University of Arizona Campus Arboretum History, a tour of the arboretum.

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.

In this small group walking tour, you will take a trip back in time to learn the history and the heritage of Arizona’s oldest University. See the beautiful places created by more than a century of research and innovation, and journey through the development of one of the most beautiful and useful spaces in Arizona.

Tour starts at the University of Arizona Memorial Fountain, west of Old Main at 8:00 am and last 60-90 minutes. Campus visitor parking is available in campus parking garages at a cost of $2 per hour. Please bring water and a hat.

Using a rating scale of 1 (least amount of walking) to 3 (more walking), this tour is rated 2.

Using a rating scale of 1 (least sun exposure) to 3 (more sun exposure), this tour is rated 2.

A campus map can be found at: https://map.arizona.edu/