Tombstone is the most famous town in the Wild West, and attracts thousands of tourists with its old wooden Western-style buildings, swinging saloon doors, stagecoach rides, gunslingers, dusty streets and shootout re-enactments. Many Hollywood movies have been shot here against the rugged mountain backdrop. Originally a silver boomtown in 1877, it rose to notoriety in 1881, when Wyatt Earp, his two brothers and Doc Holliday confronted a band of outlaws and a gunfight ensued. This event has come to epitomise the Wild West and the star attraction of the town is the OK Corral, one of southern Arizona's most visited tourist sites. There is a staged 30-second shootout, and exhibits relating to the event inside the corral. The Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park features a courtroom where several renowned trials took place, as well as some excellent exhibits, including alternative versions of the OK Corral shootout. Although a classic tourist-trap town, with souvenir shops and restaurants galore, many people love the Wild West atmosphere, and the rugged setting.

A mile deep, 277 miles (446km) long and up to 18 miles (29km) wide the breathtaking grandeur of the Grand Canyon is so impressive that pictures or words simply cannot do it justice. One of the great natural wonders of the world, it was formed by the cutting action of the Colorado River over millions of years. The hard rock formations survive as great cliffs, pinnacles and buttes, and the different layers of rock span a range of colours: from purple, fiery-red and pastel-pink, to yellow, brown, grey and soft tones of blue. Whether by foot or on horseback, from a plane or helicopter, aboard a raft down the mighty Colorado River or by merely gazing in awe from the rim, the canyon's seemingly infinite depths can be experienced in a variety of ways and is a sight not to be missed, however one chooses to see it. The park receives hoards of visitors from around the world, who cannot fail to be transfixed by the sculpted rock shapes, the shifting colours that change with the light and a tiny glimpse of the Colorado River far below. The Grand Canyon National Park comprises two separate areas: the South Rim and the more remote North Rim. Separated by the 10-mile (16km) width of the canyon, it is a 215-mile (346km) drive from one Visitor Centre to the other. The South Rim is the most accessible and has more facilities, and as a result it attracts the bulk of visitors to its boundaries. The North Rim is higher in elevation, wetter, with thicker surrounding forests, is further to access, and is cut off by snowfall from October to May. Many people however prefer its comparative peacefulness and less-crowded lookouts. Both rims have numerous drives and walkways along the edge with various scenic viewpoints and some hiking trails into the canyon where one can overnight at Phantom Ranch on the canyon floor. The impact of the more than four million visitors a year to the South Rim, especially during the busy summer months, is one of overcrowding and traffic congestion; but to see for oneself one of the most spectacular examples of natural erosion in the world more than makes up for the inconvenience. Grand Canyon West has recently opened the Grand Canyon Skywalk, a glass-bottomed, horseshoe shaped deck that juts almost 70 feet (21m) from the canyon's rim. It gives visitors the sensation of being suspended amid the canyon's towering red rock walls above a faint sliver of Colorado River flowing 4,000 feet (1,219m) below.

Taliesin West was legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright's winter home and school from 1937 until he died in 1959, aged 91. Today the facility can be visited as the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation with tours providing a general introduction to Wright and his hugely influential theories of architecture. The building is built of natural stone, a reflection of Wright's philosophy that local materials should be used design wherever possible. There are a range of tours available to suit your level of interest: for the rookie, a basic introductory tour is recommended, while devotees will want the behind-the-scenes exposé.

If you don't particularly like cacti before your visit, there is a good chance you'll fall in love with them by the time you leave. These gardens get high ratings not only for the size and range of the botanical collection - 21,000 plants, including 139 species - but due the inventive way visitors get to experience them. Founded in 1939, the garden provides visitors with a fascinating and colourful introduction to the ethnobotany of the region. A highlight is the Plants and People of the Sonoran Desert Trail which allows you to make your own yucca-fibre brush and grind corn as the Native Americans once did. Over November and December the gardens are lit up at night by beautiful luminarias(candles inside small bags).

The Heard Museum is home to America's finest collection of Native American art making this an essential attraction for visitors looking to gain an understanding of the west's original inhabitants. In total there are over 39,000 works of cultural and fine art ranging across textiles, katsina dolls, pottery, jewellery, baskets, cradleboards, paintings and sculpture. There are also 10 galleries with dynamic and imaginatively curated exhibitions. Don't miss the annual Guild Indian Fair and Market (March) which includes traditional dance performances along with arts and crafts. The museums signature exhibition is Home: Native People in the Southwest, which uses a variety of media to take visitors on an unforgettable journey through the region and the vibrant arts and cultures of its Native people.

As part of the Edward J. Gallagher Memorial Collection, the University of Arizona Art Museum is home to works by Jackson Pollock, Franz Kline and Mark Rothko. The museum also houses the C. Leonard Pfeiffer Collection of American paintings and the Samuel H. Kress Collection of European works, from the 14th to 19th centuries. The University of Arizona campus is also the location of the Center for Creative Photography, displaying various works by leading artists such as Edward Weston and Ansel Adams.

At the Tucson Rodeo Parade Museum, pioneer artefacts and a re-created Western Main Street represent what Tucson looked like, and what it had to offer in the way of businesses and services, back in the old days of the Wild West. The museum also has an inventory of 150 vehicles, with everything from small buggies to wagons and coaches on display.

This historic Spanish mission, in the Tohono O'odham Nation Reservation, is located 10 miles (16km) south of the city and was founded by Father Kino in the 1660s. The present building dates back to the 18th century and the mission is still actively functional, providing great religious and cultural insight to visitors.

Visit the amazing DeGrazia Gallery in the Sun; an iconic Tucson landmark located at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains. Established by the famous artist, Ettore DeGrazia, the property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and features a museum of DeGrazia's work and an adobe chapel, called the Mission in the Sun, as well as striking murals, gardens and the artist's home and grave site.

Trail Dust Town is built on the site of a 1950s western movie set; home to a vintage 1920s Fiesta del Presidiocarousel and a museum dedicated to Western cavalry and dragoon military units. Designed as a replica of a 19th century Western town, it has Old West souvenir shops, galleries and restaurants, as well as a custom leather store, wooden sidewalks, a central plaza and a C.P. Huntington train. Hosting Wild West stunt shows, and an annual cowboy show in late February, Trail Dust Town is a great place to visit.

In 1923, the first proper tours of Colossal Cave were conducted using ropes and lanterns; today more advanced options are offered. The cave is considered 'dry' or 'dormant' as it is no longer 'growing' crystal formations, due to a lack of water. The preserved stalagmites, stalactites and flowstone are beautiful to see, and the temperature inside the cave is always comfortably warm.

Kartchner Caverns State Park is home to one of the great natural wonders of the American west; there is no known record of the huge living cave being seen before the 1970s and the pristine conditions within have been carefully preserved. A remarkable feature of this cave is that it's a 'wet' or 'living' cave; the calcite formations are still growing and display a stunning variety of multicoloured cave formations.

This world-renowned museum is more like a zoo, showing the surrounding desert's creatures in their natural habitats. Located in the Sonoran Desert, the setting of the museum also offers awesome views of the surrounding mountain ranges. The gift shop has an excellent selection of Sonoran desert souvenirs. This is a must for any visitor staying in Tucson for more than just one day.

Of the many natural attractions in the Tucson vicinity, Sabino Canyon is one of the most popular. This gaping divide in the Santa Catalina Mountains is the site where ancient Hohokam people constructed irrigation dams while mammoths still roamed the area. After a six-mile (9.6km) hike, enjoy swimming in the crystal clear pools at Seven Falls.

While maybe not the best zoo in the world, Reid Park Zoo is still one of the foremost attractions in Tucson. Because of its relatively small size, the zoo can be explored leisurely in less than two hours. The animals are comfortably at home in pleasant natural surroundings; envy the little polar bear cubs as they happily float in ice-cold water while it's 100ºF (38ºC) in the scorching Tucson summer.

The Tucson Botanical Gardens are a major attraction, not just for the rich collection of cactus and desert wildflowers. An educational walk highlights the history of the native Tohono O'odham Indians and the work local scientists have done to preserve native seeds. Be sure to visit the traditional Mexican-American neighbourhood garden ( Nuestro Jardin), and relax on the shaded restaurant patio.

Tom Philabaum is well known as one of America's foremost glass artists, with exhibits throughout the western world. His gallery embraces this greatness, exhibiting over 100 nationally and internationally celebrated artists. Aside from viewing the extraordinary exhibits, visitors can also watch glassblowing and learn more about the development of the studio glass movement.

Delve into fantasyland in the desert, with historic Western sites in a magical setting, created by George Phar Legler in the 1920s. Mineralised rock cliffs, caves, pools and garden miniatures have merged with tropic and desert flora to make what Mr. Legler called the "Fantasy Touch of Three", referring to Edgar Allen Poe, Lewis Carroll, and Robert Louis Stevenson. There are tours, shows and a gift shop on site.

This is a great place to visit when the kids have had enough of sightseeing. There is exciting go-karting for the older children and adults, and the little ones will love the bumper boats. With two mini golf courses, batting cages and a huge arcade, there's enough here to keep a family entertained for hours.