Among the city's many music venues, dance clubs and sports bars, a few in Tucson have won wide acclaim. The website 10Best recommends the Bison Witches Bar (bisonwitches.com), a college hangout whose sandwiches the site calls noteworthy for “variety, massive size and general tastiness.” Open until 2 a.m., Bison Witches Bar serves up a domestic and imported beer, plus dozens of microbrews.
Bum Steer (no website; 1910 North Stone Ave., Tucson; 520-884-7377), a bar and dance club, draws students and adults with its live music, local art and sports-focused TV screens.
Club Congress, located in the Hotel Congress (hotelcongress.com) has won renown as the “landmark in the city’s local Tucson music scene for decades,” according to The Entertainment Magazine On Line website.
Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium (kinosportscomplex.com) is home to the AAA-division Tucson Padres, an affiliate of the San Diego Padres and part of the Pacific Coast League. On a warm summer night, families can occupy the stadium seats or spread out among 3,000 lawn seats to watch the stars of minor-league baseball.
Stars of a different stripe get a chance to shine at the Kitt Peak National Observatory Visitor Center & Museum (noao.edu), 40 miles from downtown Tucson. High atop the Sonoran desert, more than two dozen optical and radio telescopes offer outstanding stargazing. The center’s Nightly Observing Program provides rare glimpses at nearby planets and distant galaxies. Kitt Peak recommends making reservations at least four weeks before your planned visit, and be prepared for a verification phone call to confirm a program for the scheduled night.
Just off South Nogales Highway, Desert Diamond Casinos & Entertainment (ddcaz.com) is open around the clock, offering more than 1,000 games like blackjack, poker, keno and slots. The casino’s Monsoon Nightclub – which calls for a “dress to impress” clientele – hosts events like the Friday night Mega Monsoon dance party and the Lucky Break singing competition.
Visitors will find Tucson’s theater community focused on new works by local talent. As of 2011, the city’s small theaters include The Rogue, Beowulf Alley Theater Company, Winding Road Theater Ensemble and Borderlands Theater. In 2011, the first annual Tucson Fringe Theater Festival (tucsonfringe.org) provided a venue for emerging dramatists and performance artists to showcase avant-garde productions during the day and the evening.
