A long list of things to do indoors in Tucson

Indoor playgrounds, cat lounges, crafting, rock climbing and more

Artsy Babes Club hosts monthly junk journaling meetups. 📸: Artsy Babes Club

When summer rolls around, nothing feels better than making the trek from a parking lot into a building with A/C.

I love an event after dark — and there are plenty of those around Tucson — but sometimes you just want to lounge under a vent pumping out cool air. Here’s where to do it.

Take a stroll through your favorite museum

Tucson is home to countless museums — some for the art lovers, some for the history buffs, some for every other interest in between. Check out #ThisIsTucson’s full list of local museums here, many of which are indoors.

Some highlights:

Playformance is an indoor playground with open play and parkour. 📸: Justin Hagen

Indoor playgrounds and trampolines

Bringing the park inside. 🛝

A trip to the library

Beyond the shelves upon shelves of books, the Pima County Public Library is home to all kinds of events — a Lego club, guided paint sessions, bilingual storytimes, yoga classes and more. 

There are 27 library locations in Pima County — visit the library’s website here.

Catch a movie screening

Besides the obvious — The Loft Cinema, Roadhouse Cinemas and theater chains — Fox Tucson Theatre is screening four movies this summer, including “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” and “When Harry Met Sally.”

The Pima County Public Library has movie showings, too, as does Hunter’s Kitten Lounge.

Hunter’s Kitten Lounge is part of the nonprofit Southern Arizona Cat Rescue. 📸: Hunter’s Kitten Lounge
Hunter’s Kitten Lounge hosts events including movie nights, bingo and yoga. 📸: Hunter’s Kitten Lounge

An afternoon with cats

Tucson is lucky to be blessed with not one but two cat lounges. At both Hunter’s Kitten Lounge and El Jefe Cat Cafe, you can spend time cuddling and playing with adoptable cats. Both also have special events, from bingo to yoga.

Find more information about Hunter’s here and El Jefe here.

Getting crafty

Tucson is a city filled with all kinds of artists — muralists, candle makers, stationery lovers and a whole lot of everything else you can dream up. It only makes sense that craft workshops happen every single week. Here are some places and organizations to get you started:

See a live show

Sometimes you can’t always feel the A/C inside a packed venue, but it’s better than standing in the triple-digit heat. Here are some spots to see a show:

Studio Fuerza offers mat Pilates and yoga. 📸: Studio Fuerza
Find Studio Fuerza at 5244 S. 12th Ave. 📸: Studio Fuerza

Health + wellness

If you’re looking for spots for yoga, Pilates and other wellness classes, here are some suggestions:

Other attractions

And for all the fun indoor things that don’t quite fit into another category, here they are in all their glory:

Upcoming events that are entirely indoors

While Tucson slows down in the summer, the events never completely stop. Here are a handful of festivities happening indoors this summer, hosted by organizations that aren’t mentioned above.

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