Greater Phoenix

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Overview

Phoenix is Arizona's indubitable cultural and economic powerhouse, a thriving desert metropolis boasting some of the best Southwestern and Mexican food you'll find anywhere. And with more than 300 days of sunshine a year, exploring the 'Valley of the Sun' is an agreeable proposition (except in the sapping heat from June to August).

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Heard Museum

Phoenix

This extraordinary museum spotlights the history, life, arts and culture of American Indian tribes in the Southwest. Visitors will find art galleries,…
Musical Instrument Museum

Phoenix

From Uganda thumb pianos to Hawaiian ukuleles to Indonesian boat lutes, the ears have it at this lively museum that celebrates the world's musical…
Desert Botanical Garden

Phoenix

Blue bells and Mexican gold poppies are just two of the colorful showstoppers blooming from March to May along the Desert Wildflower Loop Trail at this…
Arizona Museum of Natural History

Greater Phoenix

Even if you're not staying in Mesa, this museum is worth a trip, especially if your kids are into dinosaurs (and aren't they all?). In addition to the…
Phoenix Art Museum

Phoenix

Arizona's premier repository of fine art includes works by Claude Monet, Diego Rivera and Georgia O'Keeffe. Make a beeline for the Western Gallery, to see…
Rawhide Western Town & Steakhouse

Greater Phoenix

Every 'howdy' sounds sincere at this re-created 1880s frontier town located about 20 miles south of Mesa on the Gila River Indian Reservation. Test your…
Pueblo Grande Museum

Phoenix

The O'odham Indians use the word 'Hohokam' ('all used up') for the ancestors who mysteriously abandoned this adobe city and the intricate irrigation…
Heritage Square

Phoenix

This cluster of late-Victorian and early-20th-century homes stands in stark contrast to the soaring modernity of downtown Phoenix. With the buildings now…

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Planning Tools

Expert guidance to help you plan your trip

Best Neighborhoods

American Southwest culture can be found everywhere in Phoenix, with its arts, history, quirky family activities and arid landscape of the Sonoran Desert to…

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