Visitors can once again roam the grounds of the University of Arizona’s Biosphere 2.
The facility closed to visitors due to COVID-19 in March, then reopened for driving tours in August. The next phase of reopening is a “choose your adventure” format.
Visitors can download the Biosphere 2 Experience app on their smartphones to explore a one-way walking path with 16 stops marked by numbered signs.
Visitors will enter Biosphere 2 through the original airlock, round the domes and go into the rainforest where they can work their way through the dense foliage to an overlook of the million-gallon experimental ocean through the upper savanna. The tour features scenic overlooks that offer views of the property and surrounding landscape.
“We made sure we put a lot of history into this app,” said Katie Morgan, manager of ocean systems and education initiatives at Biosphere 2. “There are Biosphere 2 archival photos and videos available on the app that can’t be found online, making this a totally different experience than before.”
The app is also has information about the current research projects running in the facility’s Landscape Evolution Observatory, the rainforest, the ocean, the model city project and more.
Timed tickets must be purchased in advance online to allow for crowd control and hourly cleanings. Face masks are required at the facility north of Tucson, 32540 S. Biosphere Road.
