Tucson has been named one of the Top 10 Spring Break Destinations for Families 2013 by Livability.com, a national website that highlights more than 500 of America’s best places to live and visit. 

The list is the second installment of an annual listing of America’s top spring break destinations and features communities that offer families a budget-conscious, amenities-rich vacation that can be enjoyed over the course of a few days. To narrow down the list, Livability.com editors looked at cities with plenty of parks, green spaces and outdoor recreation opportunities as well as family-friendly attractions, such as zoos, aquariums, amusement parks and museums.

Tucson was chosen because it offers families a host of activities for all age groups – both indoors and out – as well as a number of other travel amenities for families, such as hotels with pools, vacation deals and kid-friendly restaurants.  Read more here.

Top 10 Spring Break Destinations for Families 2013
1. Santa Cruz, CA
2. Tucson, AZ
3. Portland, OR
4. Omaha, NE
5. Indianapolis, IN
6. Birmingham, AL
7. Charlotte, NC
8. Tulsa, OK
9. Boise, ID
10. Cincinnati, OH

Populated with haunted houses featuring special effects, pyrotechnics, and ghoulish creatures performing terrifying stunts, Nightfall-20 Years of Terror! offers a Hollywood-style celebration of Halloween that may be too scary for the little ones, Thursdays-Sundays in October at Old Tucson western film location and theme park.

The Halloween Howl at Colossal Cave Mountain Park hosts family-friendly hayrides and candlelight cave tours, October 19. Guests can help save the world from monsters at the 89th Halloween Haunted Ruins, featuring a trip through Tucson’s Valley of the Moon, weekends in October.

Old Bisbee Ghost Hunt is the newest monthly tour offered at Old Bisbee Ghost Tours, in Bisbee, Arizona, 93 miles southeast of Tucson. This four-hour tour includes a training session, use of ghost-hunting equipment, investigations of haunted locations, and a potential evidence DVD. Guests will investigate who is haunting these buildings and why; afterward, data will be downloaded and sent on a DVD to each participant. Cost is $40 per person. Upcoming tour dates: October 19, November 3.

For more spooky events and fall fun, check out visitTucson.org/events.