7 Things to do in Phoenix, Arizona this Weekend

Last updated: December 12th, 2023 | Originally published: February 28, 2023
Desert Botanical Garden

People frequently refer to the desert as beautiful, but not in the same way as other beautiful things. The allure of the desert is in the austere landscapes, the colorful troves of flora, and the stunning sunsets that paint the broad horizon. It is a simpler beauty, a cut-the-crap appeal that beckons to a sophisticated audience. There are, in fact, many beautiful things to do in Phoenix, Arizona this weekend.

Known as the Valley of the Sun, Phoenix sees only 33 days of precipitation per year on average, making it a premiere destination for a winter escape and the 5th largest city in the U.S. Other than golf and spa treatments, there are a surprising amount of things to do in the Sonoran Desert, from botanical gardens and baseball games to world-class hiking, city parks and ghost towns. If you are willing to look past the dirt and tumbleweeds, Phoenix will reveal itself as a stunning and mysterious landscape.

Below are what we found to be the most enjoyable and beautiful things we did while in Phoenix, Arizona.

1. Desert Botanical Garden

Desert Botanical Garden
Things to do in Phoenix, Arizona AZ this weekend

Home to thousands of species of cactus, flowers, and trees, the Desert Botanical Garden outside Scottsdale is the most interesting place you will experience in the Phoenix area. Stroll through beautifully manicured settings, each within the context of specific desert regions.

This is one of 24 botanical gardens accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. It sees over 500,000 visitors a year and is a surefire hit with anyone who enjoys a good stroll amongst the plants.

We were amazed at the countless permutations of cacti and the dazzling, colorful flora spread over the 55 manicured acres. It is easy to see why everyone raves about the Desert Botanical Garden, as you get lost in its meandering pathways, taking in the strange and dangerous plant life.

There is so much to see here! Plan on spending 2-4 hours, take your time, and bring an extra memory card for your camera. If anything in Phoenix is a can’t-miss attraction, the Desert Botanical Garden is it.

Desert Botanical Garden
Things to do in Phoenix, Arizona AZ this weekend

2. Lost Dutchman State Park

Things to do in Phoenix, Arizona AZ this weekend

If you were allowed only one hike on your trip to Phoenix, the Siphon Draw Trail at Lost Dutchman State Park would be the choice. Hands down, the Superstition Mountains are the single most arresting thing your eyes will see in the Phoenix area.

The ancient Apache Indians considered the Superstition Mountains holy ground, as they were home to their Thunder God. When the Spanish Conquistadors came looking for gold, the Apaches warned them about going into the mountains.

The Conquistadors paid them no heed. It didn’t take long for many of them to turn up dead, so the Spaniards fled the area and dubbed the mountain, Mount Superstition.

Walking up the path is like taking a stroll into Mordor. We stumbled along, kicking rocks, unable to take our eyes off the impossible wall before us.

Once you arrive at the edge of the cliffs, the pathway winds into the draw toward the Flatiron Peak (seen below as the most distant peak). We are told the flatiron has unparalleled views of the surrounding Phoenix area.

The Siphon Draw trail is rated difficult. We made it as far as Slick Rock, a natural place to turn around.

Things to do in Phoenix, Arizona AZ this weekend
Mordor — Things to do in Phoenix, Arizona AZ this weekend

3. Taliesin West — Things to do in Phoenix, AZ

Things to do in Phoenix, Arizona AZ this weekend
Things to do in Phoenix, Arizona AZ this weekend

Frank Lloyd Wright is the most decorated architect in U.S. history. He designed more than 1,100 structures over 70 years, with over 500 of them having been constructed.

Not only did he design private homes for wealthy Americans, but also churches, schools, government buildings, hotels, museums, sky scrapers, even a gas station.

Taliesin West was Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter home in Scottsdale, Arizona from 1937 until his death in 1959. He paid $3.50/acre for the land, and built his home on a mountain overlooking Phoenix.

Frank Lloyd Wright believed that if you placed your home on the crown of a hillside you would ruin the land, so he built on the “brow” of the hill. In the Welsh language, Taliesin means “shining brow”.

If you love to travel, we have something we would like to give you. It is our professionally designed e-book and it is FREE of charge. We think it’s pretty great, and we’re hopeful you’ll like it, too. It’s called, “Cultivating a Lifetime of Travel”. Click HERE. and we’ll send it on over!

Named after his primary residence, Taliesin (near Madison, Wisconsin), his winter home, Taliesin West, would also operate as a design school for promising architects. Over 600 students would join the Taliesin Fellowship and help crank out some of his best work.

Some of Frank Lloyd Wright’s notable projects include…

The Guggenheim Museum in NYC, Falling Water (considered the best all-time work of American architecture), the Midway Gardens in Chicago, Banff National Park Pavilion, the Price Tower in Oklahoma, and the Johnson Wax Headquarters.

He even built a home in our neighborhood of Normandy Park, Washington; a strange, little house made primarily of cinder blocks, overlooking the Puget Sound.

Things to do in Phoenix, Arizona AZ this weekend

4. Goldfield Ghost Town — Things to Do in Phoenix, AZ

Things to do in Phoenix, Arizona AZ this weekend
Things to do in Phoenix, Arizona AZ this weekend

Goldfield Ghost Town is a theme park recreating the old mining town.

From 1893 forward, the mine saw $167,00 worth of gold hauled from its shafts (which is a lot in modern equivalency) In its peak days, Goldfield housed as many as 4,000 fortune hunters.

The original town burned down 70 years ago, but the gold ran out (mostly) long before that when the vein hit a fault line. The miners dug too deep looking for the vein and struck the water table, which flooded the mine.

As they say, when the post office packs up, your town no longer exists. The property sat vacant for several decades before a businessman thought to bring Goldfield back to life as a tourist trap.

Today’s town very much resembles the original town.

For your entertainment they have restaurants, gift shops, an ice cream shop, a shooting gallery, and museums (including the old bordello). For about $20 per person you can take a train ride around the town, enjoy a tour of the mine, and investigate the “mystery shack”, the three most popular tours.

Other than being one of the best things to do in Phoenix, Arizona, another great reason to visit Goldfield is its immediate proximity to Lost Dutchman State Park. One could easily spend half a day at each attraction.

Related Article: A Day at Goldfield Ghost Town

Things to do in Phoenix, Arizona AZ this weekend
Things to do in Phoenix, Arizona AZ this weekend

5. Spring Training — Things to do in Phoenix, AZ

Things to do in Phoenix, Arizona AZ this weekend
Baseball babes are the best.

It is hard to beat a night at the park in the desert. Stadium employees work there for fun, because why wouldn’t they? And it shows in their friendliness. We wish everyone everywhere could behave like an usher at a Spring Training baseball game.

The game feels more accessible here; the purity intact; the marketing out of mind.

Don’t get us wrong, big game stadiums are fun, too. We love all things baseball. But we don’t miss the drunken loudmouths, the elbow-to-elbow crowding, the jumbotron hydroplane races, and the parking madness.

It’s smaller scale baseball with the same great players, like catching your favorite band in a local club.

We understand baseball isn’t for everyone — it’s slow and esoteric. There are no goals at either end of the field. The pitchers can dominate, or walk too many hitters, which can make the pace of the game frustrating for casual viewers.

Much of these issues are nullified by a perfect Arizona evening in March, a time where most of the country is cold, rainy, or both. Enjoy a soda, a hotdog, and a foul ball screaming in your direction. Spring Training baseball is definitely one of the best things to do in Phoenix, Arizona.

Things to do in Phoenix, Arizona AZ this weekend
Things to do in Phoenix, Arizona AZ this weekend

6. Papago Park Things to Do in Phoenix, AZ

Things to do in Phoenix, Arizona AZ this weekend
Things to do in Phoenix, Arizona AZ this weekend

Papago Park is a popular attraction and one of the best things to do in Phoenix, Arizona this weekend.

Located a few miles east of downtown, the park is host to the city zoo, the previously mentioned Desert Botanical Gardens, and a series of hiking trails around some interesting rock features (including Hole-in-the-Rock, pictured below right). There also are stocked ponds for fishing and a golf course.

A pyramid containing the remains of a former Governor is prominently placed on the hillside overlooking the city. Truthfully speaking, that’s some weird action, but I guess if anyone deserves their own pyramid it’s the guy who ran the state of Arizona four different times.

We watched the sunrise from Hole-in-the-Rock (large photo above) and it did not disappoint. We imagine sunset from the same location would be even better. From Hole-in-the-Rock the views carry in all directions. The nearby trail is popular and easy to walk — there is just enough elevation gain to lend views from different vantages.

If you’re going to visit Phoenix, we can’t think of a reason to not have this place on your list.

Things to do in Phoenix, Arizona AZ this weekend
Papago Park — Things to do in Phoenix, Arizona AZ this weekend

Related Article: 10 Essential Things to do in Sedona, Arizona

7. South Mountain Park and Preserve

Things to do in Phoenix, Arizona AZ this weekend
Things to do in Phoenix, Arizona AZ this weekend

There are an assortment of small mountains in the greater area, and hiking on any one of them would be a beautiful thing to do in Phoenix, Arizona.

Some of the most popular options are Camelback Mountain, the White Tank Mountains, the Phoenix Mountain Preserve, and Piestewa Peak. While we are specifically talking about South Mountain, this review could be for any of the local mountain hikes in Phoenix.

South Mountain is the largest municipal park in the United States. President Calvin Coolidge sold the initial 13,000 acres to the city of Phoenix for $17,000. The highest peak is 2690′ high and contains numerous radio and television towers serving the Phoenix area.

South Mountain is an excellent place to view the wildflowers in springtime! Of course we arrived about two weeks too early, but you won’t be as foolish as the Hoffmann’s.

Views of the city are pretty darn good from even the lower tiered mountains. The hiking is moderate-to-difficult (for the incline and the footing), but we saw an assortment of folks pushing themselves along with smiles plastered on their dusty faces.

Be sure to hike one of the mountains in the area. This is one of the best things to do in Phoenix, Arizona this weekend.

Things to do in Phoenix, Arizona AZ this weekend
Things to do in Phoenix, Arizona AZ this weekend

An Honest Conclusion for Things to Do in Phoenix, AZ

Things to do in Phoenix, Arizona AZ this weekend
Things to do in Phoenix, Arizona AZ this weekend

The only reason we found ourselves in Phoenix, Arizona was the lousy Seattle weather and affordable airline tickets. We needed sunshine, and we needed it bad, and we wanted it cheap! The five of us flew roundtrip for $450 total.

We spent four nights in Scottsdale and four nights in Sedona. After our experience, we would strongly recommend splitting time between these two incredible locations. If you would like to read about things to do in Sedona, or all of the amazing hiking in Sedona, check it out!

The Phoenix area is full of beautiful things to do. Perhaps in our travels we will get to stay longer at some point. We would surely dig deeper into the many surprises in the Arizona desert.

Is it worth visiting Phoenix, Arizona? Absolutely yes.

Thank you for stopping by our website! We are the Hoffmann family, a full-time RV family that has split residence in Seattle, Washington and San Antonio, Texas. We have special needs children that we homeschool, and work travel assignments for the Veteran Affairs Hospital. If you would like to learn more about us, check out our Start Here and Biography pages. In the meantime, God bless and travel happy!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Get Our Free E-Book!

Learn our skills for traveling as a family. Get our free e-book PDF and jumpstart your family's journey.