City: Tucson, AZ

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (520) 625-8233

Description: Folks who are interested in minerals or copper mining will see and learn all about them at this attraction 15 miles south of Tucson. Dubbed the largest man-made attraction in southern Arizona, visitors have a choice of seeing just the Mineral Discovery Center, which is free, or also taking the open-pit mine tour, for which a fee is charged for anyone older than age 4 ($5 for kids age 5 to 12, $8 for adults, and $6 for seniors).The Mineral Discovery Center has a variety of hands-on exhibits about mining and minerals, from how ore deposits are formed and how they are discovered and mined to how the land is reclaimed after mining. A multimedia theater has presentations on mining, mineral resources, and reclamation. There’s also a display of historic and present-day mining equipment. The tour takes visitors by air-conditioned bus to an operating open-pit copper mine nearby. You’ll see how the land is excavated, the massive machinery that mills the earth and extracts and processes the minerals, and the reclamation process designed to restore the landscape.Tours take about an hour, and flat shoes are recommended because some walking will be required. Call ahead if you need arrangements for wheelchair access. The center is open Tues through Sat from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tour times vary seasonally, so call ahead. Reservations are recommended; call (520) 625-8233. It’s operated by ASARCO Inc., a worldwide mining company whose copper operations are based in Tucson.