Scottsdale Attractions

Ascend Adventures allows vacationers to experience the great outdoors by going mountain biking, rock climbing, and hiking with experienced guides. The guides tell guests, who participate in various sports, about the geology, botany, and anthropology of the area. This attraction is located at 6648 E. Corrine Drive. Prices range from $70 to $315. Operation hours vary depending on the trips.

This studio is Paolo Soleri's workspace. Consanti Art Studio has Soleri's bronze and ceramic windmills and wind chimes. The studio is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and admission is $5. Constanti Art Studio is located on Doubletree Ranch Road in Scottsdale.

This is a great way to learn about Scottsdale and its scenery. Scenic Drive is a six-mile- long, four-lane highway that connects several Scottsdale communities and attractions. It also showcases the area's plant life. Desert Foothills Scenic Drive also details the history of the area and preserves the area's culture. The drive begins on Pinnacle Peak Road.

The Heard Museum is the premier place in Scottsdale to learn about American Indian and the Greater Southwest’s culture and heritage. The museum was expanded to 50,000-square-feet in 1999 and has more than 35,000 artifacts in a permanent collection. Heard has a 400-seat multipurpose room, an education center, a shop and bookstore, and a café. The Heard Museum is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.; it is closed on most major holidays. The museum is located at 34505 N. Scottsdale Road.

Art lovers will enjoy the Main Street Arts District in Scottsdale. The street has blocks of galleries that feature different styles of arts, including contemporary, Western realism, American Indian, and traditional. Antiques shops are also in the Main Street Arts District. Visitors will find antiques ranging from china to Oriental rugs.

This 30-acre amusement park and museum offers families educational entertainment. McCormick-Stillman Railroad has trains, historic exhibits, picnic areas, and playground facilities. The park is open year-round, but guests should call in advance for park hours.

Old Scottsdale is a great place for strolling and shopping. The area has American Indian crafts, art galleries, and boutiques. Historic buildings are also in Old Scottsdale, including a mission church and an old schoolhouse. Visitors can participate in the Art Walk from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday evenings.

Experience life in the Old West at the Rawhide Old West Theme Park. The park has trains, stagecoaches, hay wagons, a 1880s carousel, street gunfights, and live musical entertainment. Rawhide is a theme park the entire family will enjoy and is open every day. Rawhide is in Scottsdale. It is located at 23023 N. Scottsdale Road.

The Scottsdale Historical Museum, in Old Town Scottsdale, has artifacts on display. Museum researchers study and interpret Scottsdale's history using exhibits and educational programming. The museum's presentations demonstrate the city's historical and cultural heritage. One of the museum's permanent exhibits features Scottsdale's founder Winfield Scott. The Scottsdale Historical Museum is located at 7333 East Scottsdale Mall. The museum is open September through June from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday, and from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

Employees collect, study, and present various pieces at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. The museum, which is located at 7374 E. 2nd Street, displays visual art, architecture, and design in its exhibits. The Scottsdale Museum also features artists’ lectures and workshops. Call the museum at (404) 994-ARTS before you visit because its hours vary daily.

Tourists should go to the Civic Center Mall area in downtown Scottsdale every weekend for the Sunday A’fair – a mini arts festival that has live music, artworks, tours, and cafés. There are also activities for kids and families at the event. The festival is held every Sunday from noon to 4:30 p.m.

Frank Lloyd Wright – one of the world's most famous architects – lived, worked, and taught at Taliesin West, which is located at the intersection of Cactus Road and Frank Lloyd Wright Boulevard in northeast Scottsdale. It is a 600-acre, organic structure in the desert. Wright employed natural forms such as rock, wood, and canvas to build this edifice, and it took him more than 30 years to complete the project. Hour-long tours are given daily.