Phoenix offers exciting diversity, urban sophistication, and natural serenity, too.
Visitors to Arizona’s capital can discover landmark mansions and sip local wine (yes, there are wineries in the desert). They’ll take in the Cactus League’s spring training baseball, then join locals to hike amid Sonoran Desert cactuses or cycle the “ale trail.”
It’s these unexpected mashups that make the Greater Phoenix metropolis of 1.7 million so compelling, no matter the season. Here are 10 of our favorite things to do in the Valley of the Sun.
Cycle the Coffee, Wine, and Ale Trails
With more than 50 resorts and day spas, Scottsdale (12 miles from downtown and part of Greater Phoenix) lends itself to leisure. If you’re thirsting to explore without expending too much effort, hop on a bike in Old Town to taste a range of coffee drinks, wines, and beers. Kick off a day of easy activity by fueling up at Schmooze Bar & Breakfast before pedaling around historic sites, public art installations, and the Arizona Canal, which dates back to the 1800s.
As you explore, take time to stop at some of the dozen-plus wine-tasting rooms and breweries in town. Merkin Vineyards’ grapes hail from the Verde Valley, while Craft64 serves only Arizona beers, including its own signature brew (created in collaboration with Phoenix-based SunUp Brewing).
Celebrate Pride in the Desert
Phoenix embraces its LGBTIQ+ community every day. However, the hug never feels stronger than during Phoenix Pride, which takes place each November. The two-day celebration draws crowds of up to 40,000, who come to enjoy the festive parade in mild weather along with more than 150 performers hitting six alfresco stages. This family-friendly event even offers a KidSpace with a photo booth and activities like face painting.
Explore a Famous Mansion
Close your eyes at historic Wrigley Mansion and imagine enjoying sunset drinks on the terrace with Elvis Presley and other famous visitors. This 16,000-sq-ft estate was once owned by chewing-gum magnate William Wrigley Jr. Enshrined on the National Register, it’s a Phoenix landmark built in an all-American blend of architectural styles ranging from Spanish Revival to modernist. Preserved elements include the original tiles, which were hauled up the hill by donkey after being shipped from the namesake family’s tile factory on Catalina Island.
This glamorous history is celebrated by owner Jamie Hormel, who purchased the property in 1992 and installed upgrades like Christopher’s, the namesake restaurant of James Beard award–winning Chef Christopher Gross. The venue joins Geordie’s, a mansion mainstay known for afternoon tea and multi-course wine dinners.
Cheer for Your Favorite Pro Baseball Team
For the most dedicated sports enthusiasts, spring in the desert heralds just one thing: baseball season. Greater Phoenix is a long-time host to Major League Baseball’s Cactus League spring training. Fifteen teams – from the Arizona Diamondbacks to the Seattle Mariners – practice at 10 ballparks and stadiums scattered around the city, representing the greatest concentration of pro baseball facilities in the country and a fan fantasy.
Interact with Art at Wonderspaces
At Wonderspaces, art lovers can not only observe art but also interact with it, while connecting with others to create a shared experience. Situated inside Scottsdale Fashion Square mall, Wonderspaces’s immersive installations include Rainbow Rooms, comfortable furniture arrangements enclosed by colored yarn. Less warm and fuzzy is Killing Time, a macabre kinetic hourglass sculpture by Mesplé. The mesmerizing skull detects a viewer’s presence, triggering the release of black liquid and producing breath-like motion from the mouth. Unsettling yet unforgettable.
See Thousands of Butterflies in a Botanical Garden
Nature, art, education, conservation, and wellness blend beautifully at Desert Botanical Garden, a 140-acre ecosystem with trails looping among cactuses, trees, and wildflowers. While you can expect familiar flora like Arizona’s iconic saguaro cactus, this living museum is home to over 4,400 species, including 400 rare and endangered varieties.
The diverse landscape is ideal for exploration. Keep an eye out for hummingbirds, spot cactuses in bloom, and explore the open-air Butterfly Pavilion, home to thousands of live butterflies—from monarchs to malachites. Another way to enjoy the garden’s atmosphere is during meditation classes, sunrise tai chi, or sunset yoga.
Desert Botanical Garden offers seasonal programming that enhances the natural beauty. Visit Las Noches de las Luminarias during the holidays to see 8,000 lights glimmering throughout the plantings. It’s also worthwhile to keep an eye out for visiting art exhibitions, such as Chihuly in the Garden: the American artist’s outsize spikes and swirls of blown glass add another layer of wonder to this desert oasis.
Sip Cocktails While Playing Classic Video Games
When you’re looking for old-school fun accompanied by an adult beverage, the Cobra Arcade Bar downtown cheerfully delivers both. (There’s also a locale in Tucson.) There’s something delightfully subversive about sipping a cocktail made with Stoli or Four Roses in this adult-only spot while reliving the nostalgia of vintage pinball machines and classics like Mortal Kombat, with a rotating lineup of DJs providing the soundtrack.
Make an Architectural Pilgrimage to Taliesin West
“Taliesin West is a look over the rim of the world,” declared Frank Lloyd Wright in 1943, describing his desert studio and winter home. A National Historic Landmark located in Scottsdale and built in 1937, Taliesin West also served as a campus where this titan of American architecture educated his protégés and pushed the boundaries of his singular architectural vision. In 2019, Taliesin West was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage site list for its cultural significance.
Visitors can tour the rooms and landscapes to see both unusual (a bathroom made from sheets of aluminum) and ancient (boulders with petroglyphs). The site often hosts special events, from sunset wine tastings to guided tours of art exhibitions like Chihuly in the Desert.
Hike the Hole-in-the-Rock Trail
When you want to hike an otherworldly landscape without leaving the comforts of the city, head to the Hole-in-the-Rock Trail in Papago Park, located just minutes from downtown Phoenix. A short effort on the trail results in a massive reward: a wind-eroded hole in the sandstone butte that frames picture-perfect views of Greater Phoenix beyond. The short pathway (0.2 miles) is composed of natural steps leading hikers from the visitor center, rising 200 ft in elevation. Arrive early; the park opens at 5 am to squeeze in some solitude on this popular route and enjoy cooler morning temperatures.
While you’re gazing through the sandstone gap, consider how the Indigenous Hohokam peoples who lived in the area from 450 to 1450 CE used the hole as a sundial of sorts for planting and other agricultural activities.
Visit a “Funporium”
Food trucks serving delectable snacks from tacos to pizza, a mobile wine car, pop-up shops, and live entertainment—all nestled in and around a renovated 1920s house downtown: though you might have never heard of a “funporium,” Pemberton House defines the term. Located in the Roosevelt Row arts district, this onetime carriage house has undergone an artful transformation into a space for local makers and community events.
Expect an ever-evolving array of activities that encourage repeat visits, whether it’s yoga sessions on the wellness lawn or themed beer dinners with guest chefs and breweries.
Experience Fine Art and Infinity
O’Keeffe, Kahlo, Kusama: these are just a few of the notable artists you’ll discover in the Phoenix Art Museum’s global collection of 20,000 works. The Southwest’s largest art museum has been a point of pride for the city since it first opened more than 60 years ago. Today, the Phoenix Art Museum is “bringing the world to our museum and our museum to the world.”
