Top Things to do in Central Arizona
Top Hotels in Central Arizona
- 1. Arizona Grand Resort & Spa
- 2. Drury Inn & Suites Phoenix Airport
- 3. Drury Inn & Suites Phoenix Happy Valley
- 4. Scottsdale Plaza Resort & Villas
- 5. Arizona Grand Resort & Spa
- 6. Fairmont Scottsdale Princess
- 7. Gila River Resorts & Casinos - Wild Horse Pass
- 8. The McCormick Scottsdale
- 9. The Wigwam
- 10. Drury Inn & Suites Phoenix Tempe
Top 10 Things to do in Central Arizona, Central Arizona
Home to the Phoenix metropolitan area and its more than 3.4 million residents, Central Arizona offers an amazing array of museums, cultural venues and outdoor adventures. The Valley of the Sun boasts hopping nightlife and a thrilling selection of restaurants, resorts and spas. Discover Old West and Native American history. Hike among the cactus in the Sonoran desert. Try your hand at ranching in Glendale. Drive the Superstition Mountains. Visit Frank Lloyd Wrights Taliesin West in Scottsdale.
Restaurants in Central Arizona
1. Cathedral Rock
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 5,917 reviews
Towering red rock formation, part of the Cathedral Rock Trail.
Reviewed By Cristine4412 - Pittsburgh, United States
It's a relatively easy hike to the base of Cathedral Rock, and from there you can choose the more challenging hike up the rock, or take the flat Templeton trail around the base.
2. Musical Instrument Museum
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 6,330 reviews
The World's Only Global Musical Instrument Museum. Home of the MIM Music Theater--a 300-seat acoustically superb performance space--as well as the award-winning Café Allegro (open 11 am - 2 pm daily) and the MIM Museum Store. The average guest spends nearly four hours at MIM. Please allow plenty of time to fully enjoy MIM's galleries and exhibits. Open daily, 9 am - 5 pm; Closed Thanksgiving; Open Christmas, 11 am - 5 pm. General Admission: $20; Teens (ages 13-19): $15; Children (ages 4-12): $10; Children 3 and under: Free. Hours and prices are subject to change.
Reviewed By P1520TPandrewk
1. Expect to spend at least five hours or more! 2. Wear comfortable shoes! 3. Take your camera, phone charger etc.. 4. For Musicians, music lovers etc... 5. Bucket List Item 6. All styles of music represented 7. 777 Jackpot Rating! Go and see this place!
3. Desert Botanical Garden
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 8,787 reviews
Discover the tranquil vibrancy of desert plants nestled amid the red rocks of the Papago Buttes. Visitors can stroll through five thematic trails to explore the fascinating beauty of the Sonoran Desert, from towering cacti and alluring succulents to brilliant wildflowers and lush trees. Scroll through the Garden's calendar so not to miss festive events and dazzling exhibitions. Delve deeper to learn about desert landscaping, nature art, cooking and wellness and more through the Garden's various adult and children's classes.
Reviewed By TeamRealMcCoy - West Linn, United States
While we visited the Botanical Park years ago, it has really expanded and is an even more fascinating attraction in Phoenix today! We arrived at the park just moments before the next scheduled tour would be held. While we are normally not tour type of folks, we realized we stood to learn many things from a docent-led walk, and we were not disappointed. The docent we had was entertaining and well informed and had incredible props for her talk. You will learn much about cacti and succulents spending a day at this park, but you will learn so much more from a docent-led tour. I should mention the tour does not cover the entire park but just the heart of it. Then you are free to wander and enjoy the many offerings on your own. We enjoyed a snack at the Patio Café mid day, and were very lucky to see roadrunners, a jack rabbit, squirrels, quail, and two of the infamous Arizona javelinas. It should be noted that javelinas can wreak much damage in a park like this, and park staff are attempting to safely trap these and relocate them away from the botanical park. During our visit in January, we were surprised at the number of cacti with prickly pear and succulents with blooms and other plants in full bloom! There are ample benches and chairs throughout the park to sit and quietly contemplate the beauty or simply take a rest. The paths are easily navigated by those on foot, with a walker, or even a wheelchair. There is a marvelous plant shop and a lovely gift shop on the premises. There is a permanent exhibition of Dale Chihuly glass works, a marvelous complement to the nature of the garden, and while we were there, there was an Italian art exhibit, Wild Rising by Crackling Art, featuring more than 1,000 vividly colorful animal sculptures symbolizing sustainability and conservation.
4. Chapel of the Holy Cross
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 10,360 reviews
This chapel, located among dramatic rock formations, offers spectacular views, especially at sunset.
Reviewed By SengaMilne - Toronto, Canada
Absolutely loved our visit; awe inspiring views and peaceful serenity. The complimentary golf cart ride (tips appreciated) is a wonderful bonus for those with mobility issues or seniors although the privilege seemed to be available to everyone. We visited around 11 am on a Monday and had no trouble finding parking. Nice gift shop with lots of religious options but also beautiful note cards and postcards. Good idea to check out the postcards for ideas/information. Without them I would have missed the eagles overlooking the chapel. The beautiful home in the foreground is for sale for a mere $28 MILLION!
5. Bell Rock
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 4,873 reviews
Reviewed By cookpias - Los Angeles, United States
There was a fairly easy hike from the Bell Rock trailhead in between Bell Rock and the courthouse formation, completely around the rock itself which gave wonderful views and a nice way to stretch our legs and enjoy the setting.
6. Mill Avenue District
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 761 reviews
This is a shopping, dining, nightlife area. It's similar to 5th Ave and Old Town in Scottsdale, which are listed on tripadvisor.
Reviewed By jhonesnaps63 - Bradenton, United States
This are has the true ambiance of an excellent college town and activities. The buildings are old and majestic and packed with history.
7. Taliesin West
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 4,062 reviews
Experience the beauty of the Sonoran Desert through the eyes of Frank Lloyd Wright. Deeply connected to the land from which it was forged, Taliesin West is a celebration of the Arizona desert — a celebration you can step into and explore on a tour, either guided by a Taliesin West expert or at your own pace with an audio tour.
Reviewed By Bob1775 - Houston, United States
We took the night lights tour and highly recommend it. You need to make reservations. Start times range from 6, 6:30 or 7 depending on the time of year. The tour lasts for 2 hours and even had a snack stop of cookies and lemonade towards the end. The tour starts with everyone walking to Frank Lloyd Wright’s office where everyone sits down and listens to a history of Wright and the facility....it is still an active architecture school conferring Masters Degrees in Architecture. You then walk outside and see the night views of the valley and the facility. Here you get an explanation of the facility in the early days and how it closed up for the summer and how the canvas roofs were stored. Next stop is Wright’s living room where again you sit down and the architecture of the facility is discussed. We then walk back to Wright’s living quarters and hear about his bedroom, kitchen and bathroom. Also discussed how every year the place received tweaks with rooms being moved or reconfigured. Next we go to Wright’s movie and entertainment room. You are offered snacks and the sit down to hear about Wright’s connections to the motion picture industry. Also we hear about how Wright entertained his apprentices and visitors. Next we walk to the cabaret, which is our final stop. We walk through the school seeing the dining facility and student work areas. Don’t miss the fire breathing dragon...see attached photo. At the cabaret which is a tiered theater type room we sit again. We hear about Wright’s dinner parties and performances put on by the apprentices. We also hear more about Wright’s thoughts on right angles and acoustics. Over all a fascinating two hours. It was very informative, interactive and never boring. Bruce our guide. who is a retired employee of the architecture school, did an outstanding job giving us a fun and interesting learning experience.
8. Camelback Mountain
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2,520 reviews
Reviewed By 866TaylorB - Chicago, United States
Camelback Mountain is to Phoenix, Arizona, what Lake Michigan is to Chicago or the Golden Gate Bridge is to San Francisco or the Gateway Arch is to St. Louis. It is a distinctive feature that is associated with the city. Camelback is a mountain whose English name is derived from its shape, which resembles the hump and head of a kneeling camel. It is a prominent and unmistakable landmark of the Phoenix metropolitan area, located in the Camelback Mountain Echo Canyon Recreation Area between the Arcadia neighborhood of Phoenix and the town of Paradise Valley. It also is a popular recreation destination for hiking and rock climbing. Not to mention photo ops. A cave discovered on the north slope of the mountain indicates that it was once used as a sacred site by the prehistoric Hohokam Culture before they abandoned the area in the 14th century. The mountain features two hiking trails that ascend 1,280 feet to its peak. The Echo Canyon Trail is 1.14 miles in length while the Cholla Trail covers 1.4 miles. Both are considered strenuous with steep grades, requiring a round trip time of 90 minutes to three hours. For rock climbers, the Praying Monk is a red sandstone rock formation on the northern slope that rises about 100 feet. The mountain lends its name to a major east-west street in the Phoenix area called Camelback Road that starts in Scottsdale and goes about 34 miles west past the West Valley suburbs of Goodyear and Litchfield Park.
9. Usery Mountain Regional Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 623 reviews
Reviewed By lindacY5306CF
We hiked the Blevens trail at the Ursery Mountain park. It was an great hike for beginners with a wonderful variety of vegetation. Trails are really well marked. Do pay attention to where you park your car.
10. Commemorative Air Force Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 556 reviews
The Arizona Commemorative Air Force Museum is one of Phoenix’s top-rated attractions. You can learn how airplanes were used throughout the history of combat and feel the radial engines on our Warbirds rumble as they come to life. Our museum is home to authentic war artifacts and hundreds of exhibits that chronicle the stories of people who rose to meet extraordinary challenges. Climb aboard one of the rarest B-17 Bombers in the world, “Sentimental Journey,” or better yet, book a once-in-a-lifetime ride on any of our seven flying WWII airplanes. Our friendly, knowledgeable docents will bring to life the tales of combat heroes like the Tuskegee Airmen and Women Air Service Pilots who overcame tremendous obstacles to serve our country. Watch aircraft mechanics at work and then stop by our PX Museum Gift Store for unique gifts and war memorabilia. As an educational non-profit 501(c)3, we are a great place for children to learn about the history that has shaped the United States.
Reviewed By 929erick - Papillion, United States
I happened across this great air museum while I was in Mesa. What a treat. I was greeted inside the hanger by a very friendly and well informed volunteer. He was willing to take his time to explain the origin and purpose of the museum and that was very helpful. The cool thing about this museum is that there are several WWII planes that are still in working condition. I was about to talk to a pilot that had flown the morning of my visit. The maintenance hanger is open to the public and it was special to see so many dedicated volunteers working to preserve these great planes. Well worth the visit.
