Ak-Chin Him-Dak (Eco-Museum)
46875 N. EcoMuseum, Phoenix
(602) 568-9487
Located 40 miles south of downtown Phoenix, the Ak-Chin Him-Dak Museum is known as the "museum with out walls". Assembled by the Ak-Chin tribe the museum stands a part from most in that the tribal members themselves have been the ones to conduct excavations, catalogue artifacts, and document their own oral history.

America West Arena
201 E. Jefferson St., Phoenix
(602) 379-7800
Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Coyotes, the Arizona Rattlers, Phoenix Mercury, and the Arizona Sandsharks all call America West Arena home. The one million square-foot, 20,000-seat multipurpose America West Arena hosts more than 180 events a year. This sports / concert arena electrifies Phoenix by bringing enthusiasm and excitement downtown.

Botanical Desert Gardens
1201 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix
(602) 941-1217
Hours: October - April, 8am to 8pm daily
May-September, 7am to 8pm daily
Closed on Christmas Day Housing half of all the variety of cactus in the world, the Desert Botanical Garden includes 150 acres of plants from the world's deserts. Founded 1937, this non-profit museum illustrates the beauty of over a thousand plant species adapted for the arid landscape. Sponsoring programs in research, plant conservation, and environmental education the garden emphasizes harmony with the desert by displaying not only vivacious plant life, but by also incorporating exhibits that depict the relationship between modern day cities and the desert. Self-guided nature walk, public lectures, Cactus Show.

Encanto Park & Recreation Area
2605 N. 15th Avenue, Phoenix
(602) 261-8994
Prices: Free
Spanning over 220-acres, Encanto Park is the city's largest flatland park. Offering a perfect spot for family cookouts, Encanto Park facilities includes picnic areas, a lagoon, boat house, swimming pool, nature trail, urban fishing, two golf courses, softball diamonds, basketball - tennis courts, and the KiddieLand/Enchanted Island Amusement Park. Visitors can rent canoes and paddle boats and joining the fish and ducks out on the lagoon or toss a Frisbee throughout the park's grassy areas. A perfect place to relax and spend a weekend having fun in the sun.

Heard Museum
22 E. Monte Vista Road, Phoenix
(602) 252-8844
Hours: Mon-Sat 9:30 to 5:00
Sun 12:00pm to 5:00pm
Closed Major Holidays
In 1929 Dwight B. and Mai Bartlett Heard founded The Heard Museum as a private, non-profit museum to house their personal collection of artifacts and art. The focus of the museum resides on the cultures of the Southwest. Tracing the history of the region from 15,000BC to the present, it includes everything from prehistoric to contemporary. The museum's best-known collection features a large number of Hopi Kachina Dolls. The appreciation and respect for the arts and lifestyles of Southwest Native American culture is promoted as the evolving philosophy of the Heard. Especially oriented toward children, the museum has a hands-on exhibit called "Old Ways, New Ways", which focuses on the Southwest Zuni, Northwest Coast Tsimshiam and the Great Plains Kiowa. The Heard museum holds over 32,000 ethnographic objects and contemporary work of art, 10 galleries, a new auditorium, education center, and an indoor/outdoor cafe.

Historic Heritage Square
113 N. Sixth and Monroe Street
(602) 262-5071 or (602) 262-5029
Arizona Doll & Toy Museum (602) 253-9337
Farmer's Market - Open every Thursday from late October through May 20, 10am-2pm.
Heritage Square represents the Victorian root from which Phoenix originated in the 1860's. A Victorian complex in the heart of downtown. Heritage Square is a refreshing site among the relatively young city. Historical city park has eight turn-of-the-century houses, including the restored 1895 Victorian Rosson House. . The Farmer's Market presenting everything from fresh produce to other fine goods, fills the street of the square every Thursday. The available guided walking tours will wind you through the historical buildings, museums, restaurants and gift shops that encompass the remaining residential structures from the original townsite of Phoenix.

Mystery Castle
800 E. Mineral Road
(602) 268-1581
Hours: Thursday-Sunday 11:00am-4:00pm
Over a period of 18 years, one man built this 8,000 square-foot stone and sand castle. Constructed by Boyce Luther Gulley for his daughter, Mary Lou the castle features 18 furnished rooms with Southwestern Antiques, 13 fireplaces, a cantilevered stairway, parapets, many charming little nooks and crannies and a chapel. Visit the castle and be prepared to be whisked away into a Southwestern fairytale.

Orpheum Theatre
203 W. Adams St.
(602) 252-9678 or (602) 994-2787
Hours: Daily
Children under age two free, if not occupying a seat.
Built in 1929, this elaborate Spanish Baroque style remains as the last historic theater in downtown Phoenix. Although it retains its original architectural and historical identity, renovations have transformed the theater into a technically-modern events venue. The Orpheum's stage is filled with an array of performing groups, from local, regional and national touring productions to performance companies and nonprofit performing arts group.

Papago Park / Hole-In-The-Rock
Galvin Parkway and Van Buren Street
(602) 256-3220
Papago Park facilities include lagoon, desert hills and rugged mountains, a golf course, museums, picnic areas, fishing, and hiking. The Hole-In-The-Rock landmark is a great hit with the kids. Papago Park serves as a great place to sit back, relax and enjoy the sites that surround you.

Phoenix Art Museum
1625 N. Central Avenue
(602) 257-1222
Hours: Tuesday-Wednesday 10:00am - 5:00pm
Thursday-Friday 10:00 am- 9:00pm
Saturday-Sunday 10:00am - 5:00pm
The Phoenix Art Museum is credited as being the largest visual arts museum in the Southwest. This museum specializes in contemporary Southwestern art, but also has other collections that cover North American art in general, sculpture, photography, 14th century fashion and decorative objects, exhibition of Renaissance work, the famous Throne Miniature Rooms historic interiors. The museum has expanded from its traditional exhibitions, and now offers a wide range of exhibitions throughout its 65,000 square feet of gallery space. Tours Available.

Phoenix Zoo
455 N. Galvin Parkway
(602) 273-1341
Hours: May 1 through Labor Day : 7:30am - 4:00pm
Winter Hours: 9am - 5pm
Take a leisurely drive through desert rock formation to the Phoenix Zoo, located in a section of the Papago Park. So, after a picnic in the park, come and visit the thousands of wild beasts, and endangered animals that roam here. A 125 acre zoo is home to more than 1,300 mammals, birds, and reptiles. The zoo features rare Sumatran tigers, Tropical Flights Aviary, African Savannah, Arizona Trail exhibit, all with native animals in naturalistic exhibitions. Plan to spend the entire day visiting the zoo's exhibits. From the children's petting zoo to the zoo's exhibit of things that go "boo!" in the Sonoran Desert night, there isn't one exhibit worth missing!