After several years of planning and a year of construction, the Warden Aquarium at Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson is now open. This is the first new major exhibit to open in over 10 years.
The aquarium exhibition, “Rivers to the Sea,” will highlight the roles of the region’s rivers, including the mighty Colorado, and the Gulf of California. The 1,100 sq. ft. aquarium will house two galleries – one highlighting the region’s freshwater rivers and aquatic life and the other featuring the Sea of Cortez and representative sea life.
Primary funding for the new exhibition was generously provided by the Bert W. Martin Foundation and will include 14 tanks displaying a variety of fresh- and salt-water wildlife. Some of the Museum’s numerous conservation projects impacting many aquatic species will be highlighted in the galleries.
The Sea of Cortez is extremely diverse containing one of the world’s smallest and most endangered marine mammals, the vaquita, a rare type of porpoise, over 800 types of fish, five species of sea turtles, and the little-known American crocodile.
The exhibition area will also include a touch tank with marine invertebrates, like sea stars and hermit crabs, for a hands-on encounter for visitors on the behind-the-scenes tours.
Visits to the Warden Aquarium are included in the general admission museum ticket price. Private tours are available daily and reservations can be made at desertmuseum.org.
Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum – Warden Aquarium
2021 N. Kinney Rd., Tucson, AZ 85743
(520) 883-2702
Visit desertmuseum.org for seasonal hours and ticket prices.
