Called the “best secret garden” by Reader’s Digest, the Tucson Botanical Gardens is hidden away in a lush slice of land near Grant and Alvernon. But you don’t even hear the cars when you stroll through TBG’s tranquil acres. It’s a place apart, with 16 separate themed gardens—from the Cactus and Succulent to the Barrio gardens, all looking very green in this rainy year. TBG also has a butterfly exhibition, the Porter residence, an art gallery and delicious local food at the Café Botanica. This fall, the place will be transformed into a Frida Kahlo paradise, complete with plants she loved and walls painted a Frida blue.
Finalists:
2. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
3. Tohono Chul Park
