Stingray Touch - Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

What do you think of when you visualize the desert? Cacti? Breathtaking sunsets? Elusive Gila monsters?

At the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, you can experience those things, as well as the touch of a stingray. Although the Sonoran Desert may be known for its dry climate, the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortez) and the stingrays that flow through it are critically important and the primary reason the Sonoran Desert has been named the “lushest desert on earth.”

Visitors are able to create their own moments with these captivating creatures at our Stingray Touch experience. The pool features cow nose stingrays that are regularly debarbed, a process compared with trimming a fingernail. This provides a comfortable environment for guests to interact with the stingrays.

Hours & Rates
Exhibit Open	Admission
October-May 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. June-September 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Cool Summer Nights 8:00 a.m. to 8:45 p.m.	Non-members $4 Members $2
Feeding Times	Feeding per person
October-May 9:00 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 3:00 p.m. June-September 8:00 a.m., 11:30 p.m., 2:00 p.m. Warning: some people may have an allergic reaction after touching shellfish (a large part of the stingray's diet) The stingrays will be fed sustainable seafood, in partnership with Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch.	Non-members $4 Members $2 Food may be purchased at the Stingray Touch exhibit up to 30 minutes before the scheduled feeding time. Food quantity is limited for the health of our stingrays, so arrive early!

Exhibit Construction

Watch how the space was transformed from open desert to a shady pool!

Special thanks to the Phoenix Zoo for donating this school of stingrays to the Desert Museum.

Title photos by Michael Nolan