Tucson - American Southwest - page 383

383

All Aboard! Kids

If you've got kids who idolize Thomas the Tank Engine, then you'd better sched-
ule your Tucson visit for the second or fourth Sunday of the month. On those
days (with a few exceptions), the Gadsden-Pacific Division Toy Train Operating
Museum, 3975 N. Miller Ave. ( & 520/888-2222; http://gpdtoytrainmuseum.
com/toytrains), sends out little engines that think they can. The trains chug
around a variety of layouts built in different model-railroad gauges. On the two
days each month that it is open, the museum's hours are from 12:30 to 4:30pm.
Admission is free. In July and August, the museum is closed.

6000 E. Valencia Rd. & 520/574-0462. www.pimaair.org. Admission Nov-May $16 adults, $13 seniors
and military, $9 children 7-12; June-Oct $14 adults, $12 seniors and military, $8 children 7-12. Daily
9am-5pm. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas. Take the Valencia Rd. exit from I-10 and drive east 2 miles
to the museum.
Titan Missile Museum If you've ever wondered what it would be like to have your
finger on the button of a nuclear missile, here's your opportunity to find out. This deacti-
vated intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) silo is now a museum—and is the only
museum in the country that allows visitors to descend into a former missile silo. There's a
huge Titan missile on display, and, even without its nuclear warhead, it is a terrifying sight.
The guided tours do a great job of explaining not only the ICBM system, but also what life
was like for the people who worked here. Operated by the Pima Air & Space Museum, this
museum is located 25 miles south of Tucson near the community of Green Valley. On the
first and third Saturday of each month, there are Beyond the Blast Door tours, which take
visitors into areas not on the normal tour. There are also special tours on Tuesdays. It is even
possible to spend the night in the silo. Contact the museum for details.
1580 W. Duval Mine Rd., Sahuarita (exit 69, off I-19). & 520/625-7736. www.titanmissilemuseum.org.
Admission $9.50 adults, $8.50 seniors, $6 children 7-12; Beyond the Blast Door Tour $18 adults, $16
seniors, $9.95 children 8-12. Daily 8:45am-5pm. Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas. Take I-19 south to
Green Valley; take exit 69 west a half-mile to main entrance.

12

ESPECIALLY FOR KIDS
In addition to the museums listed below, two of the greatest places to take kids in the
Tucson area are the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and Old Tucson Studios. Kids will
also get a kick out of the Sabino Canyon tram ride, the Reid Park Zoo, Flandrau Science
Center & Planetarium, and the Pima Air & Space Museum. All are described in detail
earlier in this chapter.
They'll also enjoy Trail Dust Town, 6541 E. Tanque Verde Rd. ( & 520/296-5442;
www.traildusttown.com), a Wild West-themed shopping and dining center. It has a full-
size carousel, a miniature train to ride, a museum dedicated to the horse soldiers of the
West, shootout shows, and a family steakhouse. Basically, it's a sort of scaled-down Old
Tucson. If the kids are into miniature golf, take them to Golf n' Stuff, 6503 E. Tanque
Verde Rd. ( & 520/296-2366; www.golfnstuff.com), which is right next door to Trail
Dust Town. Not only is there a miniature golf course, but there are also bumper boats,
go-karts, batting cages, laser tag, a climbing wall, and a video-game arcade. Between these
two side-by-side attractions, you've got plenty to keep the family entertained for hours.