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Arizona contains an incredible range of attractions and pursuits within its borders, whether urban, cultural, or outdoor. From vast canyons to snowy peaks, ancient traditions to modern symphonies, there are countless attractions worth exploring.

Arizona prides itself on stunning natural attractions throughout the state. Perhaps the most famous is Grand Canyon National Park, where the Colorado River winds its way through a rainbow-hued canyon; visitors can enjoy the view or venture into the canyon by hiking or mule, or even experience whitewater rafting. Another breathtaking canyon, Antelope Canyon in Navajo land is a set of narrow, colorful passages visitors can walk into. At Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, visitors can experience the environment of the Sonoran Desert via road or trail. Saguaro National Park, near Tucson, is the protective home to huge Giant Saguaro cacti, reflecting the typical representation of the cactus of the American West. At Petrified Forest visitors can view the world’s largest, most colorful displays of petrified wood. Visitors can also see the surrounding Painted Desert badlands, with ancient fossils and archaeological sites. Another famous natural attraction is Meteor Crater near Winslow, where visitors can view one of the largest and best preserved meteor craters in the world.

With its fascinating history, Arizona has much to offer in the way of historical and archaeological sites. Montezuma Castle National Monument displays excellently preserved cliff dwellings built by prehistoric Sinagua people. Representing a partnership between the National Park Service and the Navajo Nation, Canyon de Chelly National Monument is home to one of the longest continuously inhabited landscapes of North America, where contemporary Navajo people live alongside ancient architecture and artifacts in a lovely canyon. Tonto National Monument preserves cliff dwellings in the Sonoran Desert from the 13th, 14th, and early 15th centuries. Chiricahua National Monument is an assemblage of rock spires formed from eroded layers of ash deposited by the ancient Turkey Creek Volcano millions of years ago. This area has been home to native Chiricahua Apaches, Buffalo Solders, and the Erickson and Stafford families. Tumacácori National Historical Park preserves three Spanish colonial mission ruins in southern Arizona, established by Jesuits and later expanded by Franciscan missionaries. For fans of Old West lore, the town of Tombstone has many buildings preserved from the 1880’s era of western heritage.

Arizona also boasts fine cultural attractions such as museums and arts venues. Art lovers can view many splendid gallery works in the city of Sedona. In Phoenix, the Heard Museum educates visitors about the heritage, living cultures, and arts of Native American peoples, particularly those of the Southwest. The Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff showcases the natural and cultural heritage of the Colorado Plateau region and provides education with collections, exhibits, educational programs, publications, and research projects. Modern art can be enjoyed at the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, which features five galleries for showcasing changing exhibitions and works, and also features an outdoor sculptural garden. At the Desert Caballeros Western Museum in Wickenburg, visitors can enjoy superb Western art, Native American artifacts, historical displays, and gemstones.

Arizona boasts plentiful opportunities for performing arts aficionados. The 75-member Phoenix Symphony performs 275 concerts and presentations throughout the greater Phoenix area, to audiences of over 300,000 people per year. The Tucson Symphony Orchestra performs for over 60,000 people annually and also provides in-school and adult education offerings. The Arizona Opera Company produces a five-opera season, and performs for opera lovers in both Tucson and Phoenix. The Arizona Theatre Company is the professional resident theatre of Arizona and has performed in both Phoenix and Tucson to over 150,000 people since 1983.

Families can enjoy and learn from Arizona’s interesting attractions. The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson functions uniquely as a zoo, natural history museum, and botanical garden, and recreates the natural landscape of the Sonoran Desert Region with over 300 animal species and 1,200 kinds of plants. At the Tucson Children’s Museum, fun and education abound for children with hands-on exhibits such as Dinosaur Canyon and the Ocean Discovery Center, in addition to many creative museum activities. The young and young at heart alike will enjoy the Phoenix Zoo, which features over 1,200 animals, and includes a sanctuary and special programs for conservation.

Sports fans will appreciate the professional teams in Arizona. Football fans will enjoy the NFL team Arizona Cardinals in Tempe, or the AFL team Arizona Rattlers in Phoenix. Baseball fans can cheer the MLB team, the Arizona Diamondbacks in Phoenix. Hockey fans can revel in the NHL team Phoenix Coyotes. For basketball fans, the NBA Phoenix Suns and WNBA team the Phoenix Mercury are sure to please.

For almost any recreational opportunity, Arizona represents so much more than even the Grand Canyon.

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