bear Down offer places to sit and relax, and is part of the District’s efforts to support student wellness. The Wildcats Forever Memorial plaque was dedicated in the Garden in 2022 to honor the Wildcats who have passed while at the University.

Built in 1926, Bear Down was called the "Gymnasium and Armory" since it was also housed the Department of Military Science and Tactics. The building continued to serve the department and ROTC cadets for years and even provided dormitory space for military troops and students during and after World War II. In the fall of 1926, quarterback and student body president John Byrd “Button” Salmon – a promising and popular student and athlete – was seriously injured in a car accident. The coach at the time, J.F. "Pop" McKale, regularly visited Salmon in the hospital, said Salmon's last message to the team was, "Tell them, tell the team to bear down." Students embraced those words and memorialized Salmon by painting them on the roof of Bear Down. It wasn't until 1983 that the building was officially named Bear Down Gymnasium.

5. Bear Down Building, 1st Floor

An 1,800-square-foot  fitness room  equipped with the latest cardio equipment and gear and a locker room serves our students, as well as faculty and staff who have Campus Recreation memberships.

Other amenities – such as two  meditation rooms , cabanas , meeting spaces, and nutritious snacks at the  Red & Blue Market  – are available when you’re studying, working, or taking a break.  Arizona Science, Engineering and Math Scholars Programs (ASEMS)  empowers STEM students with the tools necessary to succeed while recognizing their unique backgrounds and assets. ASEMS has a new space in the building, moving to a more centralized space on campus.

The  Social & Behavioral Sciences Student Lounge  is a space designed to serve our current and prospective students as they navigate their way to and through their Wildcat journeys. Join us and connect, study, and collaborate with other SBS and UA students. We welcome all incoming students and families to get to know the People College.

6. Bear Down Building, 2nd & 3rd Floors

The university has dedicated a space in Bear Down to house the institution's first i nterfaith and serenity spaces  to support holistic and spiritual wellness. A meditation room will be located on the first floor, and the interfaith room will be on the third floor. 

Health promotion and prevention services, academic advising, programs and workshops are available to engage students to help them feel connected socially and academically. They can also find writing and tutoring support, reserve study spaces, get their questions answered, and explore career coaching throughout the building.

7. Bartlett Academic Success Center

The four-story, 61,619 square foot  Bartlett Academic Success Center , which serves as a hub for central and college academic advising, was completed in December 2020.

It houses student support and services programs such as  The A Center ,   Thrive Center ,  Student Engagement & Career Development , the  Strategic Alternative Learning Techniques Center  (SALT), and  THINK TANK.  Most of these programs are part of  Student Success & Retention Innovation , which aims to create a sense of belonging for students, ensure that they feel valued, respected and included, and increase retention and graduation rates for undergraduate students.

Two sky bridges connect the Bartlett Center to Bear Down. Outdoor walkways, shaded patios, and a healing garden for contemplation connect all four buildings in the District. Additional entrances, improved access, more natural light, and a visual connection to nature are features of each building. The TEP (Tucson Electric Power) Sunshade Structure on the west side of the Bartlett building provides a large public open seating space that successfully demonstrates a large-scale renewable energy project on campus. 

The Arizona Stadium, which was originally built in 1928, is just south of the Bartlett Center.

8. Bartlett Academic Success Center, 1st & 2nd Floors

The  Bartlett Academic Success Center  is a central place for serving and connecting with students.

Support. Outreach. Success. (SOS)  supports all University of Arizona community members, with a focus on enhancing the student experience. We know that when students have a central place or simple way to have questions answered and to seek support they are more successful. Each year SOS answers thousands of questions and helps Arizona students and other community members find resources on campus.

Thrive Center’s  mission is to advance a community where students successfully navigate through, excel in, and graduate from the University of Arizona prepared for life after college. Thrive Center's work is focused on three distinct areas related to student persistence and degree attainment: building community for students who have been historically underrepresented on college campuses, are low-income, and/or are first generation college students; collaborating across campus to serve students and centering students' wellness in and outside of the classroom.

THINK TANK,  which is on the second floor, is the students go-to destination for academic support at the University of Arizona. THINK TANK offers a variety of services in math, writing, science, business, statistics, language, and academic skills. Thanks to the Student Services Fee dollars at work, the majority of our tutoring and academic support services are free.

9. Bartlett Academic Success Center, 3rd & 4th Floors

The  Strategic Alternative Learning Techniques (SALT) Center  is a national leader in providing academic support services to those with learning and attention differences, enrolls as many as 700 students each year. Their innovative approach is recognized as one of the most successful at promoting student achievement in the university setting.

Student Engagement & Career Development   (SECD) offers meaningful learning experiences and career services and development in collaboration with colleges, departments, student organizations, alumni and employers. SECD collaborates with employers for job recruiting and career information events that will be held inside Bear Down Gym.

On the Bartlett Center’s fourth floor, students have access to academic advising from the  A Center , the  College of Humanities , the  College of Science  and the  College of Social and Behavioral Sciences . Many University of Arizona students are double and even triple majors. A single visible and accessible location for student services and academic advising from multiple units under one roof will benefit the students greatly.

10. Albert B. Weaver Science-Engineering Library, 2nd floor

The renovations at the  Albert B. Weaver Science-Engineering Library , which was built in 1963, were completed in 2020 on the second and third floors to create a research and study ecosystem emphasizing collaborative, hands-on learning that students can easily navigate.

Weaver Library is home to the first collaborative classroom on campus. What started as a pilot project is now the collaborative learning classroom model used throughout the university campus.

The renovation design was inspired by the building’s pre-existing 260-seat collaborative classroom that brings in over 1,500 students a day into this library. The renovations facilitate the extension of the classroom’s focus on applied, collaborative pedagogy into the other areas of the second and third floors. 

The new sunlit glass atrium-like lobby entrance on the east side of the building was designed to replace the solid brick wall on the east side, allowing for natural light and views of the Bear Down Building. Before the renovations, the only sunlight inside the library was through the windows located on the north and south sides of the building. The library houses materials in areas such as fine arts, life and physical sciences, engineering and technology, and military sciences.

11. Albert B. Weaver Science-Engineering Library, 3rd floor

The new staircase in the Weaver Library's glass lobby entrance connects the second and third floors, improves traffic flow, and a two-floor interconnected ecosystem is dedicated to collaborative learning and research.

The Provost’s Office provided the support to open a Family Study Room  on the fourth floor for a family-friendly study space for university student parents/guardians and their children. This initiative was spearheaded by the Graduate and Professional Student Council. We also welcome university post-docs, staff, and faculty accompanied by children.

Weaver Library is also home to the Collaborative Faculty Room on the third floor and the Rehearsal Performance Room on the fifth floor where College of Fine Arts students, faculty, and staff can practice and record musical instruments.

12. Albert B. Weaver Science-Engineering Library, West entrance

The new open floor plan inspires collaboration and group study with movable, modular furnishings, whiteboards, and new adjacent group study rooms. Students can now easily access computers, printers, scanners, self-check machines, and the service desk in the lobby.

Changes transformed both the second and third floors of the Weaver Library from a “T” layout that caused traffic bottlenecks to an “8” layout that creates more spatial connectivity and continuity. These renovations allow students to travel easily in and out of the collaborative classroom to other areas of the library where computers and a variety of new study spaces are located.

University of Arizona Transfers: 2024 Requirements, Dates, GPAs & More

How long do university of arizona tours last.

CampusReel hosts a total of about 53 tour videos for University of Arizona , so you can expect to spend between 159 to 265 minutes total watching content. Of course, we are constantly adding new content. Come back to CampusReel often to see new videos and campus tours of University of Arizona and stay informed on campus life.

Where do University of Arizona tours start?

On CampusReel, you can start your University of Arizona tour wherever you’d like. If you’re touring University of Arizona in person with a traditional walking tour you’ll likely start at the admissions office. The school’s address is listed as Tucson, AZ so we recommend plugging that into your GPS. Before beginning a tour at University of Arizona , make sure you check the weather and plan out your itinerary and accommodations appropriately. Tucson weather can be unpredictable, so bring comfortable shoes in case it rains. Also, check what stops the tour includes to make sure you’ll see everything you’re interested in! The University of Arizona website likely outlines important information for tour visitors.

When do University of Arizona tours start?

Needless to say, a CampusReel virtual tour of University of Arizona starts whenever you want. However, most schools provide 2-3 different start times for group tours in-person: in the morning, afternoon, and late afternoon. We recommend choosing the second available timeslot because University of Arizona students will likely be up and about by then. You can explore Tucson if you wake up early and want to gain a deeper understanding of the surrounding community. Check the University of Arizona admissions site or student services to confirm tour times.

What are the best landmarks and locations at University of Arizona ?

Below is a list of every University of Arizona building that has a tour on CampusReel.

• The University of Arizona at University of Arizona

What will I see on a University of Arizona tour?

All CampusReel tours for University of Arizona include everything from dorms to dining halls to student interviews and gameday videos. Most importantly, you will see University of Arizona students!

What is city Tucson, AZ like?

Tucson is listed as East South Central. You need to evaluate the area carefully to make sure this is an environment you want to go to college in. Some people love a town this size, and others don’t. Either way, it will affect your time at University of Arizona .

Who are the tour guides for University of Arizona on CampusReel?

Scroll up to the top of the page to select from a number of tour guides available at University of Arizona . Keep in mind anyone can upload content to CampusReel, so the available tour guides are constantly increasing.

Summary and Overview of University of Arizona tours:

University of Arizona , like all colleges and universities, has its pros and cons. At the end of the day, your goal with these tour videos is to try to decide if University of Arizona is the right school for you. After you’ve taken the time learn about the campus, Tucson and overall experience, then you can consider taking your search one step further and visiting University of Arizona in person.

Check out these related virtual tours:

• Campus tour to Arizona State University-Tempe (ASU)
• Campus tour to Northern Arizona University (NAU)
• Campus tour to University of North Texas (UNT)
• Campus tour to Sam Houston State University (SHSU)
• Campus tour to Texas State University (TXST)

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[d] walking tour of university of arizona campus.

Astronomy Dept

Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab tour tickets are available for the summer.

Please read below as our tour has changed.

For inquiries, the best method to reach us is by sending an email message to [email protected] .  Our phone number has changed to 520-626-8122.

We will meet at the lobby of Steward Observatory and begin our tour at the Steward Observatory Dome. After our presentation, we will walk to the Richard F. Caris Mirror Lab facility and review the process in person. 

For accessibility requests, please contact [email protected] .

A portion of the tour involves walking, climbing, and descending stairs.

We require our guests to wear closed-toed flat shoes for safety and comfort. You will not be permitted to attend the tour without closed-toe flat shoes. We recommend sneakers for ease, safety, and comfort. Additionally, our visitors must only bring what fits comfortably in their pockets. The facility will not permit water bottles, bags, or other items. You will not be allowed to attend the tour with personal items. 

This 90-minute tour provides a unique opportunity to learn how innovative engineering and optical technology melds with manufacturing techniques to produce the largest and most advanced giant (8.4 meters / 27 ft)  telescope mirrors in the world on the University of Arizona campus.

Visitors will see the unparalleled technology and revolutionary processes in making the next generation of telescopes that will explore deep into outer space and produce cutting-edge scientific research.   The University of Arizona's College of Science is ranked #1 among observational, theoretical, and space astronomy programs in the U.S. Come see why!

These new generation giant optical telescopes will change how we explore the Universe! This instrument will allow astronomers to break the boundaries of astronomy and the Universe, peering back to the beginning of time to answer a vast array of astronomical questions.  

Need to get your steps in? Where to find indoor tracks, walking spots on a budget this summer in the Valley

From community centers to malls, there are options that are either free or low-cost..

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — It’s hot in the Valley, and with high temperatures in the triple-digits, you may be itching to get out of the house.

If you want to go on a walk, avoid the treadmill, but also keep cool in the air conditioning, Arizona’s Family is exploring indoor walking spots in our Summer On A Budget series.

Indoor Tracks

City of Phoenix Parks & Recreation has community centers with indoor tracks. That includes the Goelet A.C. Beuf Community Center and the Ceasar Chavez Community Center.

According to the City’s website, an annual recreation pass is $20 per year if you live in Phoenix and $40 per year for non-residents. Here’s info on how to sign up .

The FLC Fitness Center in central Phoenix also offers an indoor track. Membership prices vary , but it is $50 per month for a family of three or more. There is a $10 signup fee.

Mall Walking Hours

Some Valley malls also open early for those who want to get their steps in inside.

- Chandler Fashion Center opens at 6:30 a.m.

- Scottsdale Fashion Square opens at 8 a.m.

- Arrowhead Towne Center opens at 8 a.m. Monday through Saturday and at 9 a.m. on Sunday.

- Superstition Springs Center opens at 8:30 a.m.

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Planning a road trip? Stop at one of these 18 uniquely Arizona roadside attractions

While the nearest rest stop or fast-food chain restaurant may be the most convenient place for tired travelers searching for a reprieve from the open road, it would be remiss of road trippers to ignore the unusual roadside attractions scattered along the Arizona highways.

If life-sized cartoon characters near the Grand Canyon or exotic animals on the way to Tucson sound like better pit stops than the local gas station, you're in luck when driving in Arizona.

Here are some of the most notable Arizona roadside attractions you can check out the next time you cross the Grand Canyon state.

Bedrock City at Raptor Ranch

As if Fred Flintstone's prehistoric town had always been set in Arizona, visiting Bedrock City at Raptor Ranch will make baby boomers (and anyone else who watched reruns of the popular '60s cartoon) nostalgic for their childhood. Colorful statues of familiar characters and the iconic brontosaurus slide have been essential roadside attractions off State Route 64 in Valle.

Details: 332 S. State Route 64, Valle. 928-635-3072. www.raptor-ranch.com .

Four Corners Monument Navajo Tribal Park

Less of a roadside attraction and more of a cool fun fact you can share, the Four Corners Monument Navajo Tribal Park recognizes the only place in the U.S. where the borders of four states meet. After visiting, you can finally join many Southwestern residents in saying you have been in Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona all at the same time.

Details: 597 NM-597, Teec Nos Pos. 928-206-2540.  www.navajonationparks.org.

Meteor Crater

Over 50,000 years ago, an iron-nickel meteorite approximately 150 feet wide collided with what is now northern Arizona. According to the site's website, the impact hit the Earth with a force 150 times greater than an atomic bomb. The crater this meteor left is now the best-preserved meteorite site on Earth and a historic landmark to visit if you are driving near Flagstaff.

Details: Interstate 40, Exit 233, Winslow. 928-289-5898. www.meteorcrater.com .

Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch

If you are heading south near Picacho Peak, it is hard to miss the billboards advertising Rooster Cogburn Ostrich Ranch. Seemingly the only place you can find stingrays, donkeys, deer, parrots and dozens of ostriches in the middle of nowhere, this roadside attraction is a great spot for adults and children to make memories.

Details: 17599 E Peak Lane, Picacho. 520-466-3658.  www.roostercogburn.com .

Take the scenic route: This stunning Arizona roadway was ranked most scenic drive in the US. See why

Standin' on the Corner Park

You don't have to be an Eagles groupie to be familiar with the nod to this Arizona town in one of their most popular songs, "Take it Easy." "Standin' on the corner in Winslow, Arizona ..." is a line memorialized by Winslow residents at Standin' on the Corner Park. A bronze statue of a young musician is a salute to the troubadours who put Winslow on the classic rock map.

Details: Corner of Kinsley Avenue and Second Street in Winslow. 928-289-2434.  www.visitwinslow.com .

Without spoiling the enigma that can be uncovered in Benson, The Thing is a worthy roadside attraction to consider as you head down the I-10. The various billboards that line the highway are hard to miss as you get closer to the "Mystery of the Desert." Located next to a Dairy Queen and a Shell gas station, you can take care of your hunger, gas tank and curiosity at the same time.

Details: 2631 N. Johnson Road, Benson. 520-586-2581. www.bowlinsthething.com .

Arizona's 'world's largest' roadside wonders

According to a map created by  blog.batchgeo.com , more than 195 roadside attractions in the U.S. consider themselves the “world’s largest” something. These are Arizona's "world's largest" wonders and where they are located.

• World's Largest Cow Skull, Amado.
• World's Largest Petrified Tree, Holbrook.
• World's Largest Map of Old Route 66, Meteor City.
• World's Largest Kokopelli, Camp Verde.
• World's Largest Kachina, Carefree.

Find out more: Arizona is home to 5 of the 'World's Largest' things — do you know what they are?

Giganticus Headicus

Art is completely subjective. To Kingman residents, Giganticus Headicus is one of the most iconic art pieces off Route 66. Created by local artist Gregg Arnold, the tiki-style head is 14 feet tall and bright green. If taking a picture isn't enough, you can further memorialize your time with the head with a miniature from the local gift shop.

Details: 9855 AZ-66, Kingman. www.antaersvisitorcenter.com .

Wigwam Village Motel

Need a place to stay overnight? Have you considered a wigwam? This quaint village off Mother Road may be just the eccentric place to spend a night while traveling through the state. Constructed in the 1950s, a night in a wigwam will make you forget why you would want to sleep anywhere else.

Details: 811 W. Hopi Drive, Holbrook. 928-524-3048. sleepinawigwam.com .

Lumberjack muffler man

A familiar face to Northern Arizona University students, the 25-foot-tall muffler man resembles the school's mascot, Louie the Lumberjack. Before being moved outside of the Skydome, the lumberjack was located outside the Lumberjack Cafe and appeared in the background of the 1969 movie "Easy Rider."

Details: 1701 S. San Francisco St., Flagstaff.

Rainbow Rock Shop Dinosaurs

If you're in search of more prehistoric creatures to gape at, stop at the Rainbow Rock Shop as you drive along Route 66. Fans of geodes and other pretty rocks will be able to admire the variety of concrete dinosaurs while searching for their next gem.

Details: 101 Navajo Blvd., Holbrook.

Located near the Mexico border, Dateland is a necessary stop on Interstate 8. A major producer of the Medjool dates, the dry heat provides the perfect climate for cultivating the fruit. Dates are fiber-rich, sweet as candy and contain more potassium than a banana. Try Dateland's world-famous date shake when you visit.

Details: 1737 Ave. 64 E., Dateland. 928-454-2772. www.dateland.com .

London Bridge

You don't need to travel across the world to experience a little European history. As a result of a strange series of events, the London Bridge , which once crossed the River Thames, was broken down and rebuilt in Lake Havasu City by Robert P. McCulloch. This British import attracts tens of thousands of travelers every year.

Details: 1340 McCulloch Blvd. N., Lake Havasu City. 928-453-3444. www.golakehavasu.com .

Take a break from speeding down the highway by cruising through the ponderosa pine forest. An attraction you don't need to get out of your car to enjoy, Bearizona has over three miles of road surrounded by picturesque nature and North American animals. If your legs need a break from sitting in a cramped car, the park also has a 20-acre walk-through area.

Details: 1500 E Route 66, Williams. 928-635-2289. www.bearizona.com .