What to do and see in Yuma, Arizona (AZ): The Best Budget-friendly Things to do

Stretching 30 miles along the Colorado River, and encompassing desert and wetlands, this site has plentiful plant and animal life and is a great place for bird watching, hiking, boating and fishing.

On July 1, 1876, the first seven inmates entered the Territorial Prison at Yuma and were locked into the new cells they had built themselves. Today at Yuma Territorial Prison State Historic Park walk through the actual strap iron cells and solitary chamber of Arizona Territory’s first prison. Now a museum, the prison houses photographs and colorful exhibits of those who once “involuntarily” stayed there and the harsh life they had to endure.

Once a major military supply point, this site contains the quartermaster depot and officers' quarters as well as restored historic buildings commemorating five centuries of transportation across the Colorado River.

Please call for reservations during the warmer months "What you will see here is a remnant town which stood larger than Yuma in 1878. Her weather beaten buildings remain great day trip in the lower Colorado river in an area little changed from the 1800's. The mills stand silent, housing original boiler, stamp mill, and elevator, as if tomorrow they will awaken to the thunderous roar of steel crushing rock. The boardwalks still creak, the church bell rings out, the five saloons just await the story of their last shootout. Over 50 building in 3 areas are now open, with more history being added. April 15 through September you will need to call for hours. October 1st through April 30th we are open 7 days a week.

We are the Museum Activity and Heritage Center for the United States Army Yuma Proving Ground. The most common comment we hear from our guests is that they had no idea. They had no idea such a nice museum was out here and they had no idea how much the Yuma Proving Ground has done over the years. We are located in Building 2 on the Colonel George Howard Cantonment area within YPG. This is a 14,000 square foot facility that covers our history from General George Patton's WWII training area known as the Desert Training Center to the present. Located in the former Post Headquarters building, we have fourteen exhibit galleries with a wide variety of information presented in many different formats. A small theater shows a 27 minute film about YPG and two of our galleries are commemorations of 9-11 and the 50th Commemoration of the War in Vietnam. There are security requirements to get on post, so stop by the visitor control center on Imperial Dam Road before coming on post. They will want to see your Drivers License, the Registration for your vehicle along with proof of insurance. If you visit on a Friday, the VSS is closes, so have the Security guard at the Howard Access Control Point check these items and issue your visitor pass. There are places to eat here as well. I look forward to seeing you out here.

Talk to our friendly, knowledgeable Visitor Information Center (VIC) staff to plan your most awesome time in Yuma, Arizona. With friendly and knowledgeable VIC Specialists, you’ll want to make this your first stop; the Visitor Information Center is located in the heart of downtown Yuma on Main Street. Stop in for maps, brochures, and everything you need to make your stay special. Let our staff be your local experts to put you on your path to adventure. Browse the VIC souvenir shop and use the Visit Yuma App’s large-screen kiosk to map your itineraries and save them to your mobile device.