DOCENT GUIDED TOURS
Tours of the Campus Arboretum feature a variety of educational themes. Join us on campus to experience the rich lessons these trees teach through the expert lens of the Pima Co. Master Gardeners. Guides will meet tour participants for all scheduled tours at the Berger Memorial Fountain, west of Old Main. This location is conveniently located just inside Main Gate Square with nearby parking available at the Tyndall Ave. Garage. Guided tours occur through the academic year - at 8:00 am in September, October and April and at 9:30 am in November-March. Tours last 60-90 minutes. Space is limited, registration is required and the cost is free! Special tours are provided for groups with advance notice. See the bottom of this page for more information.
Descriptions of Guided Tours
Old Main New Directions in Desert Landscaping
What makes the Old Main building 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, combining 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
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!
Trees Around the World
The campus arboretum is home to a unique collection of desert-adapted trees from around the world. Some will be familiar, and others are exotic. All of them are beautiful. Join us to learn what they are, why they are here and how they are used in their native country.
Sonoran Native Plants
The University of Arizona Arboretum is home to some of the finest specimens of Sonoran native plants and trees anywhere. Join us as we tour the Joseph Wood Krutch Garden and other areas of the campus featuring these remarkable, adaptable, and water-wise plants and trees. Learn about their history, current use and why they should have a place in any desert garden.
Edible Landscapes Tour
While all the trees in the Campus Arboretum are beautiful, some of them are also edible. Join us for a tour of these trees, including olive, fig, pomegranate, and a few you may have never heard of. Learn how many of these trees and plants have been cultivated as food by people here and elsewhere for thousands of years.
Medicinal Plants
Plants have been used as medicine for hundreds, if not thousands of years. They are part of the history and lore of almost every society on earth. Join us to learn how these plants—from the Sonoran Desert and elsewhere--have been traditionally used to treat different ailments and other conditions.
ENR2 - Environment and Natural Resources Building
How can we have a lush but water-wise garden in the middle of a densely populated city? Join us at the Environment and Natural Resources 2 Building (ENR2), a LEED Platinum certified structure to learn how to create your own urban oasis. Witness innovation in water harvesting and how to identify match plant choice with microclimates created by the building.
Parking and Getting to Old Main
Campus visitor parking is available in campus parking garages at a cost of approx. $2 per hour with an $8 daily maximum at most garages (except 2nd Street). You can find the Campus Map here https://map.arizona.edu/
Special Group Tours
Special Request Group Tours are offered from November-March and available to groups of 6-12 with at least 2 months advance notice. Since tours are planned on a bi-annual basis, and we get many requests for special tours, please contact us as far in advance as possible. 6 months advance notice is more likely to secure a spot for your group. To find out about a special tour, please email Arboretum-Tours@arizona.edu.