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The University of Arizona is home to several history, art and science museums, all of which are just at the fingertips of its students.
With your CatCard you have access to several UA museums for a free or discounted admission, most of which are located on or near campus. Here’s a list of some exhibits you can experience as a Wildcat.
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Arizona State Museum
The Arizona State Museum, the oldest and largest anthropology museum in the southwest, is home to artifacts specific to the southwest including one of the largest Native American basketry exhibit.
The museum offers several exhibits, tours and classes, available at a $5 admission cost to students.
The museum is located on the UA mall and the hours are Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
University of Arizona Museum of Art
Located next to the Fred Fox school of Music, the UA Museum of Art is home to more than 5,000 paintings, sculptures, prints and drawings.
Students can visit the museum for free from Tuesday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday 12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The museum is currently featuring two collections: Our Stories: High School Artists, and An Evolution of Women Printmakers. Students also have free access to its online visual arts archive.
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Center for Creative Photography
As one of the world’s finest academic art museums and study centers for the history of photography, according to the museum’s website, the Center for Creative Photography displays historic photographs from famous artists such as W. Eugene Smith, Lola Alvarez Bravo, Edward Weston and Garry Winogrand.
The center displays more than photographs – it also holds a library of books, journals and exhibition and auction catalogs including many rare publications.
The museum is open Tuesday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and is located on campus across from the Fred Fox School of Music. Admission is free to the public.
Arizona Gem and Mineral Museum
The Arizona Gem and Mineral Museum in located on the first floor of the Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium and has the same admission price and hours. According to its website, the mineral museum houses one of the top five gem and mineral collections in the world and holds more than 35,000 specimens with over 2,000 specimens on display including minerals and meteorites from Arizona and Mexico.
“There were way more minerals that I thought existed in this region and there are so many with beautiful colors,” said John Mello, a student worker at the museum.Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium
Home to southern Arizona’s only planetarium, the UA Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium allows visitors to see the stars right on campus.
The museum includes a theater with a dome screen on the ceiling which shows the night sky and explores the stars and planets in our universe from earth to space and everything in-between, according to the website.
Other exhibits like the Destination: Mars educates guests on the Mars missions and includes the largest scale model of the surface of Mars in the world.
The visiting hours are Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. For college students the tickets are $12 and the museum is located on the UA Mall by Cherry street.
Campus Arboretum
The UA campus is home to trees and shrub from every continent on Earth thanks to the campus arboretum.
“The UA Campus Arboretum is unique because it is a living collection of trees from around the world,” said Tanya M. Quist, director of the arboretum. “Our goal is to create a beautiful space that supports and inspires and to provide science-based leadership ensuring these urban landscapes model sustainable responsible practices.”
From September to May students can take free guided tours or enjoy self-guided tours year-round with online pamphlets. The campus arboretum website also includes virtual tours.
Biosphere 2
Fifty minutes north of the UA campus, you can see a laboratory for controlled scientific studies, an arena for scientific discovery and discussion and a far-reaching provider of public education, also known as Biosphere 2.
The museum tests environmental issues such as coral bleaching in a controlled environment. The physical building is a glass dome holding different types of environments including ocean, desert, savanna, rainforest and a mangrove.
The museum offers a variety of tours that can be scheduled online and is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and is $10 for UA students with a Cat Card.
Jim Click Hall of Champions
For UA sports fans, the Jim Click Hall of Champions is where one can see gear from UA sports legends.
The hall is over 9,000 square feet of floor space and explores over 100 years of exemplary student-athletes, performances, traditions, events and campus spirit.
The museum is free and the normal hours are Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. If you are planning to visit during a basketball or football game day, check the website for museum hours.
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