Image Credit: CityTourist
NOTE: Due to COVID-19, hours and amenities may be affected. Please check the status of your intended destination before visiting.
Find out the scoop on More Activities and Family Fun! Check back often, we will be adding more activities and things to do as they are posted! Get a FREE kid-friendly event calendar for S Scottsdale-Arcadis full of festivals, fairs, activities, and more! Sign-up by clicking HERE!
Scottsdale may be known as the finest destination in the world for golf, but its wealth of tourist attractions indicates it has much more to offer than just that.
In fact, whether you’re into history, vehicles, nature, animals, or just good old-fashioned adventure, you’re sure to find something in Scottsdale, Arizona that suits you.
Here are 25 for the best and fun things to do in Scottsdale, Arizona that you should add to your bucket list.
1. Arizona Cowboy College provides all sorts of activities that focus on teaching you how to be a true Scottsdale cowboy. You can learn from real ranch cowboys how to ride horses, haul cattle, use a rope in the coolest ways, and ranching techniques.
2. Chocolate Tour of Scottsdale this guided walking tour is one of Arizona city's most exciting activities. This tour takes you through six different chocolates with some education. You will learn a little bit about how each is make and meet the owners behind these tasty treats.
3. Desert Stages Theatre located inside Scottsdale Fashion Square, presenting vibrant Broadway-inspired musicals and dramatic shows, and for introducing aspiring young actors to all aspects of musical theatre production.
4. JoyridesAZ Scottsdale Tours offers over 16 different golf cart educational Tours and Services experiences for a variety of ages and personalities. Everything from a half hour, three hours or more tour or service. City Highlights, Wine Tasting, Instagram Wall, Sip & Shop, Gelato, Culinary and a whole lot more all with a Scottsdale vibe.
5. Mini Social is a multi-use venue in Old Town Scottsdale, to host your event, space for a team meeting outside of a big office, or need to shoot influencer content outside of your home, Mini Social is the space for you.
6. Parada del Sol Parade is an annual event that serves as one of Arizona city's biggest tourist attractions. Its the world's largest horse-drawn parade, which consist of almost 150 floats, parties and troupes that make their way down Scottsdale Road each February.
7. Penske Racing Museum is great for all ages, located in the car dealership of the Penske Automotive Group with 9,000 square feet across two floors showcasing historical memorabilia and items of Penske Racing.
8. Pinnacle Peak Park is one of Scottsdale's most popular spots for hiking and sightseeing. Pinnacle Peak Park offers a 1.85 trail that leads up the 1,300 feet to the very height of Pinnacle Peak.
9. Ride the Trolley takes you around Old Town Scottsdale. A charming way to tour the area. Hop off at points of interest and hop back on when you are done.
10. Scottsdale Artwalk brings you through the Historic Arts District of the city, occurring on Thursday nights with multiple participating artists, performers, and galleries. It’s one of the best ways to get a glimpse of the cultural scene of Scottsdale.
11. Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts is one of the city's prime tourist attractions for live entertainment and performance education. This Center for the Performing Arts is known note just in Arizona, but across the country for being one of America's most prestigious halls of it's kind.
12. Scottsdale Civic Center Library is the public library system for Scottsdale, Arizona, and is owned and operated by the City of Scottsdale.
13. The Scottsdale Civic Center Mall is situated in downtown Scottsdale, and it’s a great way to spend some time in Arizona at anytime. But it’s not among Scottsdale attractions for its shopping alone! You will find beautiful rose gardens in an open-air space filled with fresh greenery and bodies of water.
14. Scottsdale Parks is a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers, and the city's roster of well-maintained parks and recreation destinations is more than impressive.
15. Scottsdale Fashion Square is the biggest mall in Arizona, which hosts luxury shopping center that boasts all the famous brands you can possibly think of.
16. The Scottsdale Historical Museum sits in the Little Red Schoolhouse, which dates back to 1909. Its one of the best ways to get a glimpse into Arizona city's past culture and heritage.
17. Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art is a stunning collection of some of the South West's brightest and most known modern artist. a relatively small museum in downtown Scottsdale.
18. Scottsdale Museum of the West also known as the Western Spirit is located in downtown Scottsdale. You can find interactive and interpretive art, exhibits, events, and experiences, including a multi-sensory theater that screens the work of artists of Arizona and the rest of the west.
19. Scottsdale Stadium hosted the San Francisco Giants for the Major League Baseball Spring Training season in March. The stadium itself is beautiful, with lovely views and a home to many events.
20. The Southwest Wildlife Conservation Center is dedicated to the rehabilitation and rescue of wildlife, offering sanctuary for injured or orphaned animals of all kinds before being released back into the wild. Education programs, including Discovery Day, Walk With Wildlife, Full Moon Tour, and Sunrise Nature Tour.
21. Scottsdale Wine Trail will take you on four different tasting rooms for wine are a part of this Wine Trail, namely Aridus Wine Company, Carlson Creek, LDV Winery, and Salvatore Vineyards. Customers with the Wine Trail tour will earn a special “passport” that gives you discounts and even lets you compete for prizes!
22. Sugar Bowl experience a full menu and fountain treats in the style and tradition providing service since 1958! Whether you are in the mood for savory soups, sandwiches, or salads or maybe something a little more fun like an ice cream cone, sundae, or float Sugar Bowl can satisfy any craving!
23. Taliesin West is Frank Lloyd Wright’s world famous home and architectural laboratory. Built in 1937 by the famous architect himself, it is now a National Historic Landmark. Constructed from the actual sand and stone of the surrounding Sonoran desert that sit at the foothills of the McDowell Mountains.
24. The Scottsdale Xeriscape Garden this fascinating garden is one of Scottsdale’s hidden secret desert oases. Packed with cacti, desert trees and colorful succulents, plenty of shady areas to walk within and interesting trails to climb, this is a lovely spot for the adults to chill, as well as super for kids to burn off some energy!
25. Wonderspaces is a unique and experimental form of art exhibition. It has multiple iterations across the country, and one of them is in Scottsdale, Arizona, within Scottsdale Fashion Square.
🌸🌸🌸
