Things to Do in Phoenix, Arizona

Phoenix Art Museum

Phoenix Art Museum is the largest art museum in the southwestern United States, with international and regional collections spanning modern and contemporary art, American and Latin American work, Western American pieces, and fashion design. The museum pairs permanent galleries with rotating special exhibitions, a research library, a sculpture garden, and onsite dining.

Visitors should check ticketing and exhibition pages for timed entries, special‑exhibition fees, and temporary closures before planning a visit.

Official Phoenix Art Museum website →

Desert Botanical Garden

Desert Botanical Garden is a 140‑acre outdoor museum focused on Sonoran Desert plants, with roughly 50 acres cultivated and tens of thousands of labeled specimens on themed trails. The garden highlights specialist collections (cacti, agaves, succulents), seasonal displays, evening light installations, and rotating outdoor programs.

Timed and advance tickets are common—verify current trail access, timed‑entry policies, and any event-related closures on the Garden’s official site before you go.

Official Desert Botanical Garden website →

Heard Museum

The Heard Museum interprets Native American art and culture through historic and contemporary collections—jewelry, textiles, pottery, baskets, katsina figures and fine art—alongside rotating exhibitions, performances, and educational programming. The campus includes climate‑controlled galleries, a museum shop, and grounds that host public programs.

Check the Heard’s visitor pages for current exhibitions, accessibility services, and any special‑event or ticketing requirements before visiting.

Official Heard Museum website →

Camelback Mountain (hiking)

Camelback Mountain is an iconic, steep urban hike with two technically difficult summit routes—Echo Canyon and Cholla—that require scrambling and route‑finding. The summit provides panoramic valley views, but trails are exposed with limited shade and are subject to safety‑driven closures and the City of Phoenix’s Trail Heat Safety Program.

Only experienced hikers should attempt these routes; verify trail status, closures, and heat advisories on official city trail pages and carry adequate water and sun protection.

Official Camelback Mountain (hiking) website →

Papago Park / Hole-in-the-Rock

Papago Park is a compact urban desert park known for its red sandstone buttes, short trails, lagoons, and proximity to the Desert Botanical Garden and Phoenix Zoo. The Hole‑in‑the‑Rock formation is a family‑friendly, short scramble that offers panoramic valley views and popular sunset photo spots.

Much of the park is sun‑exposed—bring water and sturdy shoes—and check City of Phoenix pages for trail, parking, and facility advisories before visiting.

Official Papago Park / Hole-in-the-Rock website →

Arizona Science Center

Arizona Science Center is a hands‑on science museum in downtown Phoenix with interactive exhibitions, live demonstrations, and a five‑story Giant Screen theater. The Center is well suited to families and school groups; tickets and theater shows often require advance purchase or timed entry.

Review the Center’s visitor guidance for exhibit schedules, ticketing rules, parking/validation options, and any weekday or temporary closures before you go.

Official Arizona Science Center website →

Phoenix Zoo

The Phoenix Zoo is an accredited zoological park in Papago Park with themed habitat zones, animal encounters, family programs, and seasonal after‑dark events. The zoo operates year‑round with seasonal hour changes and offers general‑admission and timed/experience tickets.

Check the Zoo’s official visitor pages for current animal‑encounter availability, program schedules, route or parking impacts from events, and any temporary closures before visiting.

Official Phoenix Zoo website →

Roosevelt Row arts district

Roosevelt Row ("RoRo") is Phoenix’s walkable arts district of murals, galleries, studios, and independent shops, known for adaptive‑reuse galleries and a grassroots creative scene. Visitors can self‑guide through public art, pop‑up markets, gallery receptions, and the monthly First Friday arts walk.

Because event logistics and street‑level activations change with municipal permitting and neighborhood decisions, check Roosevelt Row CDC and City of Phoenix event pages for up‑to‑date First Friday plans and access notes.

Official Roosevelt Row arts district website →

South Mountain Park and Preserve

South Mountain Park and Preserve is a vast municipal desert preserve with more than 16,000 acres of ridgelines, multiuse trails, and scenic lookouts such as Dobbins Lookout. The park offers hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and sunrise/sunset photography opportunities.

Vehicle access, gated trailhead hours, and some road policies are managed by the City of Phoenix—verify trail access, road‑use rules, and any heat or maintenance closures on official city pages before exploring.

Official South Mountain Park and Preserve website →

Chase Field / Footprint Center (sports & events)

This entry names two adjacent downtown event venues. Chase Field is the Arizona Diamondbacks’ enclosed MLB ballpark with a retractable roof and downtown light‑rail access.

Footprint Center is the nearby multipurpose arena used for basketball, concerts, and indoor events. Both venues are event‑driven—access depends on game or show schedules, ticketing, security screening, and event‑day parking or street changes—so confirm current event calendars, tour availability, and any construction or renaming notices on official team and venue pages before attending.