Biosphere 2
A giant glass greenhouse built for a sealed ecological experiment in the 1990s, housing rainforest, ocean, and desert biomes. It is now used for scientific research by the University of Arizona.
Biosphere 2 is located in Oracle, about 50 km north of Tucson. From 1991 to 1993, eight researchers lived for two years inside this sealed glass structure of about 12,700 square meters, testing an artificial ecosystem. The experiment became famous in the history of science. Today it is managed by the University of Arizona as a base for earth science research and public education. Visitors can explore on their own or follow a guided tour, walking through the tropical rainforest, coral ocean, mangrove, and desert biomes. They can also enter the giant "lung," the air-pressure-regulating bladder chamber, and see the living quarters where the researchers once lived. Admission starts at about $30. The round trip can be combined with Catalina State Park.
Opening hours
09:00–16:00
Nearby sights
- Mount Lemmon
- Catalina State Park
- DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun
- Sabino Canyon
- Tohono Chul
- Tucson Botanical Gardens
- Fourth Avenue
- Reid Park Zoo