Registration for the Fall tours opens August 1, 2025
Public Guided Tours
Register for a FREE guided tour of one of seven different collections of trees and plants in the Campus Arboretum. Led by Pima County Master Gardeners, the tours provide in-depth education, information and the opportunity to get all your questions answered. Interested in Sonoran Natives? Edible Plants? Landscaping for the 21st Century? We have a tour for each of these and more. Plant lists and other resources are provided.
The guided tours are scheduled throughout the academic year on Sunday mornings, with a few on Saturday mornings. The times vary depending on the season. Most tours start at the Berger Memorial Fountain on the west side of the Old Main Building and last 60-90 minutes.
Space is limited and registration is required. Upon registration you will receive a confirmation email with specific information for your tour and directions to the parking garages.
- Most tours are offered twice each semester.
- Please check the link for each tour to view a detailed description of the tour and the dates it will be offered.
- Tours in September and October begin at 8:00 am and tours in November and December begin at 9:30 am .
- Campus parking is $2 per hour: your email confirming registration will have a link to a map of all parking garages.
Questions?
Please e-mail: Arboretum-Tours@arizona.edu
We look forward to seeing you on one (or more) of our tours!
Click below to read tour descriptions and then view the calendar of events to register.
Historic and iconic Washintonia filifera (California fanpalm) on the Mall.
Join us to learn the history of the state’s oldest university by tracing its evolving landscape from the 1890’s to the present. Some of the original trees are still alive and flourishing: many other trees have been planted since then, each with a story to tell. The result is a nationally recognized Campus Arboretum and a world-class botanical collection. One of our most popular tours!
Fall 2025 Tour Dates and Times:
Sunday October 26th at 8:00 am
Sunday December 7th at 9:30 am
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 and learn how you can use these plants and practices at home.
Fall 2025 Tour Dates and Times:
Sunday October 19th at 8:00 am
Sunday November 30th at 9:30 am
The Campus Arboretum is home to a unique and extensive 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 place of origin. A great tour to give you ideas for your own garden or landscape.
Fall 2025 Tour Dates and Times:
Sunday November 9th at 9:30 am
Sunday December 21st at 9:30 am
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.
Fall 2025 Tour Dates and Times:
Sunday November 2nd at 9:30 am
Sunday December 14th at 9:30 am
While all the trees in the Campus Arboretum are beautiful, some of them are also edible! Join us for a tour of these trees and plants, 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.
Fall 2025 Tour Dates and Times
Sunday October 5th at 8:00 am
Sunday November 16th at 9:30 am
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, diseases and other conditions.
Fall 2025 Tour Dates and Times:
Sunday October 12th at 8:00 am
Sunday November 23rd at 9:30 am
How can we have a lush but water-wise garden in the middle of a densely populated city? Join us for a tour of the Environment and Natural Resources 2 Building (ENR2), a LEED Platinum certified structure that will inspire you with its water and energy conservation practices. Learn how to learn create your own urban oasis!
Fall 2025 Tour Dates and Times:
Saturday September 27th at 8:00 am
Saturday October 25th at 8:00 am
Saturday November 22nd at 9:30 am
Special Request Group Tours
We also offer tours at other times by special request. Special Request Group Tours are offered from November-March and available to groups of 6 and above with at least 2 months advance notice: we are already taking requests for the Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 Semesters! To find out about a special tour, please email Arboretum-Tours@arizona.edu.
