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Biosphere 2

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October 4, 2021

Biosphere 2: The Once Infamous Live-In Terrarium Is Transforming Climate Research

Despite its controversial past, the quirky desert facility is becoming increasingly relevant as it turns 30

By Keridwen Cornelius

Biosphere 2’s living quarters and library, circa 1992.

Joseph Sohm Getty Images

ORACLE, Ariz.—Opening the door to a glass pyramid, a visitor steps from the arid heat of Arizona into a coastal fog desert that stretches toward a savanna. A Lilliputian ocean laps against a rocky shore. A passageway leads to a steamy rain forest where vine-necklaced trees tower 90 feet high. Here in Biosphere 2, the world’s largest controlled environment dedicated to climate research, scientists can tinker with scaled-down ecosystems by switching off sprinklers and cranking up the thermostat to learn about the effects of global warming out in the real world.

The facility has long been shadowed by its ill-fated 1991 maiden mission to establish an analogue of a self-sustaining colony on another planet. But after some retooling and successful, high-profile studies —including one that revealed warming oceans are killing corals—the giant terrarium (led by the University of Arizona since 2011) is finally living up to its potential as a site for novel and risky research.

In its half-acre rain forest, scientists are probing how tropical ecosystems might weather late-21st-century heat and drought. Soon researchers hope to experiment with radical coral reef restoration methods in the enclosure’s million-gallon ocean. And in March 2022 the operation will unveil a Mars analogue that reprises the original founders’ dream of mimicking a plant-filled habitat on a lifeless alien world. Biosphere 2 is effectively like a time machine that can preview a climate-altered Earth “by changing the concentrations of gases in the atmosphere to those that we think are going to exist in the future to see how the planet could fare,” says the facility’s current director Joaquin Ruiz.

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Past Struggles

Biosphere 2 launched 30 years ago, on September 26, 1991, when a crew of eight—including a physician, botanist and marine biologist—began a two-year residency inside this 3.14-acre terrarium. The structure, a prototype for an extraterrestrial habitat, was conceived by a counterculture theater troupe that partnered with businesspeople to form a company called Space Biosphere Ventures. It was intended to be a hermetically sealed ecosystem where several biomes, 3,000 species of plants and animals, and a farm would provide the “biospherians” with all the air, water and food they needed. “At the time, a lot of scientists said it literally could not be done, that the whole thing was going to turn into green slime,” says Jane Poynter, one of the original biospherians and founder of spaceflight company Space Perspective.

Biosphere 2 contains a mini ocean next to a savanna and a mangrove forest. Credit: Alamy

The enclosure did not ooze slime. But after a year, the oxygen had dwindled to dangerously low levels, the farm was not producing enough crops—and the crew was suffocating and hangry. To solve the problem, some members of Space Biosphere Ventures’ management team pumped oxygen into the building and used a CO 2 “scrubber” without disclosing their actions publicly. When the truth emerged, the mission lost credibility with scientists and was panned by the press. Some still consider this unfair. “It was absurd that the media portrayed it as a failure, because it completely missed the point that it was an experiment,” Poynter says, adding that the goal was to discover what problems arise in a human-made biosphere and to learn from those dilemmas. The failure, say several of Biosphere 2’s current staff, lay in the lack of transparency—not the lack of oxygen.

Scientists did, in fact, learn something important from what went wrong: the soil was too rich in organic matter, and its thriving bacteria gobbled up too much oxygen. At first, the researchers could not track down the excess carbon dioxide those microbes should have released as a byproduct of that oxygen consumption. Eventually they found it had chemically bonded with concrete in the building. “It was a light bulb moment,” says John Adams, Biosphere 2’s current deputy director. “They could trace, molecule by molecule, where [carbon] was going and where it was being stored in ways that they couldn’t outside” in the real world.

When Columbia University took over Biosphere 2 from 1996 to 2003, researchers realized that, inside this controlled mini world, they could tweak the CO 2 , heat and precipitation to predicted future levels and could measure the effects on varied biomes. “Quite a few people thought that this is an exquisite tool because you have a complicated system that you can completely close and risk damaging and learn how stressed systems behave,” says Klaus Lackner, director of the Center for Negative Carbon Emissions at Arizona State University, who is not affiliated with Biosphere 2. “The challenge is: you have to make sure it’s actually reflecting a real system. I think one can walk that walk, and some of that [research] is being done now.”

Understanding the Future

Christiane Werner, an ecosystem physiologist at Germany’s University of Freiburg, used the facility’s rain forest to investigate how tropical plants and soil share nutrients to protect each other from climate change—and what happens when those support systems fail. Several recent studies have shown that deforestation and climate-related tree death are transforming rain forests such as the Amazon from carbon storage spaces into massive greenhouse gas emitters. Werner’s goal is to find what causes these tipping points. Doing so could help researchers make better climate predictions and develop more effective reforestation techniques.

Werner’s team released traceable forms of carbon and hydrogen into the glass-domed rain forest, then turned off the sprinklers to induce a 9.5-week “drought” and tracked where the elements traveled. “That has never been done before,” she says, “and Biosphere 2 is the one place on Earth where you can do such an experiment because you have a fully grown forest you can manipulate.” In the Amazon, it would of course have been impossible to conjure a two-month dry spell, and the chemical tracers could have escaped anywhere, she notes.

The soon to be published results are being kept under wraps, but Werner says the main takeaway was the diverse ways various plant species coped with the stress. “Because they have different functional responses, it buffers the whole forest,” she explains, adding that biodiversity is therefore key to keeping forests stable in turbulent climatic times.

Other experimental results from Biosphere 2’s rain forest have been heartening. In

a 2020 study published in Nature Plants, Michigan State University ecologist Marielle Smith and her colleagues dialed up the temperature and found that the tropical flora were more resilient to high heat than many had anticipated.

At the facility’s mini ocean, researchers are partnering with microbial sciences company Seed Health to dose corals with probiotics to see if this can deter bleaching (which occurs when heat-stressed corals expel the symbiotic algae that help feed them). The scientists are also developing a program to experiment with “super corals” that are bioengineered to be resistant to heat and acidity. “If you’re in Miami or Hawaii, you can’t get permits to do that research because there’s a fear that genetically modified corals will get into nature,” says Chris Langdon, a University of Miami marine biologist who is on Biosphere 2’s science advisory committee. “With Biosphere 2 being in the middle of the desert, there would be absolutely no risk if anything escaped.”

Langdon is no stranger to Biosphere 2’s ocean. In the 1990s he conducted research there, revealing for the first time that ocean acidification causes corals to dissolve from a lack of calcium. He says the giant tank would also be a good place to test a leading idea to achieve negative carbon emissions: raising the ocean’s pH by adding dissolved rocks, giving the water a greater capacity to pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.

Not all of Biosphere 2’s projects focus on climate. Its so-called Space Analog for the Moon and Mars (SAM), currently under construction, “is very much, at a scientific level and even a philosophical level, similar to the original Biosphere,” says SAM director Kai Staats. Unlike other space analogues around the world, SAM will be a hermetically sealed habitat. Its primary purpose will be to discover how to transition from mechanical methods of generating breathable air to a self-sustaining system where plants, fungi and people produce a precise balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide.

Visiting researchers will hydroponically grow fruits and vegetables in SAM’s greenhouse, which is painted and tinted to block the sun and mimic the dimmer daylight on Mars. They will also experiment with transforming regolith (crushed rocks that resemble lifeless Martian basalt) into fertile soil. This could have implications for reviving some of Earth’s degraded terrains.

And in light of the precarious status of Earth’s climate, Staats hopes the scientists who live in SAM will experience the kind of epiphany he says was described to him by Linda Leigh, one of the original biospherians. “She said that, in such a closed environment, you can’t help but be aware of every breath you take, every drink of water you consume and every morsel of food you eat because it doesn’t go someplace where you never see it again,” he says. “It comes right back to you.”

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Biosphere 2 Experience, App Guided Audio Tour

Thursday april 25, 9:00 am  –  4:00 pm.

Biosphere 2 will be closed Sunday May 5th

Biosphere 2 is open every day (except Thanksgiving and Christmas).  Biosphere 2 is open from 9am-4pm daily.  It is not necessary to select a time for entry.

The Biosphere 2 Experience is a 90 minute self-guided walking tour, where you explore Biosphere 2 using your own smartphone and headphones.  The tour includes never before seen photos and videos that visualize the cutting edge research and 30-year history of this remarkable facility. The 1 mile long tour route leads you along the exterior of Biosphere 2, through the original Human Habitat and living quarters as well as into the Wilderness Biomes (B2 biomes are maintained as a tropical environment with high temperature and humidity levels).

Prior to arrival please download the Biosphere 2 App available on Google Play or the App Store .  The app contains pre-visit material and all on-site tour content. 

A full list of Frequently asked questions can be found on our website .

At this time discounts cannot be redeemed online.  To use a coupon/discount please purchase tickets onsite.

All sales are non-refundable; however, we will gladly exchange the date of your ticket.

If an error or discrepancy has occurred with your online purchase or donation, please contact us at 520-621-4800.

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Arizona , North America , Western US & Canada · April 28, 2022

Biosphere 2: Tour a Mini Earth in the Arizona Desert

Would you believe me if I told you that there was a rainforest hidden in the Arizona desert? Or that the most extensive studies of the coral reef are going on right now in the Arizona desert? That’s exactly what you’ll discover when you tour Biosphere 2, one of the most fascinating places to visit in Arizona!

* Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase or book a reservation through the provided link then we will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. We really appreciate your support!

Everything you need to know about the Biosphere 2 tour

Biosphere 2 tour information

• Address: 32540 S Biosphere Rd, Oracle, Arizona 85623
• Hours: 9 am-4:30 pm the last tour begins at 3:30 pm
• Tickets: Adult $25 | Senior 62+ $23 | Kids 5-17 years $15 | Under 5 years free. Check Viator or Groupon as they sometimes offer discount tickets.
• Time: The tour is self-guided so you can go at your own pace, but plan for about 1-1 1/2 hours

A brief history of the Biosphere 2 experiment

If you are an 80s child, you may recall watching the 1996 Pauly Shore movie called Biodome .

This box office flop has become a bit of a cult classic, but what many people don’t realize is that it is loosely based on a real-life science experiment.

In the 1980s, Space Biospheres Ventures constructed this $150 million facility to research self-sustaining space colonization.

It looked like a glass terrarium in the middle of the barren desert!

The 3.14-acre research facility was designed to replicate a mini-Earth with different ecosystems. It is named Biosphere 2 since Earth is considered Biosphere 1.

The goal was to eventually recreate similar biospheres on the moon and Mars.

The biodome was created to simulate different environments found on earth, including a rainforest, an ocean with coral reefs, a marshland, a fog desert, and a savannah.

It was populated with over 3,800 species of plants, insects, fish, reptiles, and small mammals.

Biosphere 2 is considered the world’s largest earth science laboratory and there is no other place like it on the planet!

In 1991, eight scientists (referred to as “biospherians”) were completely sealed inside Biosphere 2 for two years and twenty minutes. During this time, they had no physical contact with the outside world.

A second shorter mission was also held from 1993 to 1994.

During the mission, they were completely self-sustained. They grew and harvested all their own food from the half-acre farm.

While there were setbacks and the experiment ultimately failed, they were still able to conduct invaluable research and learn from their mistakes.

This was a big deal back in the 90s and it was common to see photos of Biosphere 2 plastered on the front pages of many reputable newspapers and even made the cover of magazines such as Life .

However, over the years Biosphere 2 has become relatively unknown, even to Arizona locals. It has become a bit of a hidden gem in the desert!

In 2011, ownership of Biosphere 2 was transferred to the University of Arizona where they opened it to the public for tours.

Ongoing research is also still being conducted, especially in regard to climate change.

The goal of Biosphere 2 has always been to continually help us better understand biosphere 1, also known as Earth.

What to expect when touring inside Biosphere 2

The Biosphere 2 tour is all self-guided through a downloadable app. You’ll want to be sure to install the app before you arrive as the cell service can be spotty.

I would also recommend downloading the app onto everyone’s individual phones in your group. This way everyone can go at their own pace and you don’t have to share one phone.

It would also be helpful to bring headphones or Airpods so that you can better hear the audio.

The tours run every 30 minutes from 9 am to 3:30 pm. It is recommended to reserve your tickets in advance as there is a limit of 40 spots available per tour.

Biosphere 2 grounds

Biosphere 2 is located at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains in the remote Sonoran Desert. It is within the Oracle city limits about an hour northeast of Tucson.

The tour begins just outside the visitor center at the Biosphere 2 Overlook where you’ll learn about the history of this area.

This area once served as a Native American hunting ground, ranch land, a private residence, and a training institute before the construction of Biosphere 2.

The tour continues around the exterior where you will learn the details about the architecture, function, and design of each of the buildings at Biosphere 2.

It truly is an impressive engineering feat and futuristic architectural wonder!

We thought the “lungs” were particularly fascinating. The lungs are responsible for maintaining atmospheric pressure through a complex system.

Essentially, the lungs are responsible for preventing the lab from exploding or imploding.

As the temperature changes, the air inside the biosphere expands and contracts causing a change in pressure. The lungs help regulate the pressure change.

Human Habitat

The tour will continue inside where the first stop is at the Human Habitat.

This area was designed to house the biospherians during the mission. It was interesting to hear insights about their daily life while on the tour.

The 25,000-square-foot structure is five stories high and contains a communal kitchen, apartments, laboratories, offices, and a medical lab.

A circular staircase in the center of the complex leads up to a library located in the dome.

Unfortunately, this area is closed to tours, but you can imagine the spectacular 360-degree views that are offered from the library windows.

While the biospherian’s diets were almost entirely vegetarian, the basement did hold animal pens for goats, chickens, and pigs that were used for milk, eggs, and some meat.

There is also an exercise room, machine shop, and storage area in the basement as well. Unfortunately, the basement is not open to tour either.

The first mission ran from September 1991 to September 1993 and ended up being a social experiment just as much as it was a scientific experiment.

In fact, locking four men and four women into a self-sustained habitat for two years sounds like it might just be the next idea for a reality tv show!

And the results went just as you might imagine. Tensions were high and the group ended up dividing into two separate factions.

By the end of two years, biospherian Jane Poynter declared that “all eight of the biospherians had gone mad”.

While they may have had their personal differences, they were all still collectively committed to carrying out the mission.

On the tour, you’ll learn about the different challenges they faced on a daily basis.

It literally took four months to make a pizza. First, you had to grow the wheat to make the dough, harvest the tomatoes to make the sauce, and milk the goat to make the cheese!

Their diet consisted of mostly beans, rice, wheat, sweet potatoes, beets, and peanuts, which were all grown on-site.

The biospherians sourced their sugar from the fruit orchard that they referred to as “the sweet shop”.

The low calorie diet resulted in a 22-25% loss in body fat in all of the participants.

But the biggest challenge came when they realized that they were losing oxygen.

Biosphere 2 was figuratively and literally sealed off from the outside world. No outside air was coming in and the oxygen level began decreasing.

This was the result of too much carbon in the rich soil which led to decreased oxygen and increased carbon dioxide.

The excess CO2 was then absorbed into the concrete, resulting in rapidly declining oxygen levels. On day 500, additional oxygen was added so that they could safely continue on the 730-day mission.

If you’re interested, Jane Poynter gives more insight into her experience as a biospherian during this Ted Talk interview .

The tour then continues through the different ecosystems.

The first is the Fog Desert which is located in one of the two pyramid structures inside Biosphere 2.

As you enter the Desert biome, you’ll immediately notice that it is more humid than the surrounding Sonoran Desert.

This desert ecosystem simulates a coastal fog desert, like the ones you can find in Mexico’s Baja California Desert, the Arabian Peninsula, Australia, Namibia, the Canary Islands, and the Atacama Desert along the coast of Chile and Peru.

Due to the humidity from the tropical rainforest and ocean ecosystems located within Biosphere 2, a more arid desert would not have survived.

One thing that sets a coastal fog desert apart from the Sonoran Desert is that it receives rainfall only during the winter, whereas the Sonoran Desert sees rain in the winter as well as the summer monsoon season.

However, since fog deserts are located along the coast, they experience fog banks. This fog allows moisture to move in which keeps the plants sustained through the dry summer.

This unique system produces desert plants that have specifically adapted to this particular climate. The plants you see here have been transplanted from Madagascar and Baja California.

You’ll also notice the unique topography with hills and valleys that replicate a true fog desert.

Mangrove Forest

The Mangrove Forest is modeled after the estuary type of marsh that can be found in the Florida Everglades.

The vegetation, soil, and water were actually even transported from a mangrove forest near the Everglades National Park.

There are three different species of mangroves found in the Americas and all three are represented in this biome.

Mangroves are crucial for filtering pollutants from the water and protecting against coastal erosion.

Extensive research is being done at Biosphere 2 to better understand how we can protect this unique ecosystem.

The Ocean is perhaps the most fascinating ecosystem that exists in the biosphere.

This 700,000-gallon saltwater experimental ocean is the only one like it that exists in the world.

It is complete with a wave machine and temperature controls.

It was once teeming with tropical fish and coral reefs that were sourced from the Yucatán Peninsula.

Studies of the effects of atmospheric CO2 and global warming eventually killed off the reef.

This mirrors the coral reef crisis going on in our oceans today.

Biosphere 2 has partnered with researchers and scientists from around the globe to find solutions to bringing the reef back to life and protecting it.

Research that is being done at Biosphere 2 is unique in that the scientists have more control over different environmental factors.

They can also take greater risks without impacting the actual coral reef system in the earth’s oceans.

The Savanna

The Savanna runs lengthwise along the biome and is home to plants from the African, Australian, and South American savannas.

It serves as a transition zone from the desert to the rainforest.

Ongoing research is being conducted to learn more about this complex ecology of plants.

The majority of the plants in the savanna biome are edible in order to provide seed pods and fruit for the gallagos birds that they were originally planning to introduce into Biosphere 2.

Many of the fruit trees are still producing fruit today, like mango and papaya.

*Related post: for another unique place to visit in Arizona that’s off the beaten path, check out our guide to Arcrosanti: An Experimental City in Arizona !

The Tropical Rainforest

The last biome you’ll experience on the tour is the Tropical Rainforest. It is located in the second pyramid of the biosphere.

It is incredible to see that this 30-year-old tropical rainforest is still thriving here in the heart of the desert!

When you step inside, you’ll immediately notice a dramatic increase in the humidity level.

The average temperature in this biome is 80 degrees with an annual rainfall of anywhere from 9 to 30 feet.

Scientists sometimes create a drought in order to study how plants respond.

There are 26 air handlers at Biosphere 2 that are used to heat, cool, purify, and humidify the air. They even have a system that creates rain and fog to simulate the conditions in a rainforest.

The rainforests only cover 7% of the earth’s surface but are essitional to the global weather systems and the health of our planet.

As a result, the research being done at Biosphere 2 is critical to helping us better understand how to protect our rainforests so they can continue to slow the rise of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

During the mission, the rainforest was home to a variety of species including lizards, snakes, frogs, and small mammals called “bush babies”. These were all donated to the San Antonio Zoo after the mission.

After exiting the Rainforest, you’ll walk past the Santa Fe-style casitas that are used as accommodations for visitors attending conferences, corporate retreats, school field trips, and other events.

The tour concludes at the visitor center where you can learn more about the Biosphere 2 experiment and see artifacts.

Overall, we thought that the tour was interesting and worth the time. Tickets are a little expensive, but the proceeds do help fund the research.

You can also check Viator or Groupon for discount tickets.

It’s definitely one of the most unique places that we’ve visited in Arizona! And if you’re looking for more hidden gems, check out our guide 7 Underrated Spots in Arizona You Need to Visit .

If you’re looking for more things to do in the area, you can also check out our guide for the Best Things to do in Tucson !

• Where is Biosphere 2 located? In Oracle, Arizona about 55 minutes northeast of Tucson at the base of the Catalina Mountains.
• Where is Biosphere 1? Biosphere 1 is the earth that we live on.
• Can I visit Bioshpere 2? Yes, Biosphere 2 is open to the public. Tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for kids. The tour is self-guided with a free downloadable app. The tour lasts about an hour and 15 minutes, but you can go at your own pace.
• Can kids tour Biosphere 2? Yes! All ages are welcome to tour Biosphere 2, however, younger kids might not have the attention span to listen to the self-guided audio tour. I would probably recommend the tour for kids ages 8- 10 years and up, depending on your child.
• What should I bring on the Biosphere 2 tour? Wear comfortable walking shoes. I would recommend bringing a water bottle and your camera. Backpacks and purses are allowed on the tour. If you visit in the winter, bring a jacket as it can be cold outside but hot inside the biomes. Food and drinks, besides water, are not allowed inside.

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'Spaceship Earth,' a wild new doc about Biosphere 2 habitat, launches May 8

"Spaceship Earth," a new documentary set to premiere May 8, reveals the incredible true story of life in quarantine inside the experimental habitat Biosphere 2. 

Biosphere 2 was constructed in Oracle, Arizona between 1987 and 1991 as an experimental research facility originally intended to show that human researchers could be kept alive and healthy in an isolated "bubble-like" environment. In 1991, the first team of scientists sealed itself inside the habitat.

The visually striking installation (it looks like something from a sci-fi film) features a number of human-created biomes including small, capsule versions of a rainforest, ocean, coral reef and more. The facility was originally meant to be a low-key, forward-thinking scientific investigation, but Biosphere 2 was so reminiscent of science fiction that when photos got out of the facility, it immediately caught the world's attention. 

Related: The best sci-fi movies and TV shows to watch on Amazon Prime

However, while the quarantined researchers seemed to be living an idyllic life inside of this incredible facility, things started to go wrong. While the first crew was able to complete their two-year mission, albeit there were some issues, the second crew of "Biospherians" had to leave their mission earlier than anticipated and some have remembered the original experiment as a "failure." The abrupt ending to the experiment left many to make presumptions about the researchers and what really happened inside this elusive facility. 

That's where "Spaceship Earth" comes in. In the documentary , director Matt Wolf aims to tell the full story of what really went on during the original Biosphere 2 experiment decades after its abrupt end. The film, produced by Neon and chosen as a 2020 Sundance Film Festival Official Selection, reveals the story of the eight original "Biospherians" who completed scientific research while quarantined in the facility. The film utilizes both modern interviews with the researchers and archival footage from the original experiment.

"I set out to tell the story of these unconventional visionaries, warts and all, but I also recognized that this is a story much bigger than them. I wanted to make a film about the entire world — how we might live in it sustainably, and what imprint we might make during our lifetimes," Wolf said in a press statement. 

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Admin said: "Spaceship Earth," a new documentary set to premiere May 8, reveals the incredible true story of life in quarantine inside the experimental habitat Biosphere 2. 'Spaceship Earth,' a wild new doc about Biosphere 2 habitat, launches May 8 : Read more

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Biosphere 2 will be Closed Sunday, May 5th 

Frequently Asked Questions

The date and time i want is sold out. can i purchase tickets onsite.

We ask that all tickets be purchased in advance of your visit.  This allows us to manage occupancy to maintain safe distancing for the safety of our staff and other visitors.  We strongly recommend making your reservation ahead of your visit.  We cannot guarantee entry for walk in visitors.  If you are unable to purchase tickets online or have tickets that were purchased prior to our COVID closure, please call our admissions desk at 520-621-4800.

Is there public transportation?

Unfortunately, there is not public transportation available.  If you plan to visit Biosphere 2 using a ride share service, we suggest you make plans for departure before arriving.

What does the Biosphere 2 App do?

The Biosphere 2 Experience is an App based tour.  The app will be your tour guide during your visit!  Please make sure to download the app prior to arrival.  Not only does the app contain all your tour content, it also contains some great pre-visit material.  Tip- make sure your device is fully charged so you can access all tour content.

What can I expect to see on the tour?

The Biosphere 2 Experience Tour Route is approximately 1 mile in length and takes you around the exterior and the interior wilderness areas of Biosphere 2.  The Biosphere 2 Technosphere/Lung tour is available today, make your reservations today . 

It is recommended that you wear comfortable shoes and bring bottled water.  Bottle fillers are located throughout the facility.

Is there any food service on site?

The Biosphere 2 Gift Shop contains a variety of light snacks.  The closest full service restaurants are located in the town of Oracle about 7 miles north of Biosphere 2.

What if I need to cancel or make changes to my tickets?

If you need to make changes to your current reservation please contact Kendra Decker, Manager of Visitor Experience at [email protected] or call our admissions desk at 520-621-4800.

Are pets or service animals allowed?

We welcome visitors with Service Animals, and you don't need to notify us in advance if you're visiting with a Service Animal. Animals whose sole function is to provide comfort or emotional support do not qualify as Service Animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and are, therefore, not permitted without prior approval. For more information visit the University of Arizona’s Service Animal Policy .

I bought my ticket ahead of time. Do I still need to check in when I get to Biosphere 2?

Yes.  All admission tickets must be presented at the admissions desk to be scanned and verified for entry. 

How will my tickets be delivered?

Tickets ordered online will be delivered via email. Once your transaction has finished, you will be given a summary of your order with a link to your e-Ticket. Please be prepared to present it on your phone screen for the barcode to be scanned at the admissions desk.

I never received my ticket confirmation, what should I do?

Please check your email junk folder.  If you still do not see a confirmation email please contact our Manager of Visitor Experience at [email protected] .

Is photography and videography permitted?

Photography and videography for noncommercial, personal use is permitted. If you are looking to produce media for commercial purposes, please email [email protected] .

The use of tripods and camera extension poles is prohibited.

Is Biosphere 2 accessible by wheelchair?

The University of Arizona Biosphere 2 welcomes all visitors and strives to make its tours, exhibits and programs accessible to everyone. While much of the Biosphere 2 campus is wheelchair accessible, certain areas of the property are not accessible due the steep terrain and the presence of stairs. The majority of the biomes including the desert, savanna, ocean and rain forest are all accessible by wheelchair or scooter. Our team will work with you to help access the areas open to the public. If you have any questions, please email us at  [email protected]  or call our admissions team at 520-621-4800.