Phoenix has its buttoned up business side (it’s home to the state capital, after all). However, that doesn’t mean you need an expense report to enjoy all that Phoenix’s larger metro has to offer. Scattered across the Valley of the Sun are dozens of museums, trails, markets, and historic sites that are free to visit. If you want to explore Phoenix without breaking the bank, these are the top fifteen free attractions. Westward Ho Tower appeared in Bus Stop with Marilyn Monroe in 1956 and in Pocket Money with Paul Newman in 1972 © Alamy Stock Photo 1. Westward Ho This beautiful 15-story hotel, a popular Phoenix landmark, has been popular since its construction in 1928. Once used by celebrities and politicians (JFK gave a public address here in 1961), it was no longer used at the end of the 1970s and was reborn as an inexpensive retirement home. The Rosson House and Museum in Heritage Square Park © Alamy Stock Photo 2. Heritage Square This cluster of late Victorian and early 20th century houses contrasts sharply with the burgeoning modernity of downtown Phoenix. With the buildings now sensitively repurposed (the bungalow includes a craft room and shop, while others serve as a gallery, restaurants, and visitor center), it is possible to tour many of the inside, including the fully restored, stately Rosson House. A red dinosaur in a red cage at the Phoenix Art Museum. Alamy Stock Photo 3. The Phoenix Art Museum Arizona’s premier art museum includes works by Claude Monet, Diego Rivera, and Georgia O’Keeffe. Make your way to the Western Gallery to see how Arizona’s amazing landscape inspired everyone from the early pioneers to modernists. Have children? Get a kidpack from the visitor service, examine the ingeniously designed miniatures in the Thorne Rooms or visit the PhxArtKids Gallery. Admission is possible every Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., every first Friday of the month from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. and every second Sunday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. for a donation. Free tours are offered three times a day and twice on Wednesday evenings. A view of Camelback Mountain from the Camby Hotel in Phoenix, Ariz. © Meghan O’Dea / Lonely Planet 4. Camelback Mountain This 2,704 foot, two-humped mountain is right in the center of the Phoenix action. The two trails, the Cholla Trail (6131 E Cholla Lane) and the Echo Canyon Trail (4925 E McDonald Dr), are short but steep, with 1,264 feet of elevation gain over just 2 miles and plenty of practical scramble over boulders. Great workout followed by a stellar view. © David Butow / Contributor 5. Heard Museum This extraordinary museum sheds light on the history, life, art and culture of the Indian tribes in the Southwest. Visitors will find art galleries, ethnographic exhibits, films, a creative children’s exhibition, and an incomparable collection of Hopi kachinas (elaborate ghost dolls, many of which were donated by presidential candidate Barry Goldwater). The Heard emphasizes quality over quantity and is one of the best museums of its kind in America. The moving Boarding School Experience gallery explores the controversial federal policy of removing Native American children from their families and sending them to remote boarding schools to be “Americanized”. Keep an eye out for the occasional events that liven up the grounds, such as Indian masses and spectacular hoop dance competitions. Free tours run throughout the day and are recommended. In total, you can easily seduce you to explore for two to three hours. You can also visit the well-stocked bookstore and the excellent souvenir shop. Parking is free. The Valley Metro light rail stops next to the museum in downtown on Encanto / Central Ave. The museum offers free entry every first Friday of the month (except March) from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and from June to. on the fourth Sunday of the month from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. September. © Neala McCarten / Alamy Stock Photo 6. Desert Botanical Garden Blue bells and Mexican gold poppies are just two of the colorful eye-catchers that bloom in this well-tended botanical garden from March to May along the Desert Wildflower Loop Trail, a lovely place to come back to connect nature as you learn about the flora in the desert. Loop trails pass a variety of desert dwellers organized by theme (including a nature loop in the Sonoran Desert and an edible desert garden). It’s pretty dazzling all year round, but the springtime bloom is the busiest and most colorful. Entry is free every second Tuesday of the month. The Monorchid Art Gallery on Roosevelt Row in Phoenix, Ariz. © Meghan O’Dea / Lonely Planet 7. First Fridays Up to 20,000 people gather every first and third Friday of the month for this self-guided art walking tour in downtown Phoenix. with more than 70 galleries and performance rooms. Three carriages transport connoisseurs from venue to venue. View from Piestewa (Squaw) Peak in Pheonix, AZ © Kanopter / Getty Images / iStockphoto 8. Piestewa Peak Littered with saguaros, ocotillos and teddy bear cholla, this beautiful peak was formerly known as Squaw Peak. It was renamed after Lori Piestewa, who was killed in Iraq in 2003. Parking lots northeast of Lincoln Dr between 22nd and 24th streets fill up early. The summit is bordered by two recreation areas, Phoenix Mountains (2701 E Squaw Peak) where the Summit Trail begins (dogs not allowed) and Dreamy Draw (2421 E Northern Ave). Scottsdale Historical Museum Main Street in the former red brick high school Alamy 9. Scottsdale Historic Museum One of the buildings with real history in Old Town Scottsdale is the Little Red School House, now home to the Scottsdale Historical Museum, where inconspicuous exhibits shed light on the origins and times early history of Scottsdale and show the radical changes in the cityscape since the mid 20th century. Children can enjoy ringing the old school bell. The view north from South Mountain Park towards downtown © Alamy Stock Photo 10. South Mountain Park At over 25 square miles (larger than Manhattan), this park is great for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. The 51-mile network (leashed dogs allowed) runs through canyons, over cactus-strewn hills, and past granite walls, offering views of the city and access to Indian petroglyphs. The main entrance is at 10211 S Central Avenue; The entrance to Pima Canyon is at 4771 E Pima Canyon Rd. A row of old shops in Old Town Scottsdale, Scottsdale, Phoenix, Arizona, USA Stock Photo 11. Old Town Scottsdale Tucked away between the shopping malls and bistros of Scottsdale is Old Town, one Wild West themed enclave full of cute buildings, covered walkways, and shops selling mass-produced “Indian” artifacts. There’s also a museum, public sculptures, saloons, a couple of galleries with real Native American art, and horse-drawn carriages and singing cowboys in the cooler months. A mural in the Roosevelt Arts District in Phoenix, Ariz. © Meghan O’Dea / Lonely Planet 12. Phoenix Art Walk Phoenix has worked its way up the ladder of the art cities that matter. Scottsdale in particular has galleries with everything from epic western oil paintings to cutting edge sculpture to atmospheric landscapes of the Southwest. About 100 of these galleries are open every Thursday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. for the Art Walk, which focuses on Marshall Way and Main Street. Free trolleys and horse-drawn carriages help with foot injuries. The Children’s Museum of Phoenix is located in the old Monroe School Stock Photo 13. Children’s Museum of Phoenix Designed to encourage active participation rather than passive contemplation (text-heavy signs are being abandoned in favor of interactive exhibits and invitations to paint, climb, play) and even ride a tricycle ), this three-story Jurassic youth park is an ideal way to entice children, from babies to under 10, for a few hours. Free entry every first Friday of the month from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Arizona Beekeepers Raw Honey Stand in the Phoenix Public Market held every Saturday morning. Alamy Stock Photo 14th Phoenix Farmers Market The largest farmers market in Arizona brings the best produce in the state to an open air jamboree of good taste. In addition to fresh fruit and vegetables, there is local food, wonderful bread, spices, pastes and salsas, organic meat, BBQ trucks and much more to eat on site. Jewelry, textiles and personal care products are also represented. Even if you don’t buy anything, it’s a site worth seeing – although it is of course nice to support the sellers. Children play at the Kierland Commons in Scottsdale, Arizona Stock Photo 15th Kierland Commons This north Scottsdale outdoor mall is a mix of fashion, dining and events. Introduction to the US Southwest
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