Things to Do in Phoenix Arizona
Phoenix is a lively city full of fun things to do and see. Visit the Arizona Science Center, watch Suns or Diamondbacks games live or relax in its vibrant downtown district.
Tubing is one of the most beloved activities in Phoenix. Enjoy it solo or join a guided tour to get the most from your time on the river.
1. Arizona Science Center
If you want to introduce your kids to science, Arizona Science Center is an excellent way. Offering four levels of interactive exhibits and a state-of-the-art planetarium, this museum makes science come alive! Kids (and adults!) alike will love spending their afternoon here!
The center offers daily demonstrations and activities designed to educate, engage and inspire curious minds – perfect for spending a morning with your children exploring all that science has to offer!
McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park in Phoenix offers another captivating tourist attraction. Constructed on land donated by Fowler and Anne McCormick, it features numerous showcases and exhibits that make for an excellent sightseeing trip.
The park offers numerous monuments and memorials commemorating various events from Arizona’s history, such as the USS Arizona exhibit, Merci Train ride and other displays detailing how Arizona developed over time.
Phoenix offers plenty of attractions for both first-timers and frequent visitors alike – everything from beautiful gardens and sports teams, lively nightlife and historical landmarks! No matter when or why you visit, Phoenix will not disappoint!
2. Footprint Center
At Footprint Center, there’s something special for everyone – be it sports fans or those searching for something else altogether! Home of both the Phoenix Suns and WNBA Phoenix Mercury teams, this arena hosts basketball games, concerts, ice shows and much more.
The venue is conveniently situated in downtown Phoenix’s “Legends Entertainment District,” only one block away from Chase Field. Offering restaurants, nightlife and hotels as well as public transit access points nearby, getting around is quick and simple on foot or using public transit.
Footprint Center, as a major hub of entertainment, boasts a varied schedule and has hosted concerts by top artists like Bon Jovi and Van Halen. It is an excellent spot for concerts or watching a game when the Phoenix Suns are on.
If you’re attending a game, tickets for the arena can be bought directly from either team or through TicketSmarter and downloaded instantly to your mobile phone allowing you to stay up-to-date with what’s happening during game day.
If you’re in Phoenix and searching for something extra to do, make sure to stop by the Phoenix Desert Botanical Garden. One of the city’s top attractions, it features an idyllic tropical rainforest setting bursting with over 60 species of butterflies! Perfect for family day trips!
3. Castles N’ Coasters
Castles N’ Coasters amusement park features family-oriented rides across 10 acres. In addition to roller coasters, this amusement park offers carousels, go-kart tracks, bumper cars & boats bumper golf courses and an arcade for both children and adults to enjoy.
Desert Storm, a thrilling looping roller coaster with two up and down loops over its 2,000-foot journey, is one of the park’s top attractions. Additionally, Patriot offers less intense thrill seekers an alternative ride experience.
Amusement park rides include coasters and several other rides such as log flume ride and traditional carousel, four 18-hole mini golf courses and much more!
Sky Diver, Arizona’s tallest freefall ride, is sure to delight younger visitors and children.
For those in search of additional activities, the park provides a 3-story ropes course with 28 challenging elements as well as an arcade featuring 150 games. Hours may differ depending on events or weather. It is open year-round; hours may change accordingly.
4. Desert Botanical Garden
Are you in Phoenix looking for an enjoyable nature-filled excursion? Papago Park’s Desert Botanical Garden offers just such an oasis. Boasting 140 acres and over 50,000 plants that reflect its tranquil yet vibrant desert landscapes, the Desert Botanical Garden makes for an excellent stop.
The Garden offers five thematic trails that explore Sonoran Desert plant life from towering cacti and succulents to vibrant wildflowers and lush trees, offering unique insights into desert landscaping, nature art, cooking and wellness through tours, special events, seasonal exhibits, lectures and workshops.
Birders love this garden as it draws hummingbirds, Gila woodpeckers, quail, and cactus wrens as well as many other permanent and migratory species – tours led by wildlife experts are offered every Monday morning!
In springtime, the desert’s gray-green hues come alive with vivid Technicolor flowering reminiscent of Kansas-to-Oz. Take a walk on the Desert Wildflower Loop to witness pink penstemon spires, sun-bright damianita and brittlebush flowers, lake blue lupines softening sword-like architecture of steel blue agaves and columns of bristling cacti.
Chihuly in the Desert, on display through June 19 at The Garden, features 18 installations of glass artist Dale Chihuly alongside Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin West. A self-guided tour is also available at The Garden while 90-minute guided tours can also be taken.
5. Heard Museum
The Heard Museum is an internationally-recognized institution known for its extensive collection of Native American art and culture, located in Phoenix. Perfect for exploring with family members, its collections showcase some of the region’s rich history through Native peoples in the Southwest.
The museum galleries are filled with Native American artwork from different tribes, such as Navajo textiles and Zuni pottery, along with exhibits that explore various aspects of Native American culture.
Heard Museum stands as an invaluable institution when it comes to preserving American Indian art and culture, showcasing first-person voice recordings as well as exhibitions that illuminate traditional and contemporary works of art.
They provide many educational activities and events for kids and adults, including classes, festivals, rendezvous events and performances by volunteers, artists or the museum itself.
The Heard Museum has been around for more than 100 years, and is known for its high-quality collections, world-class exhibitions, educational programs, and vibrant festivals. All this is made possible thanks to volunteers donating their time, talent, and funding.
6. Mesa Grande Cultural Park
Mesa Grande Cultural Park is a six-acre historic site located at 1000 N Date Street that preserves Hohokam structures built during the Classic Period. Operated by Arizona Museum of Natural History.
Ruins at Salt River Valley National Historic Park provide a wealth of knowledge on Ancestral Sonoran Desert People who inhabited Salt River Valley during its ancient inhabitants’ existence. Furthermore, this park makes an excellent place for families as there are various activities and attractions available that are both fun and educational.
One of the highlights of this park is a temple mound constructed by Hohokam Indians that stands 27 feet high. Constructed from “caliche,” or calcium carbonate hardpan found beneath desert soils, this mound serves as an architectural feature and was one of the centerpieces for their worship rituals.
A large plaza encircled the temple mound and used for ceremonies and social events. Volunteers from Arizona Museum of Natural History constructed an exact replica of an open Hohokam ballcourt which they would then use to play ball games on.
This park contains more than just its famous temple mound – archeologists will find many archaeological sites which give an excellent understanding of ancient people who once resided here, providing visitors with an in-depth experience about Mesa Neighborhood Alliance has identified heritage tourism as their top economic goal for their community.
7. Musical Instrument Museum
Explore the world’s music at Phoenix’s #1 attraction and one of the 20 best museums in America – The Musical Instrument Museum is home to over 200 countries’ worth of musical instruments from more than 200 different regions! Covering an area of 200,000 square feet, this museum showcases musical instruments and related objects.
Visitors can experience the power of music while travelling around the globe in five Geographic Galleries. Each gallery highlights a distinct global region, using wireless technology and video screens to showcase instruments and their performances.
In the Asia and Oceania gallery, for example, you’ll see dombras (long-necked lutes) from Southeast Asia; polynesian shell trumpets; Tibetan Buddhist temple drums and more – including an exact replica of an Indonesian workshop where youth orchestra students play gongs and rababs!
Latin America Gallery at the hall features displays devoted to panpipes of Andes and steelpans of Trinidad. There’s even an orchestra from Paraguay who have constructed their own saxophone out of waste materials!
After touring the galleries, visitors can treat themselves to a snack at Cafe Allegro before heading over to MIM Music Theater for an intimate concert featuring live artists from around the globe. This 300-seat venue provides the ideal platform for discovering world music!
