Phoenix is a great place to spend a vacation and looking at some of the top tourist attractions you will soon see why. Phoenix may be a desert city but there is nothing wanting about this thriving metropolis or the attractions on offer for visitors.
The city has grown rapidly from humble desert town origins, and indeed it is one of America s fastest growing cities today. With a diverse community and a past rich in indigent culture, there is something on offer for the visitor no matter what their interests are and there is something for all of the family to enjoy.
Here are the top tourist attractions in Phoenix.
With over 35 interactive exhibits, the Arizona Science Center provides an eye opening experience for all enquiring minds no matter how old they are. There is also a giant screen theater and a computerized planetarium offering great visual and educational films and experiences.
With hundreds of different plants on display, you will be amazed at just how many different species of cactus there are as well as the multitude of displays that they create completely naturally. The Desert Botanical Garden is particularly impressive in the spring when the flowers are in bloom but you will find a wide range of events are arranged throughout the year for art and glass, cuisine, music and dancing.
Bequeathed and initially funded by the Heard family, the Heard Museum focuses on the art and cultural history of the Native American people, and particularly the Indians of the Southwest. World renowned for the collection of the art of the Indian people, you will find basketwork, jewelry, textiles and a very large collection of Kachina dolls scattered throughout the numerous exhibition halls including ten outdoors.
The focus of Heritage Square is the Rosson House together with seven other homes lovingly and painstakingly restored to their original state in the late 1800 s. In addition to a large number of exhibits showing Phoenix s origins you will also find ample opportunity for eating, shopping and educational activities.
Discover the ruins of the original settles of the Valley of the Sun and the Hohokam Indians who carved the first canals and pathways across the land, many of which were followed by the white settlers in the late 1800 s. You will find in the museum the actual ruins of the 12th Century Hohokam settlement along with the remains of the original irrigation canals made to bring the Valley to life from the desert.
Phoenix is a city of firsts and no less than with South Mountain Park which is the world s largest city park and a focus of activities for the whole area. You will find within the 15,000 acres of desert and arid country miles of trails for hiking, riding and mountain biking as well as many other activities catered for including rock climbing.
With an enormous collection of European, Oriental and native art, the Phoenix Museum has something for all cultural and artistic tastes. There are more than 17,000 works of art on display in a museum which is itself an architectural work of interest providing scope for wide ranging exhibits and plenty of visitor interaction.
