Phoenix Places of Interest
Copper Square
Copper Square is the flagship of Phoenix’s ambitious commitment to the city’s continued growth and revitalization. It is the name given to a 90-block core of downtown Phoenix, stretching from 7th Street to 3rd Avenue and from Harrison Street to Fillmore Street. Copper Square is a vibrant, creative area of over 90 restaurants, bars and markets intermingled with businesses, cultural venues and sports arenas. Attracted by the urban lifestyle, record numbers of Phoenicians are calling Copper Square home. Over $3 billion is to be invested in the renovation of the area from 2008 through 2011. Developments will include a new urban campus for 15,000 Arizona State University students, a new Phoenix campus for the University of Arizona College of Medicine, a 20-mile light rail transportation system to be completed in 2008, a 1,000-room Sheraton Hotel and over 1,700 new residential condos and apartments.
Phoenix Golf
The National Golf Foundation has awarded greater Phoenix the title of “Golf Capital of the World.” With 330-plus days of sunshine, Phoenix is a true golfer’s paradise with over 200 golf courses in the greater Phoenix area. From championship desert courses at luxurious resorts to top-notch municipal golf courses to courses in mountainside resort settings, Phoenix promises to give the most skilled golfers an experience they’ll never forget. Many courses have been designed by golf legends such as Robert Trent Jones, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer. These are just a few to ponder.
Cave Creek Golf Club
The most popular municipal golf course in Phoenix, Cave Creek Golf Club sees roughly 100,000 rounds played on its greens each year. The traditional 18-hole course offers a challenging experience for both beginners and experienced pros. The course also has a driving range. The Cave Creek Golf Course is open daily from dusk to dawn.
For more information: 602-866-8076
Arizona Biltmore Golf Club
Located in the heart of Phoenix at the internationally renowned Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa, this championship golf club provides two 18-hole PGA golf courses the Links and the Adobe. Golfers also enjoy a championship 18-hole putting course that winds around the beautiful villas of the historic 1930s resort. Nestled on 39 acres in the shadow of towering Piestawa Peak, the Arizona Biltmore Golf Club provides a secluded escape. Rates for 18 holes range from $205 at high season to $49 from July 1 to August 31.
For more information: 602-955-9655
Phoenix Art Museum
Following a stunning $50 million expansion in 2006, the highly acclaimed Phoenix Art Museum is better than ever and a perfect reflection of its slogan, “Cool art, in a cool place.” Over 17,000 works of art including pieces by Monet, Picasso, Frida Kahlo and Georgia O’Keeffe decorate the museum’s massive 203,000-square-foot building. The distinguished collection spans across centuries of world art and cultures: American, Asian, European, Latin American and Western American art and fashion design. The Ullman Center gallery showcases the extensive works of acclaimed Arizona artist Philip C. Curtis. Recent exhibitions featured "Masterpiece Replayed: Monet, Matisse & More" and the photography of Richard Avedon. Museum visitors also enjoy shopping at the Museum Store and lunching at Arcadia Farms, the on-premise restaurant.
The museum is open Tuesday from 10 AM to 9 PM and Wednesday through Sunday from 10 AM to 5 PM and the first Friday of the month from 6 to 10 PM. General admission is $4 for children ages 6-17, $10 for adults and $8 for senior citizens and full-time students with identification. The Phoenix Art Museum is free to all Tuesday evenings from 3 to 9 PM and Friday evenings from 6 to 10 PM. For more information: 602-257-1880
Heard Museum
Opened in 1929, the Heard Museum in Phoenix has built one of the world’s finest collections of traditional and contemporary Native American arts and crafts. Instead of simply showcasing exquisite objects on a shelf, the Heard presents the voices and perspectives of the artisans who created the objects. Native American consultants play an important role in the planning and development of each exhibition. Some of the signature exhibits include a full Navajo Hogan and the Barry Goldwater Collection of 437 historic Hopi kachina dolls. In celebration of its 75th anniversary, the Heard recently presented "Home: Native People in the Southwest," a $7.6 million exhibition of highlights from its permanent collection. Every year, the museum hosts much-anticipated Native American festivals, dance exhibitions and special sales.
The Heard Museum is open daily from 9:30 AM to 5 PM. The museum is closed New Year’s Day, Easter, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. General admission is $3 for children ages 6-12, $10 for adults, $9 for seniors ages 55 and older and $5 for students with identification. Admission for children under 6 is free For more information: 602-252-8848
Phoenix Entertainment
Castles N’ Coasters Amusement Park
Phoenix is the site of Arizona’s biggest and best amusement park with screaming-high roller coasters and wet ‘n wild water rides. There are plenty of family and pint-sized rides. The park also has four world-class miniature golf courses with lush landscapes, fountains and famous landmarks from around the world. An old-fashioned carousel, big arcade and lots of food booths round out the thrills.
Park hours vary by season and month. Weekend prices are $20.35 for unlimited rides and $24.75 with miniature golf. Weekday prices before 5 PM are $18.75 for Super Ride Pass, 8 Rides, $15.03 for Ride Pass, Four Rides, $5.08 for Adult Ride Pass, which includes one ride, $2.54 per Kiddie Ride, and $7.63 for Miniature Golf. For more information: 602-997-7575
Arizona Theatre Company
Nationally recognized Arizona Theatre Company is the state’s professional resident theatre. For the past 40 years, it has performed full seasons in both Phoenix and Tucson and now performs in downtown Phoenix’s new Herberger Theatre Center and Tucson’s Temple of Music and Art. Recent performances have included the international musical hits “George Gershwin Alone” and “The Pajama Game” and the world premiere of the dramatic play “The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” Tickets range from $26 to $64, depending on seating and specific performance.
For more information: 602-256-6995
ASU Gammage Theater
An evening at Arizona State University’s landmark Gammage Theater in nearby Tempe combines a thrilling live theater performance with the opportunity to experience a venue designed by legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright. One of his last designs, the ASU Gammage provides seating for 3,000 and is amongst the largest university-based presenters of performing arts in the world. Recent shows included touring Broadway blockbusters such as “The Color Purple,” “Sweeney Todd,” “My Fair Lady” and Disney’s “High School Musical on Tour.” Ticket prices range from $19.50 for balcony seating to $64 for Orchestra Pit seating
For more information: 480-965-3434
Phoenix Symphony
Arizona’s only full-time professional orchestra, the beloved Phoenix Symphony performs hundreds of concerts for more than 300,000 people annually from all over the Valley of the Sun and beyond. The symphony is a resident company at downtown’s Symphony Hall, along with Arizona Opera and Ballet Arizona. Built in 1972, the acclaimed performance venue recently completed an extensive $18.5 million renovation and expansion that produced a more spacious lobby, new seats, carpeting, wall finishes, new roof and a quieter air system. The symphony’s annual performance season runs September through May. The schedule includes classical and pops concerts in downtown Phoenix, as well as symphonic and community presentations in Scottsdale, Prescott and other central Arizona towns. Phoenix Symphony tickets range from $19 for balcony seating to $68 for loge seating.
For more information: 602-495-1999
Phoenix Restaurants
Vincent’s on Camelback
A top-rated Phoenix favorite for over twenty years, Vincent’s on Camelback is Chef Vincent Guerithault’s tribute to classic French recipes with a surprising infusion of Southwestern ingredients. Food critics call the menu “intriguing and inspiring.” Featured are delectable appetizers such as shrimp beignets with lavender dressing, entrees such as grilled wild boar loin, and desserts such as Tequila Gold Soufflé. Guests enjoy the award-winning wine list and the always-attentive service. The ambiance is intimate and distinctively Southwestern with warm colors and adobe and stone walls.
Vincent’s on Camelback is open for lunch Monday through Friday from 11:30 am to 2:00 pm and for dinner Monday through Saturday from 5:00 pm to 10:00 pm. For more information: 602-224-0225
Barrio Café
Named “Best Mexican Restaurant” by Arizona Republic newspaper, Barrio Café is one of the hottest and most inventive new restaurants in Phoenix. Trained chef Silvana Salcido Esparza concocts imaginative dishes that send taste buds on a tour of Mexican cuisine from the heartland to the Yucatán. Guests can enjoy fresh guacamole prepared tableside, tequila lobster quesadillas, blue corn enchiladas del mar and and the house specialty Concinita pibal, a slow-roasted pork masterpiece. Barrio Café also has one of America’s most extensive Mexican wine lists, showcasing Baja California’ s burgeoning vineyards. It’s first-come, first-served at this no-reservations eatery.
The Barrio Café’s hours are Tuesday through Thursday from 11:00 am to 10:00 pm. Weekend hours are Friday from 11:00 am to 10:30 pm, Saturday from 5:00 pm to 10:30 pm and Sunday from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm. Live music is offered Thursday through Sunday. The restaurant is closed Mondays. For more information: 602-636-0240
Rancho Pinot Grill
One of the area’s top restaurants, Rancho Pinot Grill creates imaginative interpretations of comfort foods while using local, organic foods whenever possible. Guests enjoy seating near the open kitchen as they watch the chefs prepare a constantly changing menu of seasonal treats such as Colorado lamb chops, quail with soba noodles or ricotta-stuffed squash blossoms in a breadcrumb crust. Exceptional cuisine coupled with a 5,000-bottle wine list, attentive service and comfortable setting defined by low-key cowboy décor attracts visitors and locals alike.
Phoenix Nightlife
The Comedy Spot Comedy Club
With locations in Old Town Scottsdale and Phoenix’s Desert Ridge Marketplace, the Comedy Spot Comedy Club attracts a loyal following. Both clubs feature national headliners such as Dave Thurston, Aries Spears and Ron Morey, fresh from appearances in movies and specials on HBO and Showtime cable channels. Comedy Spot audiences are also the first to preview hot, up-and-coming comics on their way to the big time. Sunday’s Open Mic Comedy Night delivers its own share of side-splitting laughs.
Show times are Friday and Saturday from 8 to 10 PM and Sunday at 8 PM. Admission price varies from $10 to $25, depending on the featured comedian. Ladies and college students always pay half price for the 10 PM show. Military personnel also pay half price for all shows. For more information: 480-945-4422
Whiskey River Saloon
You don’t have to wear a 10-gallon hat to have fun at this beloved cowboy bar. The crowd is friendly, the drinks are inexpensive and there is always something exciting happening. Come on down Sunday night to learn how to dance the Arizona Two-Step, the Cha-Cha or the West Coast Swing, or hone your poker playing skills with free lessons. There are all kinds of competitions for the ladies that are certain to thrill the cowboys. Pool and dart tournaments bring out the crowds, while karaoke nights attract the crooners. Wednesday is Ladies Night with drinks for $0.25 until 10 PM.
For more information: 602-867-2802
Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre
Just 15 miles east of Phoenix, the much-acclaimed Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre in Mesa, Arizona, presents full-length Broadway musicals combined with a delicious gourmet buffet meal. With seating for 500 people, the professional theatre pulls out all the stops in its productions of Broadway blockbusters such as “Hello Dolly,” “A Chorus Line” and Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast.” The Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre is available for corporate and private events.
Matinees begin at 11:45 AM for lunch and 1:15 PM for the show. Evening shows begin at 6 PM for dinner and 8 PM for the show. Sunday Twilight shows begin at 5:30 PM for dinner and 7 PM for the show. Matinee tickets are $22 for children and $45 for adults. Saturday evening tickets are $22 for children and $54 for adults. Sunday Twilight tickets are $22 for children and $51 for adults. For more information: 480-325-6700
Family Activities in Phoenix
Phoenix Zoo
Voted one of the country’s top 5 zoos for children, the Phoenix Zoo’s natural habitats are home to over 1,200 animals from 200 species. Visitors enjoy wildlife from around the world from African lions, tigers and giraffes to American bears, wolves, bald eagles and desert tortoises. Designated trails take visitors through four major exhibits: Africa, Tropics, Arizona and a children’s exhibit. The zoo’s recently redesigned entrance plaza showcases the spectacular Endangered Species Carousel. Several of the carousel’s hand-crafted animals, such as the Asian elephant, white rhino and Grevy’s zebra, can also be found in the zoo.
The zoo is open daily, January 7 to May 31, from 9 AM to 5 PM. The zoo is open Monday through Friday, June 1 to September 30, from 7 AM to 2 PM and Saturday and Sunday from 7 AM to 4 PM. Admission is $6 for children ages 3-12, $14 for adults and $9 for seniors ages 60 and older. For more information: 602-914-4333
Arizona Science Center
With a state-of-the-art planetarium, a five-story IMAX theater and 350 interactive exhibits, the Arizona Science Center is packed with fun and discoveries for children of all ages. Sell-out crowds are the norm for the spectacular IMAX theater that recently presented the dramas “Sea Monsters 3D: A Prehistoric Adventure,” “Titanica” and “Roving Mars.” The All About You Exhibit explores human life, how we move, heal, learn and remember with hands-on experiences and experiments. The Many Hands Make A Home Exhibit shows how a house is built from start to finish with electricity, plumbing, carpentry, design and project management demonstrations. Outdoors, the Center’s Compass Court features “Waterworks,” an interactive water play exhibit. The Dorrance Planetarium re-opens in May 2008 as one of the most technologically advanced domed theaters in the world.
The Arizona Science Center is open daily from 10 AM to 5 PM. It is closed Thanksgiving and Christmas. Admission is $9 for adults and $7 for children ages 3-17, college students with identification and seniors ages 62 and older. IMAX tickets are an additional $8 for adults, children ages 3-12 and college students, and an additional $7 for children ages 3-12 and seniors ages 62 and older. For more information: 602-716-2000
Valley Youth Theatre
Named by The Arizona Republic as one of the "Top Ten Places for your Child to Pretend,” Phoenix’s award-winning Valley Youth Theatre produces hit Broadway musicals and plays, starring their resident company of young people ages 7-19. Alumni performers include American Idol winner Jordan Sparks and Broadway star Max Crumm. Popular productions have included “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” “The Prince and the Pauper,” “A Winnie the Pooh Christmas Tail,” “The Princess and the Pea,” “Cinderella” and “Little Shop of Horrors.” Days and times of performances vary depending on the show. Tickets range from $17 to $23.
For more information: 602-253-8188
Recreation and Outdoors in Phoenix
Ponderosa Stables and South Mountain Stables
Guided trail rides give city slickers unforgettable from-the-saddle views of the magnificent Sonoran Desert scenery of South Mountain Park, the largest municipal park in North America. An Arizona tourist attraction second only to the Grand Canyon, this historic desert mountain preserve has 50 miles of trails for horseback riding, hiking and biking. The natural treasures of the Sonoran include native plant and animal species not found in any other desert.
Trail rides are available daily except Thanksgiving and Christmas and range from one to eight hours in length. Basic trail rides (without meals) start at $28 for one hour, $48 for two hours, $57 for three hours, $72 for four hours and $120 for eight hours. Both stables provide Breakfast Rides for $32 per person including food. Cook-out Rides can be arranged for $35 to $47 per person including food. Sunset T-Bone Steak House Rides are $37. For more information: 602-268-1261
Hot Air Expeditions
Recognized by travel guides as the “best balloon flight in Phoenix” for the past nine years, Hot Air Expeditions provides a birds-eye view of the Sonoran Desert from 400 feet above the ground. The balloons fly high enough for spectacular 360-degree views and amazing photo opportunities, but low enough to see the sights and sounds of desert life, including coyotes, roadrunners, jackrabbits, javalinas, deer and quail.
Balloons launch daily from the Deer Valley Airport in Phoenix. Hot Air Expeditions is closed Christmas. Morning flights depart half an hour before sunrise and last one to one and a half hours. Afternoon flights depart at 4:30 PM and last a minimum of 45 minutes depending on the winds. The fare is $199 per person and includes pick up at your hotel, pre-launch champagne and a gourmet meal served on china and linen tablecloths, in addition to induction into the ballooning society. The fare is $179 per person without hotel pick up. For more information: 800-831-76109
Pleasant Harbor Marina
Surrounded by starkly beautiful desert terrain, Lake Pleasant in Peoria is just 45 minutes from downtown Phoenix. Water lovers can rent a 25-foot-long pontoon boat or a 21-foot-long sport boat with optional skis, kneeboards and wakeboards at the marina, and visitors can check out the Village Store at Marina Village for all necessary supplies for a perfect day on the lake. The Waterfront Bar and Grill is an ideal way to enjoy the lake’s picturesque setting. This lakeside eatery delivers panoramic views, delicious food, specialty drinks and live entertainment on weekends. Hours vary based on season.
For more information: 602-977-7377
Phoenix Tours
Four Peaks Hummer Tour
Go off-roading in style on the Four Peaks Hummer Tour by Phoenix Tours. The Hummer seats up to 11 passengers and delivers a smooth ride over the challenging terrain of the magnificent Sonoran Desert. In the shadow of Superstition Mountains, riders will visit Saguaro Lake and Weaver’s Needle, while discovering coyotes, javelinas, jackrabbits, tarantulas, birds of prey, scorpions, lizards and rattlesnakes in their natural habitat. Explorers also see vegetation unique to the desert such as the teddy bear cholla, prickly pear cactus and the noble saguaro, a distinctive cactus that found only in Arizona, northern Mexico and a sliver of southeastern California. The four-hour tour is $122.95 for adults and $58.95 for children under 12. Pricing includes hotel pick up in Phoenix and Scottsdale.
For more information: 800-303-5185
Grand Canyon and Navajo Reservation Tour
One of the most popular tourist attractions in the world with nearly five million visitors annually, the Grand Canyon is the highlight of this 11-hour tour departing from Phoenix. Participants will travel 145 miles north through the Sonoran Desert in a deluxe 15-passenger van. The desert scenery changes as the tour approaches Flagstaff, Arizona, surrounded by the Coconino National Forest, the largest Ponderosa Pine forest in the world. After leaving Flagstaff, the tour travels 75 miles to the Navajo Indian Reservation. Guests can grab lunch at the reservation’s historic Cameron Trading Post where thousands of beautifully-made Indian crafts are for sale. Onward to the Grand Canyon, the tour stops at the Yavapai Point Museum and the historic El Tovar Lodge on the South Rim of the canyon. As the sun sets over the Grand Canyon, participants will be able witness to one of the most spectacular natural wonders on earth.
The Grand Canyon and Navajo Reservation Tour departs Monday through Friday at 7 AM. Tour tickets are $146.95 for adults and $70.95 for children under 12. For more information: 800-303-5185
Phoenix/Scottsdale Tour
This four-hour guided tour begins in downtown Phoenix where participants will see Chase Field, the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks Major League Baseball team, and US Airways Arena, home of NBA’s Phoenix Suns. The tour visits Phoenix’s past at Historic Heritage Square and travels out to star-studded Paradise Valley where many celebrities have luxurious estates. Visitors continue to Scottsdale past world-class resorts, with a stop in Old Town Scottsdale for some shopping. The last leg of the tour includes stops at Camelback Mountain, Tempe Towne Lake and Arizona State University in Tempe. ASU’s nearly 60,000 students represent the largest student population on a single campus.
Grayline Phoenix tours run Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday at 8:30 AM. Tour prices are $27.50 for children ages 3-11, $52 for adults and $47.10 for seniors ages 65 and older. For more information: 800-777-3484
Sedona Getaway Tour
This all-day tour chariots visitors by luxury coach to the famous Red Rock country of Sedona in northern Arizona with stops including Montezuma’s Castle, a well-preserved ancient Indian cliff dwelling. Once at the mile-high community of Sedona, ringed by mountains and dramatic red rock formations, guests have approximately three hours to explore its acclaimed art galleries or to take an optional jeep tour around the Red Rocks. The last stop is the quaint ghost town of Jerome. Once a thriving mountain gold mine, Jerome has reinvented itself as an artists’ community with wonderful galleries, shops and restaurants.
The Sedona Getaway Tour departs from Phoenix Tuesday and Wednesday at 8 AM. Tour prices are $50.50 for children ages 3-11, $95 for adults and $86.10 for seniors ages 65 and older. For more information: 800-777-3484
