Arizona Science Center
The popular Arizona Science Center has over 350 hands-on exhibits, from computers to bubbles, weather, physics and biology. Live demonstrations are held throughout the day.
Gammage Auditorium
Although it's worth a visit for the architecture alone, this place is not just a pretty facade. The Frank Lloyd Wright-designed auditorium on the ASU campus is the place to go for concerts, musicals, plays and other performance events.
Desert Botanical Garden
Stroll among the succulents and a crazy forest of cacti at the Desert Botanical Garden. A gorgeous Monarch butterfly exhibit is the highlight of spring and fall, but the garden is very pretty at any time.
Heard Museum
The Heard Museum is perhaps the city's best, offering outstanding presentations on Native American history and culture. Don't miss the fascinating kachina-doll room, a real highlight.
Rhythm Room
This is perhaps your best option for live music in the Phoenix area, the pictures of the blues luminaries that hang on the wall give you an idea of the quality of the tunes that emanate from the stage. Chances are you'll hear blues, rock, rockabilly and generally rootsy, Americana sounds every night of the week.
Taliesin West
Scottsdale's main draw is its popular shopping district, known as Old Town for its early-20th-century buildings (and others built to look old). Another highlight is Taliesin West. Built by Frank Lloyd Wright (he also taught and lived here) in the mid-20th century, the environmentally organic buildings are spread over 600 acres.
5 & Diner
A visit here really is lots of fun, featuring inexpensive food, friendly service and a 1950s setting. The menu is the predictable pre-nouvelle American cuisine - burgers, fries, tuna melts, shakes, etc.
Phoenix Museum of History
Displays at the Phoenix Museum of History range from 2000-year-old archeological artifacts to an exhibit about the sinking of the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor. Other exhibitions celebrate significant Southwest events and culture over time from rodeos to highways.
Amsterdam
This upscale bar has wrought-iron stools, chandeliers, great martinis and many of the other trendy trappings that make it a pretty damn good looking joint. The formula attracts a happy, swanky crowd of after work types, and is known for its straight-friendly gay scene.
Los Dos Molinos
Los Dos Molinos is known for its cheap and tasty fare and lively service. The food is New Mexican-influenced restaurant and really delicious, especially if you have a taste for chillies. The Mexican pizzas are also popular.
MacAlpine's Restaurant & Soda Fountain
The oldest diner in Phoenix, it serves huge breakfasts and features an authentic soda fountain and genuine sundaes. Slip into a booth and order up a big old-fashioned burger, (or veggie black bean option) plus an egg-cream (a soda-syrup and ice-cream mix).