Tucson – Arizona’s Oldest City Comes Into Its Own

Due to spectacular weather and dramatic mountain landscapes in every direction, Tucson has always been a resort destination, offering unique options such as dude ranches, destination spas and luxurious resorts. But it’s also a significant cultural hub with a charming downtown core.

Tucson is a dynamic art city — filled with performing arts theaters, contemporary galleries, museums and music festivals, Tucson delivers a thriving arts scene. Restored art deco theaters such as Fox Tucson and the Rialto draw world class entertainment. Both theaters are also popular backdrops for the annual Jazz Festival and the Mariachi Festival. At the University of Arizona Museum of Art, groups will find an impressive Renaissance collection. Active meeting attendees and art lovers can take a mural tour by bike and enjoy the warm southwestern sunshine.

Tucson boasts a lively walkable downtown — Tucson has over 600 new hotel rooms in its downtown and university districts. These two areas connect with a modern streetcar, making downtown Tucson a favorite for those groups who prefer to have dining options right outside their door.  

While downtown, make a stop in Barrio Viejo, one of Tucson’s oldest neighborhoods, stroll down streets filled with colorful historic adobe homes, steeped in history. This amazing destination within a destination is scheduled to receive a National Historic Landmark designation in 2024. Barrio Viejo is also where Tucson’s oldest performing arts venue, the 300-seat Teatro Carmen, is currently being restored, with plans to reopen for live performances, film screenings, dining, and outdoor programming on its 8,000-square-foot patio.

Tucson Convention Center — a cultural hub. With an extensive $100 million dollar renovation completed, the TCC has been thoroughly modernized. Venue updates throughout the facility include 233,000 square feet of new and refurbished meeting and event space, increased venue capacity, new public walkways and gathering places, water features, sculptures and hardscape, and new eco-friendly landscaping. Embracing state-of-the-art technology, the facility now hosts an impressive array of digital touch points with more than 70 additional display screens, way finders and the first of its kind augmented reality installation. 

As the first UNESCO City of Gastronomy in the United States, Tucson has a food scene that dates back hundreds of years. To this day, chefs are creating culinary masterpieces using the same ingredients indigenous to the Sonoran Desert that were used hundreds of years ago.

Dark sky city — The fun doesn’t stop when the sun goes down. Tucson has a very dry, dark sky and more than 300 cloudless days a year. Light pollution restrictions throughout the city ensure that the night sky is very visible. Groups can take advantage of this by offering stargazing at their opening reception.

Embrace your inner cacti and enjoy a glimpse of what Tucson has to offer for groups. Incredible weather, history and culture are only the beginning.