If you thought that the large and sprawling Los Angeles was the largest urban area in all of the Southwest, well, guess again! Clearly, we’re talking about a relatively large number of square miles, but there is a city that, in terms of surface area, exceeds even the City of Angels. This city is Phoenix, which has 1,530,000 inhabitants spread out over 518 square miles.
This large modern city is known as Greater Phoenix and Valley of the Sun, two apt nicknames, and it is surrounded by desert and arid mountain ranges, and besieged by an inhospitable climate. In the summer, temperatures exceed 100 F. The urban area of Greater Phoenix is divided into smaller cities, and among them, the most interesting are the following three cities: the suburban Mesa, the elegant Scottsdale, which retains the style of the Far West, and Tempe, the university town to the east of the city.
Arizona’s capital city has magnificent and exciting museums, desert botanical gardens, sophisticated modern architecture and western neighborhoods. So what are the best things to do in Phoenix? What are the best excursions to explore the natural and cultural landscapes of the city? Let’s take a look.
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Where is it located and how to get there
Phoenix is one of those rare cases where the most populous city in the state is also the capital. In fact, the uniqueness of Phoenix lies in being the most populous state capital in the United States, and the only one with over one million residents.
It is located in the central-southern part of Arizona, just 150 miles from the border with Mexico and practically halfway between Flagstaff and Tucson.
The most convenient way to reach Phoenix is by using its airport: Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, which is one of the busiest airports in the United States. It is connected to practically all major U.S. airports for domestic flights, and it has international connections with Heathrow and Frankfurt. Another airport in the city with lesser traffic, limited to domestic routes, is Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport.
Despite the city’s importance, it is not possible to reach Phoenix by train, as the nearest active station is located in the city of Maricopa, served by the renowned Union Pacific Railroad line.
History and Origin of the Name
Human settlements in the Salt River Valley region are estimated to date back as far as 7,000 BC, and prior to the arrival of Europeans, the area had already been inhabited for over 2,000 years by the indigenous Hohokam tribes.
These populations had settled and managed to thrive in a desert climate for so many years, thanks to efficient irrigation techniques. By constructing hundreds of miles of canals, they were able to make the arid and dry soil of the region fertile and cultivable. To grasp the level of advancement of these systems, it is worth noting that some of their pathways were used in the construction of modern local aqueducts.
The main remains of this presence can be explored by visiting the archaeological site of Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, located just south of Phoenix. This site preserves the largest adobe building dating back to the Hohokam culture.
Around the mid-1400s, the Akimel O’odham group (also known as Pima) and the Maricopa replaced the Hohokam. The reasons for the disappearance of the Hohokam population in the area are still subject to historical studies.
When the Spanish explorers arrived, they decided to establish a mission in present-day Tucson, while no settlement was built in the area that would become Phoenix. To witness the formation of a proper stable settlement, one had to wait until 1867 when Jack Swilling, a Confederate soldier, discovered the remains of the canals built by the Hohokam tribe and realized the agricultural potential for economic development in the area.
He founded the Swilling Irrigation and Canal Company and began constructing several fields in the area that is now occupied by the city’s international airport. The success of his methods encouraged many other settlers to move to the area, and it was one of these early settlers who suggested the name for the future city: Phoenix. The name celebrated the rebirth of a new and thriving city on the ruins of the civilization that had previously inhabited the land.
The new city was officially recognized on May 4, 1868, and by 1880, Phoenix already had an impressive population of 2,500 residents. The true demographic boom of the city came with the arrival of railways in 1895, which gave a boost to its economic, social, and urban development.
When Arizona became the 48th state of the USA on February 14, 1912, Phoenix was chosen as the capital, and just eight years later, the city already had a population of 30,000.
The years of World War II greatly contributed to the development of the industrial sector due to the need for military supplies. Three military aviation bases and two pilot training camps were established in the area. As a secondary effect, after the end of hostilities, many of the soldiers who had trained in Phoenix decided to settle there. Thanks to this influx of immigration, by 1950, the city’s population had already exceeded 100,000.
The city’s economy, which had long been based on the so-called five C’s (cotton, cattle, citrus, environment, copper), underwent significant transformation after World War II with the increasing presence of high-tech companies. This process began with Motorola’s decision to invest in the development of military technologies and was soon followed by Intel and McDonnell Douglas.
To better illustrate the rapid population growth in the area in recent years, it is worth noting that the population of Maricopa County increased by 811% from 1940 to 1980, surpassing the threshold of one and a half million residents.
What to Do in Phoenix? Cultural Attractions
Here are Phoenix’s main cultural attractions. Most of them are concentrated in the Downtown area.
Phoenix Museums
These are the museums you should visit:
Heard Museum
This is one of the most popular museums in Phoenix and it is dedicated to the history, culture, and rituals of Native Americans in Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico. The museum in this elegant white building follows modern and effective concept to present sacred statues, weapons, jewelry, clothing, work tools and everyday objects of Native Americans in attractively designed spaces and rooms that make the visit more enjoyable.
Phoenix Art Museum
Another place you should see in Downtown Phoenix is the Phoenix Art Museum, a refined and diverse collection of artwork. In addition to the American exhibition, the collection of works and installations by contemporary artists, especially European and modern ones, which contain works by Auguste Rodin, Baron Antoine-Jean Gros, Ferdinand-Victor-Eugene Delacroix, Gustave Courbet, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, Jean Cocteau and many others.
Don’t miss the Western American Collection, a visual journey to discover artistic mediums that beautifully recreate the landscapes and culture of the Southwest.
Arizona Science Center
The Arizona Science Center offers astronomy lessons in an IMAX planetarium, interactive insights into the force of gravity and other fundamental forces, training courses on the human body, dynamic experiences on geological movements and sunlight, exhibitions on the digital world, as well as workshops, seminars for families, interactive experiments… the futuristic Arizona Science Center will delight science and technology enthusiasts.
Musical Instrument Museum
If you have been strolling through the Science Center’s and want to see something different, and you’re wondering what to see outside of Downtown Phoenix, you absolutely must visit the Musical Instrument Museum, which is located in the outskirts north of the city. It’s an unexpected, fantastic collection of musical instruments of every shape and size, which will please fans of classical, tribal, rock and all kinds of music, even alternative music!
What to Do in Phoenix? Natural Attractions
Museums aren’t for you? All right! If you’re in Phoenix in the summer, leave your hotel in the middle of the afternoon dressed for the hot weather, grab your hat and water bottles and venture out to discover Papago Park, an interesting nature reserve in an urban setting, east of Phoenix Airport towards Scottsdale.
The landscapes of Papago Park
All of Arizona is condensed into Papago Park, located in the heart of Phoenix. In addition to a few golf courses, you will find vast desert expanses dotted with saguaro cacti, fascinating lakes, and arid western landscapes with bizarre stocky mountains that have unforgettable sunsets. Climb the hill called Hole in the Rock to look out the window in the rock overlooking the park, or take the trail to the top of Big Butte.
Desert Botanical Garden
Located at the northeastern end of the park, the Desert Botanical Garden is a fabulous desert-themed garden where cacti of all types and colors “bloom”, scattered along well-structured and easy paths. This is ideal for those who do not mind a pleasant walk and… in the desert! It is a unique experience, but the cost (about $23-29), perhaps, is excessive.
What to see near Phoenix?
What is there to see in Phoenix besides museums and Papago Park? We recommend that you head east to Scottsdale, which is a suburb of Phoenix.
Old Town Scottsdale
In addition to Downtown and parks of Phoenix, it is worth visiting Scottsdale, which is known for its characteristic Old Town, where you can walk around and immerse yourself in an engaging and picturesque Far West atmosphere.
There are themed souvenir shops, reconstructed buildings in early-20th century style, peculiar men wearing broad-brimmed cowboy hats walking on wooden balconies, statues of Native Americans and cowboys on horseback, a few creepy animal skulls hanging on the facade of restaurants, saloons and ranches where you can ride on mechanical bulls…
Taliesin West
Taliesin West, located 15 miles to the north of Scottsdale in the middle of the desert, is the residence-studio that the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright, which was built in the late 1930s, also used as a school of architecture.
The most interesting feature of this building is also its structural concept, which involved the use of natural materials such as wood, rock, glass and concrete, fused together to create the so-called organic architecture, of which Wright was the admirable creator. It is a style that began right here, in the desert north of Scottsdale.
There are some tours available during which you can visit the sophisticated venues designed by the visionary Wisconsin architect, who died in Phoenix in 1959.
Arcosanti
Arcosanti, 70 miles north of Phoenix, is the prototype of an ideal city designed by Paolo Soleri, an Italian architect who met with Lloyd Wright in Arizona and conceived the concept of archology, an architectural-ecological theory of the 1960s that aims to build arched buildings with a science fiction look, human hives that regulate urbanization, preventing overpopulation and environmental waste. It is possible to book a tour to visit this unusual futuristic place.
Day Trips from Phoenix
Phoenix is considered by many to be an excellent strategic point to visit some of Arizona’s beautiful natural landscapes. One of which is the Grand Canyon, but there are many other places to explore.
Grand Canyon Tours from Phoenix
Grand Canyon Helicopter Tour
This is a great package that includes transportation from Williams, Flagstaff and Sedona and a helicopter flight with views of the vast Grand Canyon.
More information about the tour
Tour of the Grand Canyon on Route 66 and Williams
If the helicopter is not for you, you can opt for a guided overland tour of the Grand Canyon trails. It also includes a stop in Williams on Route 66.
More information about the tour
Tombstone Tour from Phoenix
This characteristic day trip will allow you to take a plunge into the past. Tombstone is an iconic town in southern Arizona that has preserved an incredible western atmosphere. Here’s an in-depth article –> Tombstone, Arizona.
Sedona Tour from Phoenix
Sedona is a place known to preserve a charming, natural heritage. We would dare say that it is “mystical”. This tour includes a visit of the city surrounded by beautiful red mountains and a jeep excursion in its surroundings. If you are not familiar with this city, here is an article on what to do in Sedona.
More information about the tour
Apache Trail with Boat tour of Canyon Lake
This is a classic day trip from Phoenix to the Apache Trail in the heart of the Superstition Mountains. The tour includes a stop at a ghost town called Goldfield and a boat ride on Canyon Lake.
More information about the tour
Where to Stay in Phoenix
Now that we have recommended what you should see in Phoenix, here are some tips on where to spend the night. If you want to stay in the city, you can book a hotel in Downtown Phoenix, but it lacks character. It’s worth going all the way to Scottsdale and looking for accommodations near Old Town.
