Yuma, Arizona, is a lively city with a good combination of historical attractions and enjoyable activities. The Yuma Territorial Prison is a major highlight of your trip. In addition, there are plenty of beach and swimming activities that will keep you occupied.
In the sweltering summer, visitors to Yuma can cool down at Waylon’s Water World or by going tubing on a group outing.
Besides that, the city is only 10 miles from the US-Mexico border.
Take a stroll through Yuma’s Historic Downtown district. While you’re here, stop by the city’s progressive visitor center. The digital kiosk installed here will help you plan your itinerary and save the required information to your mobile device.
Check out our list of the top things to do in Yuma, Arizona, whether you’re seeking for indoor activities or outdoor excursions.
The Yuma East Wetlands, which are part of the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area, were originally a dump site, and a homeless settlement. The 1,400 acres have been converted into a protected wetland area with equestrian, biking, and hiking trails.
Today, the wetland nestles numerous birds and animals, including two endangered bird species, and is among the top Yuma attractions.
It’s a very well-liked location for birding, and there is interpretive signage to help visitors learn about the surroundings and the local birds.
The main heritage trail Walk is a 2.6-mile, dog-friendly, paved circle trail with educational information placed along the way.
Address:
Yuma Crossing Bike Path (Colorado River Levee Multi-Use Path), Yuma, AZ 85364, United States
Just as its name suggests, a proving ground is a place where something is put to the test to see if it works.
This is the research facility for the US Army where they plan, execute, analyze, monitor, record, and manage scientific tests, manufacturing tests, and operational tests.
To put it another way, they test everything for the armed forces, from tanks to tents, and are among the top things to see in Yuma AZ.
There are additional weapon and ordinance testing ranges at the YPG. It was purposefully chosen for its extreme, exotic locale in the midst of the arid desert adorned with pure wilderness.
Tanks and trucks are tested in the hard, scorching desert environment, which is as intense as anywhere on the planet.
Yuma Proving Grounds is a functioning Army installation. There is a visitor center and museum with an outdoor display of some really spectacular tanks and missiles.
The public is welcome to visit, however a visiting pass is necessary because these locations are on an Army base. They do background checks on all visitors, and this is only accessible to citizens of the United States and Canada.
The visitor’s center is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Before you enter the base, there are two M65 nuclear cannons on either side of the entryway.
Yuma Territorial Prison State Park’s main facility, which served as an penitentiary since the 18th century., and is among the top Yuma attractions.
Yuma was not a location you would ever want to go, considering how hot it can get there in the summer, with highs of over 120 degrees.
The innovative prison did include “amenities” that many residents did not have, such as lighting, regulated ventilation, and indoor plumbing with baths and showers.
The prison is now an open-air museum maintained by the state park system, and you can go inside to tour it. You can look around the living quarters, penitentiary yard, and common area.
Today, it is Yuma’s most popular tourist destination. You can take a self-guided walking tour of the grounds and there is a small museum on the property.
Between November and June, the prison is open seven days a week from 9:30am to 5pm. It is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays throughout the summer. There is free parking and a huge area that can accommodate RVs and tow trucks.
4. Check Out the Sanguinetti House to See How a Rich Merchant Lived
The Arizona Historical Society manages this venue and is known as the “Jewel of Historic Yuma.”
It is a stunning mansion, or adobe house and garden, from the 19th century that belonged to a highly prosperous local businessman named E.F. Sanguinetti.
His home and garden were dedicated to the city as a museum after he passed away in 1945.
One of the unique things to do in Yuma AZ where you can take a trip inside the lovely mansion will make you want to live there. It will also show you what life was like at home for a prosperous family in late-nineteenth-century Yuma.
Everything inside is replicated from the time period, including furniture, style, and decor, so you truly feel like you’re walking back in time.
Don’t forget to spend some time at Mr. Sanguinetti’s lovely rose garden, which is one of his favorite places. The Sanguinetti House Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday. It’s a mile off the I-8 motorway in old downtown Yuma.
Gateway Park, located beneath a bridge along the Colorado River, is named after Yuma, which served as the border between the Arizona Territory and Spanish Mexico.
The motorway bridge provides much-needed cover to the beach, making it a favorite swimming spot throughout the summer.
There are also covered picnic spaces known as ramadas that may be rented and reserved online. A children’s play area, restrooms, and outdoor showers offer additional picnic amenities.
The main attraction in this location is the expansive beach, but there is also open space and fishing piers to explore. Gateway Park is located at the very end of Madison Avenue, in Historic Downtown Yuma.
One of the incredible things to do in Yuma is the hour-long Yuma River tubing activities that begin at Gateway Park here.
6. Plan Your Trip at the Yuma Visitor Center
This informative site is housed in an antique storefront along Main Street in Yuma’s Historic Downtown.
The Visitor Information Center is staffed by friendly volunteers who adore Yuma and can provide up-to-date information on what’s going on in the city.
They can help with vacation plans and itinerary creation, provide information on lodging and camping.
You can also partake in the self-guided tour of the entire Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area.
The visitor center does include traditional paper maps, pamphlets, and booklets. In addition, Yuma has embraced the digital world, and there is a big-screen kiosk where you can utilize the mobile app.
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