This complex includes galleries housed in historic adobe homes, a courtyard frequently used to display sculptures, and a large modern building that often mounts the most interesting exhibits in town. One highlight is the Palice Pavilion–Art of the Americas exhibit, which consists of a large collection of pre-Columbian art that represents 3,000 years of life in Mexico and Central and South America. This collection is housed in the historic Stevens/Duffield House, which also contains Spanish colonial artifacts and Latin American folk art. The noteworthy Goodman Pavilion of Western Art comprises an extensive collection that depicts cowboys, horses, and the wide-open spaces of the American West.

On the block surrounding the museum, you’ll see a number of restored homes, dating from 1850 to 1907, all built on the former site of the Tucson presidio, and all open to the public. A map and brochures are available at the museum’s front desk; October through April, guided tours of the historic block and nearby Corbett House are available (free with museum admission).