2016 Fall Fun Event at Biosphere 2

You're Invited!

Join AZAALAS at Bioshere 2 for family fun & education too!

Saturday, October 15, 2016 at 11 a.m.

Registration form and payment must be received by September 15th.

Biosphere 2 is located north of Tucson, Arizona at the base of the stunning Santa Catalina Mountains. This one-of-a-kind facility sits on a ridge at a cool elevation of nearly 4,000 feet and is surrounded by a magnificent natural desert preserve. Come experience the remarkable Biosphere 2 which Time Life Books named one of the 50 Must-See Wonders of the World. See why visitors from around the globe journey here for this unique adventure not found anywhere else. Discover real-time research on the future of our planet as it unfolds in the world's largest earth science laboratory.  Come tour one of the world's most unique facilities dedicated to the research and understanding of global scientific issues. The Biosphere 2 facility serves as a laboratory for controlled scientific studies, an arena for scientific discovery and discussion, and a far-reaching provider of public education.

The tour begins in the human habitat. Here you will see one of the apartments where the Biospherians lived, the farm area where they grew their crops and the kitchen where they cooked their meals. Your guide will then lead you through the airlock door into the wilderness areas of Biosphere 2 where you will experience firsthand the environments of this engineering marvel. You first enter the tropical savanna. The trail system then travels along the 40-foot ocean cliff where you look down into the million-gallon tropical ocean. As you move along the trail, you descend into the lower savanna along the mangrove through the tropical thorn scrub and into the coastal fog desert. From the desert, you now go into the technosphere. The technosphere is where mechanical systems make control of the Biosphere 2 environments possible. From the technosphere you venture into the recently opened tropical rainforest which contains over 150 different species of plants, some more than 60 feet tall! Finally, you'll descend through a tunnel into one of the two lungs. The lungs are large geodesic domes that originally prevented Biosphere 2 from exploding or imploding. 

Special Reminders: The under-the-glass walking tour of Biosphere 2 consists of approximately 150 stairs (up and down) and the route is just under one mile to walk round-trip. The tour duration is 1 hour and 15 minutes with a considerable amount of standing. The tour spends time outside as well as inside the Biosphere 2 research facility itself.  Comfortable, closed-toed shoes are highly recommended as the tour route includes standing, climbing and walking.  The interior of the Biosphere 2 research facility is heated and cooled based on current research protocols and as a result visitors may experience a variety of heat and humidity conditions on the under-the-glass guided tour. Bottled water is allowed on the tour and encouraged. Those with medical considerations, special needs, are non-ambulatory or have other conditions may find the tour too difficult.  There are also self-guided exhibits and movies which take approximately another hour to view. Visitors should plan to spend about 2 to 2.5 hours at Biosphere 2.

Cost:  AZAALAS members are free.  Adult guests $15, kids (17 and younger) $10 - all prices include lunch (sandwich, chips and soda/bottled water)

Maps, Directions

Registration form and payment must be received by September 15th.

Questions? Contact azaalas@gmail.com

Want to make a weekend of it? 

Local Accommodations: 

Other things to do: