Lesser-known Tucson destinations accessible via the Sun Link

September 3, 2023

A multitude of records lay on the shelves at Hurricane Records in Tucson on August 10. The record shop is located on Fourth Avenue and is open Wednesday through Sunday.

Galleries, restaurants and family-owned stores surround the University of Arizona. If you are new to Tucson, here are three must-visit destinations you might have never heard of.

Hurricane Records

Music isn’t a product, it’s a passion for this local Tucson record store. Located at 636 N. 4th Ave, Hurricane Records has been serving the Tucson music junkies for six years. All genres of vintage and new records are sold here.

Hurricane Records first started as a vintage record store but now sells a variety of new records. Employee, Ted Riviera, 55, said some of the most popular genres include reggae, hip-hop, punk rock and 90s alternative. Popular artists include Lana Del Rey, Fleetwood Mac, Frank Ocean and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

“The owner [Rich Hopkins] has a UK distributor for the Frank Ocean records because it is almost impossible to get them domestically,” Riviera said.

Rich Hopkins sits in front of a music display at Hurricane Records in Tucson on August 10. Hopkins is the owner of Hurricane records located on Fourth Avenue. (Noor Haghighi)

The Book Stop

Located at 214 N. Fourth Ave., the Book Stop, exclusively carries used books ranging from every genre you can think of. Every book on the shelf has been brought in by people who donate or who want to trade in their books for other titles. In addition to books, they carry a wide selection of vintage art, random vintage material, postcards, maps and photos.

Avery Lane, 32, has officially been working at the Book Stop for two years but has been helping out for years. According to Lane, literature, history, art, photography, local Arizona history and cookbooks tend to be the books people gravitate toward.

Thousands of books line the shelves at “Book Stop” on Sunday, Feb. 21 in Tucson, Ariz. The 4th Avenue-located store has been serving customers since 1967 but moved from its Campbell Ave. location in 2007. (Caitlin Claypool)

La Iguana Art Gallery

You won’t need your passport for this Mexican trip. La Iguana Art Gallery owners Imelda and Mario Jiménez have been sharing their culture through art for 16 years.

Located at 545 N. Forth Ave., the shop is covered in crosses, Virgin Mary statues, Catrinas, pottery, jewelry and handmade dolls from all across Mexico. La Iguana caters to every age group. According to Imelda Jiménez, the miniature cartoon character Catrinas seems to be very popular with kids.

“It is beautiful to share my culture and for others to recognize it,” Imelda Jiménez said.

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