Tempe, Arizona

Downtown Tempe

Downtown Tempe is an area located on South Mill Avenue near the Arizona State University Tempe Campus. It is known for its brick sidewalks and its many bars, entertainment venues, microbreweries, restaurants, shops, and its lively nightlife. If you are wondering what to do in Tempe today, this is a great place to start exploring.

Downtown Tempe is pedestrian-friendly and hosts many special events throughout the year, some of which include the Tempe Arts Festival, the 4th of July Fireworks Celebration, and the New Year’s Eve Block Party on Mill Avenue. Cultural venues include the Gammage Auditorium that presents concerts and Broadway plays such as Cats, Phantom of the Opera, Wicked, and more.

Downtown Tempe, 310 South Mill Avenue #201, Tempe, AZ, Phone: 480-355-6060

Arizona State University Art Museum

Established in 1950, the Arizona State University Art Museum features a permanent collection consisting of more than 12,000 objects. These include art from Arizona and the Southwestern United States; works by Latin American artists, especially Mexican folk art and ceramics; 3,500 pieces of American ceramics; contemporary art including new media; historic and contemporary American and European prints; and much more.

The art museum offers several education outreach programs, some of which involve activities in local area schools and neighborhoods. The museum also hosts a variety of events throughout the year.

Arizona State University Art Museum, 51 East 10th Street, Tempe, AZ 85281, 480-965-2787

Hayden Butte Preserve

Hayden Butte Preserve is a protected area and a famous local landmark located on the southeast corner of Mill Avenue and Rio Salado Parkway. Also known as Tempe Butte, the butte stands 1,398 feet (425 meters) high. The City of Tempe declared it a park in 1973, and it was designated a preserve in 2002 because of its many desert plants and animals.

There are approximately 500 petroglyphs found here, which the Hohokam Native Americans made sometime between 750 AD and 1450 AD. The 25-acre park is a popular area for outdoor exercise, especially hiking.

Tempe Center for the Arts

The Tempe Center for the Arts is a visual and performing arts center located on West Rio Salado Parkway along the Salt River in Tempe. Built between 2004 and 2007, the center features striking architecture, and its roof is composed of intricate geometric folded plates. The center serves as the home of dance companies such as ConderDance, Desert Dance Theater, and A Ludwig Dance Theatre; music groups like the Arizona Wind Symphony, the Tempe Community Chorus, and the Tempe Symphonic Wind Ensemble; and a theater company called Childsplay.

The Gallery is a visual arts space that displays works by local and international artists.

700 West Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe, Arizona, Phone: 480-350-2829

Tempe History Museum

The Tempe History Museum is dedicated to presenting the history of the city of Tempe. In the main hall there is an exhibit entitled Tempe: Distinct, Diverse, Dynamic that explores the history of Tempe through a variety of media. The Community Room Art Gallery and the Changing Exhibits Gallery both host temporary art exhibitions, and the Community Room can be rented for meetings and performances.

The museum offers several education outreach programs for children. It also hosts a wide variety of events including children’s plays, concerts, films, and Tempe Historical Society Lunch Talks.

809 East Southern Avenue, Tempe, Arizona, Phone: 480-350-5100

Tempe Beach Park

Tempe Beach Park is a one-acre city park and local landmark that sits along the Tempe Town Lake. Some of its features include a baseball diamond, other athletic fields, and a splash playground called the Splash Pad, which features a slide, waterfall, spray cannons, and interactive play equipment. Activities include biking, boating, fishing, kayaking, paddle boarding, picnicking, and much more.

The park also hosts many events such as concerts, festivals, and running events, and it offers a special program called the Living Tree Memorial Program, a program that gives people the opportunity to have a tree planted in memory of a loved one.

LEGOLAND Discovery Center

LEGOLAND Discovery Center is a great place to spend some quality family time. Your children will love every minute they spend in this wonderland of play and learning. In Miniland, you can all marvel at the amazing famous landmarks which have been constructed out of Lego bricks, including the Grand Canyon exhibit. There is a dedicated build-and-play area for children, as well the Lego 4D cinema, the Merlin’s Apprentice Ride and the Kingdom Quest Ride. You can check the daily schedule online and plan to attend a Creative Workshop where your kids will learn the tricks of the trade from expert Lego builders.

LEGOLAND Discovery Center, 5000 S. Arizona Mills Cir STE 135, Tempe, AZ 85282, 480 565 7078

SEA LIFE Aquarium

The 26,000 square foot SEA LIFE Aquarium contains thousands of aquatic animals including angel fish, clownfish, jellyfish, lion fish, rays, seahorses, and several species of sharks such as black tip reef sharks and white tip reef sharks. The aquarium also features an interactive touch pool called the Interactive Rockpool, where children can touch several aquatic creatures, including crabs, lobsters, and sea stars.

The aquarium is also involved in animal conservation, and it rescues and cares for disabled or injured sea animals including an endangered green sea turtle named Ziva, now happily living in the aquarium’s 161,000-gallon display.

SEA LIFE Aquarium, Arizona Mills, 5000 South Arizona Mills Circle #145, Tempe, Arizona, Phone: 480-478-7600

ASU Gammage Auditorium

ASU Gammage Auditorium is located on South Forest Avenue on the campus of the Arizona State University. The auditorium is a historic building: it was the last public commissioned building designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Built between 1962 and 1964, the auditorium is named after Dr. Grady Gammage, president of the university from 1933 to 1959 and close friend of Frank Lloyd Wright.

With a seating capacity of 3,000, the auditorium features three levels of seating. It is known for its good acoustics and its collapsible orchestra shell. The auditorium serves as the venue for operas, symphony concerts, organ recitals, and much more.

1200 South Forest Avenue, Tempe, Arizona, Phone: 480-965-3434

Arizona Mills

Located on South Arizona Mills Circle, Arizona Mills is a large indoor outlet shopping mall in Tempe. Opened in 1997, the mall contains more than 185 retailers and 6,000 parking spaces. The interior of the outlet mall features abstract graphics and several pieces of artwork.

Some of the stores include Burlington Coat Factory, Ross Dress For Less, and the Sports Authority. The mall is also the home of Sea Life Arizona and the largest IMAX theater in Arizona.

5000 South Arizona Mills Circle, Tempe, Arizona, Phone: 480-491-9700

Tempe Marketplace

Tempe Marketplace is a large open air shopping center located on East Rio Salado Parkway along the Salt River in Tempe. Opened in 2007, the shopping center consists of more than one million square feet of retail space sitting on 130 acres of land. The shopping center features more than 120 retailers, entertainment venues, and restaurants, and it is divided into two areas: an outer ring that houses large retail stores and an inner ring called the District, which contains smaller shops.

There is a large courtyard in the middle of the District that has a stage where there are musical performances and a large screen showing local sporting events.

2000 East Rio Salado Parkway, Tempe, Arizona, Phone: 480-966-9338

Tempe Diablo Stadium

Tempe Diablo Stadium is a baseball field located on West Alameda Drive in Tempe. Built in 1968 and extensively renovated in 2005, the stadium has a seating capacity of just under 10,000. The renovation targeted several parts of the facility such as the main stadium, the Major League Fields, and the Minor League Complex. The stadium serves as the spring training facility of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

It is also the home field for the night games of the Arizona League Tempe Angels. Concessions provide traditional baseball food and drinks; there are also several concessions that sell a variety of specialty food.

2200 West Alameda Drive, Tempe, Arizona, Phone: 480-350-5265

Kiwanis Park

Kiwanis Park consists of 125 acres and a 54,000 square foot recreation complex owned by the City of Tempe. The park features an amphitheater, a lake called Kiwanis Lake that includes a boat dock, a children’s playground, several soccer fields, a tennis center with 15 courts, several baseball fields, and a number of volleyball courts.

The recreation center features an indoor heated wave pool as well as lap swimming. The park offers several programs for adults and for children and hosts events such as birthday parties.

5500 South Mill Avenue, Tempe, Arizona, Phone: 480-350-5200

Culinary Dropout

Culinary Dropout strives to keep customers returning time after time to enjoy ice cold craft beers, killer cocktails and classic American comfort food, prepared the way it was meant to be. To judge by the crowds they attract, they must be doing it right. The menu is packed with all your favorite dishes including a mouth-watering 36-hour version of BBQ pork ribs. Other delectable dishes include their Provolone Fondue, Roasted Salmon, Spicy Korean Skirt Steak and everyone’s favorite Beer Battered Fish and Chips. You can enjoy washing it all down with your choice of craft beer, cocktail or wine by the glass or bottle.

Culinary Dropout, 149 S. Farmer, Tempe, AZ 85281, 480 240 1601, Culinary Dropout

Simply Smashing Rage Release Room

It is difficult to define Simply Smashing Rage Release Room. Located on University Drive in Tempe, Arizona, it is officially called a "Rage Release Room." It is a space where people are invited to vent their frustration, anger, and rage by smashing, crushing, and breaking various objects in a safe, protected, and airconditioned environment. It is a combination of a gym, therapy space, anger management room, and amusement park, and it is proving so successful that it is now popping up all over the country. Each exercise, with the client’s favorite music playing in the background, lasts about 25 minutes, and there are all sorts of objects that clients can use to vent their suppressed rage: Glassware, dishes, computers, televisions, car windshields, baseball bats, hockey sticks, and much more. Participants must wear safety goggles, gloves, and coveralls and must be over 18.

Simply Smashing Rage Release Room, 1845 East Broadway Road Suite 120, Tempe, Arizona 85282, Phone: 602-909-1996

Cafe Lalibela, Tempe, Arizona

After you’re introduced to Ethiopian cuisine at Cafe Lalibela, you will become a life-long fan. This simple, unassuming downtown eatery serves authentic Ethiopian dishes, and they are so authentic, they don’t even provide diners with forks or knives with their meal. The cuisine revolves around crepe-like bread called injera, which you dip into all kinds of stews called wats.

Ethiopian food is all about spices, which they bring all the way from Ethiopia to transform simple ingredients as carrots, cabbage, and potatoes into a delightful, delicious Tikil gomen. They serve superb Ethiopian coffee with all dishes.

849 W University Dr., Tempe, Arizona, Phone: 480-829-1939

Phoenix Rock Gym

Phoenix Rock Gym is a year-round indoor rock climbing facility where everyone can perfect their rock-climbing skills. The facility boasts more than 17000 sq foot of climbing surface and 30mt high walls to challenge you. You do not need to be an experienced rock climber to have fun at this gym; everything you need to know you can learn right on the premises. You can bring your own rock-climbing gear or hire everything you need on site. Lessons and an introductory video will ensure that even total beginners will soon build their strength and confidence. More experienced climbers will find that the routes are regularly changed to provide fresh experiences.

Phoenix Rock Gym, 1353 E. University Drive, Tempe, AZ 85281, 480 921 8322