ARIZONA SONORA DESERT MUSEUM

Financials

From the e-filed returns the IRS publishes as XML (latest three processing years; amended returns replace the original). PDF copies at the IRS.

Officers, directors and key employees

As listed on the 990 for the year ended September 30, 2025, highest compensation first.

Address and contacts

Address (IRS master file)

2021 N KINNEY RD, TUCSON, AZ 85743-9719

In care of

% NORTHERN TRUST CO

Principal officer (990 for 2024)

HOLLIE COLAHAN, 2021 NORTH KINNEY ROAD, TUCSON, AZ 857439719

Signed the 990

HOLLIE COLAHAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Phone

(520) 883-1380

Website

WWW.DESERTMUSEUM.ORG

Return prepared by

BEACHFLEISCHMAN PLLC

Mission

WE INSPIRE PEOPLE TO LIVE IN HARMONY WITH THE NATURAL WORLD BY FOSTERING LOVE, APPRECIATION, AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE SONORAN DESERT.

Program accomplishments

• THE ARIZONA-SONORA DESERT MUSEUM IS A WORLD-RENOWNED BIOPARK COMPRISED OF MULTIPLE COMPONENTS, INCLUDING REGIONAL ZOO, BOTANICAL GARDEN, AQUARIUM, RESEARCH ORGANIZATION, ART INSTITUTE, AND NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM. THE MUSEUM SITS ON 98 ACRES OF LEASED PROPERTY, 21 OF WHICH ARE ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC, WITH 2 MILES OF WALKING PATHS WHERE GUESTS VIEW EXHIBITS THAT REALISTICALLY RE-CREATE THE FLORA AND FAUNA OF THE VIBRANT SONORAN DESERT REGION. VISITORS MAY ENCOUNTER MORE THAN TWO HUNDRED ANIMAL SPECIES, CURATED GARDENS WITH OVER ONE THOUSAND VARIETIES OF PLANTS, TWO ART GALLERIES, AND A SIMULATED CAVE WITH A MINERAL GALLERY. THE MUSEUM IS OPEN FOR PUBLIC VISITATION EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR. SINCE ITS OPENING IN 1952, OVER 24 MILLION PEOPLE FROM AROUND THE WORLD HAVE VISITED THE MUSEUM. IN FISCAL YEAR 2025, ATTENDANCE AT THE MUSEUM WAS 393,926 VISITORS AND THERE WERE APPROXIMATELY 15,000 MEMBER HOUSEHOLDS. EXHIBITS AND GARDENS: THE MUSEUM'S LARGEST AND MOST IMPACTFUL PROGRAM IS ITS EXHIBITS AND GARDENS. THE MUSEUM MAINTAINS 21 INTERPRETED ACRES WITH TWO MILES OF WALKING PATHS THROUGH VARIOUS DESERT HABITATS, OVER TWO HUNDRED ANIMAL SPECIES, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PLANT SPECIMENS FROM MORE THAN ONE THOUSAND TAXA, ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST COMPREHENSIVE REGIONAL MINERAL COLLECTIONS, AND TWO ART GALLERIES. EXIT SURVEYS REVEAL THE IMPACT OF A DESERT MUSEUM VISIT: VISITORS TELL US THAT THEY LEARN ABOUT NEW SUBJECTS AND ISSUES, THEY FEEL CLOSER TO NATURE, AND THEY HAVE A DEEPER APPRECIATION FOR THE SONORAN DESERT AFTER THEIR VISIT.
  Expenses $9,557,291 · revenue $8,378,339
• CONSERVATION, EDUCATION AND SCIENCE PROGRAMSSINCE ITS FOUNDING IN 1952, THE ARIZONA-SONORA DESERT MUSEUM HAS PUT CONSERVATION EDUCATION AND SCIENCE AT THE CORE OF ITS MISSION. FROM HELPING TO ESTABLISH PROTECTED ISLANDS AND COASTAL WETLANDS IN THE GULF OF CALIFORNIA, TO BREEDING AND REINTRODUCTION PROGRAMS FOR ENDANGERED SPECIES SUCH AS THE MEXICAN GRAY WOLF, THICK-BILLED PARROT, AND NUMEROUS FISH, AMPHIBIANS, AND REPTILES, TO DOCUMENTING THE BIODIVERSITY THAT HELPED ESTABLISH THE IRONWOOD FOREST NATIONAL MONUMENT, THE MUSEUM'S CONSERVATION ACTIVITIES HAVE BEEN WIDELY RECOGNIZED FOR MANY DECADES. OF EQUAL IMPORTANCE ARE THE MUSEUM'S EDUCATION PROGRAMS WHICH TOUCH NEARLY 200,000 PEOPLE EACH YEAR, INCLUDING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES. THESE PROGRAMS HELP TO FOSTER LOVE, APPRECIATION AND UNDERSTANDING OF OUR DESERT HOME.
  Expenses $1,997,213 · revenue $953,383
• ART INSTITUTETHE MISSION OF THE ASDM ART INSTITUTE IS "CONSERVATION THROUGH ART EDUCATION." WE SEEK TO ENGAGE PEOPLE IN NATURE-FOCUSED ART CLASSES AND INSPIRE NEW CONSERVATION ADVOCATES. TO THIS END, WE OFFER ART CLASSES, ART EXHIBITS, AND STEWARDSHIP OF THE MUSEUM'S ART COLLECTION. ART CLASSES:ART PROFESSIONALS TEACH ALL ART CLASSES, AND CLASS CONTENT EMPHASIZES OUR LIVING COLLECTIONS AND SONORAN DESERT SETTING. IN FISCAL YEAR 2025, THE ART INSTITUTE SERVED 1,261 STUDENTS ON-SITE. 27 INSTRUCTORS TAUGHT 174 DIFFERENT ART AND PHOTOGRAPHY CLASSES. FOUR STUDENTS GRADUATED FROM THE NATURE ART CERTIFICATE PROGRAM AND 112 BRAND NEW STUDENTS ENTERED THE PROGRAM. ON OUR WEBSITE, WE OFFER 10 FREE VIDEOS, VIEWED BY OVER 1,200 PEOPLE. WE ALSO PROVIDE A VIDEO CLASS SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE; IT CURRENTLY HAS 114 SUBSCRIBERS AND 258 VIDEOS.TOTAL AUDIENCE SERVED IN 2025: 2,575PERMANENT COLLECTION:VANISHING CIRCLES IS A PERMANENT ART COLLECTION COMPRISING 92 ORIGINAL PAINTINGS DEPICTING DISAPPEARING WILDLIFE, PLANTS, AND HABITATS OF THE SONORAN DESERT. IN ADDITION, THE MUSEUM HAS A SMALL PERMANENT COLLECTION OF 49 ART PIECES NAMED THE BALDWIN COLLECTION. WE ALSO HAVE A COLLECTION OF 73 WORKS BY SHERIDAN OMAN, 108 BY MANABU SAITO, AND 68 BY RHONDA SPENCER. IN 2020, WE ACQUIRED A COLLECTION OF 23 ORIGINAL SCRATCHBOARD PIECES BY PRISCILLA BALDWIN DEPICTING ANIMALS FROM THE MUSEUM. THIS COLLECTION IS NOW ON PERMANENT DISPLAY IN THE BALDWIN BUILDING. IN 2024 WE PURCHASED A SCULPTURE FOR THE GROUNDS CALLED "MORE BEES PLEASE" IT SERVES TO CALL AWARENESS TO OUR POLLINATOR GARDENS. IN 2025 THREE MORE PIECES BY PRISCILLA BALDWIN WERE DONATED TO THE COLLECTION.TOTAL PIECES IN THE ART COLLECTION IN 2025: 435GALLERY EXHIBITS:WE HOST 8 TO 12 UNIQUE ART EXHIBITS ANNUALLY IN THE IRONWOOD GALLERY AND BALDWIN EDUCATION GALLERY. THESE ART EXHIBITS SERVE THE MISSION OF THE DESERT MUSEUM BY REVEALING THE BEAUTY OF THE SONORAN HABITAT AND WILDLIFE TO OUR VISITORS THROUGH VISUAL ARTS. IN 2025, WE HAD 51,435 VISITORS IN OUR IRONWOOD GALLERIES AND 4,545 IN OUR BALDWIN GALLERIES. IN TOTAL, WE PRODUCED AND OPENED ELEVEN UNIQUE ART EXHIBITS. THESE LIVE SHOWS ARE AVAILABLE VIRTUALLY ON OUR WEBSITE, MAKING THEM ACCESSIBLE TO AUDIENCES WORLDWIDE.THIRTY-SIX VOLUNTEERS STAFF OUR GALLERIES. THEIR JOB IS TO FACILITATE ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN GUESTS AND EXHIBITS; THEY HELP VISITORS DEEPEN THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF THE INTERSECTION BETWEEN ART, SCIENCE, AND CONSERVATION.IN 2025, WE HOSTED A MUSEUM WIDE STEEL SCULPTURE EXHIBITION. THE ARTIST LOANED US THE FOUR INTERACTIVE STEEL SCULPTURES AT NO COST TO THE MUSEUM.
  Expenses $635,103 · revenue $202,710

What it must file and when

IRS records say it files Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N. Its accounting year ends in September, so each return is due on the 15th day of the 5th month after that.

IRS record

EIN

86-0111675

Tax-exempt status

501(c)(3): Charitable, religious, educational or scientific organization

Foundation status

Publicly supported organization (509(a)(2))

Donations deductible (Pub 78)

Public charity, 50% deduction limit

Exempt since

1954

Accounting year ends

September

Files

Form 990 or 990-EZ

Category (NTEE)

Arts, culture and humanities (A560)

Assets (IRS master file)

$78,950,261

Income (IRS master file)

$35,287,273

Filing history

990-N: the IRS bulk file holds only the latest e-Postcard per organization; earlier years come from archived copies of that file since 2020 and can have gaps (the IRS e-Postcard search lists every one). 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF, 990-T: every e-filed return in the IRS e-file index since 2019; XML for the latest three processing years, amounts from the IRS Statistics of Income extracts before that. PDF copies and determination letters at the IRS (search EIN 86-0111675).

Questions about ARIZONA SONORA DESERT MUSEUM

What is the EIN of ARIZONA SONORA DESERT MUSEUM?

The employer identification number (EIN) of ARIZONA SONORA DESERT MUSEUM is 86-0111675.

Is ARIZONA SONORA DESERT MUSEUM tax-exempt?

Yes. The IRS lists it as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) since 1954.

Are donations to ARIZONA SONORA DESERT MUSEUM tax-deductible?

Yes. It is listed in IRS Publication 78 (Public charity, 50% deduction limit).

Which annual return does ARIZONA SONORA DESERT MUSEUM file?

Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N.

When is the next return of ARIZONA SONORA DESERT MUSEUM due?

The return for tax year 2025 (the year ending September 30, 2026) is due February 15, 2027. Form 8868 extends it by six months; the 990-N cannot be extended.

When did ARIZONA SONORA DESERT MUSEUM last file with the IRS?

The latest return in the IRS public files is the 990 for the year ended September 2025.

Who is the principal officer of ARIZONA SONORA DESERT MUSEUM?

The 990 for the year ended September 30, 2025 names HOLLIE COLAHAN.

Who are the officers and directors of ARIZONA SONORA DESERT MUSEUM?

The 990 for the year ended September 30, 2025 lists 26 people; 5 received compensation from the organization, the highest $191,066 (CRAIG IVANYI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR).

How much revenue does ARIZONA SONORA DESERT MUSEUM have?

On its 990 for the year ended September 30, 2025 it reported revenue of $23,837,802, expenses of $15,332,356 and total assets of $78,950,261 at year end.

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