Phoenix Sightseeing

When you visit the Phoenix metropolitan area be prepared to find an abundance of attractions and places to spend your time. You will find both contemporary art and entertainment centers, and historical and natural setting, which are directly connected to the Salt River Valley. The Desert Botanical Garden, which occupies 50 acres Papago Park is the major tourist and local attraction since its opening in 1939. Here you will find over 10,000 desert plants with about 900 different species of cactus. Papago Park is also home to the Phoenix Zoo, which is a non-profit, privately funded zoo, with over 1,200 animals exhibited. Here we'll tell you more about the places to visit before you choose one of the hotels in Phoenix.

Visit the Historic Heritage Square near Phoenix downtown, where you will find an entire block of restored Victorian buildings preserved as homage to the late 1800s prosperous period of the city's history. The houses are now serving as shops, museums and restaurants, with the elegant Rosson House being one of the best known. The National Native American Cooperative, also located downtown, hosts a monthly Indian market October through May, featuring ethnic crafts, foods and dances. The nearby Scottsdale neighborhood is home to the famous Taliesin West, the desert home architect Frank Lloyd Wright, today considered as a national historic landmark.

For lovers and fans of the Wild West, Scottsdale also has a full-size replica of a western town Rawhide. Here you can enjoy a large variety of entertaining activities, from stagecoach and burro rides to stunt shows. Near Rawhide you will find the huge Big Surf water park also known as "Arizona's ocean."

Numerous commercial enterprises offer special thematic tours to various reservation sites, with western gun-fire simulation, covered wagon campfire circles and stagecoach rides to give the participants a good taste of the Wild West. Trips to the Grand Canyon and other nature sights not far from metropolitan Phoenix are available by bus and charter planes. The younger tourist will prefer the variety of amusements available in the Enchanted Island Amusement Park of Encanto Park.