Do you think you’ve seen everything there is to see in Arizona? Maybe you’ve checked from your list the Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, Camelback Mountain, and San Xavier del Bac Mission? There’s actually still plenty more to see! If you’re looking for something a little out of the ordinary, then check out this list for some fun things you can do in Arizona.
Please note, Mystery Castle is temporarily closed.
- Since it’s fall, let’s start with this mini train ride through an orchard and farm.
Schnepf Farms/Facebook Each October, Schnepf Farms in Queen Creek hosts a month-long Pumpkin & Chili Festival that has tons of fun, fall themed things to do. In between picking pumpkins and wandering through a corn maze, hop aboard this small train for a short tour of the picturesque farm. For details and location, click this link.
- If you’re in the mood to explore an abandoned place, check out this trail that leads to an abandoned mansion!
Deborah Lee Soltesz/Flickr Located in the Hualapai Mountains southeast of Kingman, the building was originally designed as part of a series of modern housing for miners at the Gold King Mine in 1929. However, after the stock market crashed that same year, plans for building more of these were put on hold and eventually deserted. The building later eventually became known as the Gold King Mansion and is accessible by rough trails. For details and location, click this link.
- Or, if you want to check out some architectural beauty, then pay a visit to this unique monastery in Florence.
Trevor Huxham/Flickr Saint Anthony’s Greek Orthodox Monastery was built in 1995 and feels like a Mediterranean oasis in the Arizona desert. You can embark on a self-guided tour of the grounds daily and experience the peaceful environment for yourself. For details and location, click this link.
- Stir your imagination by visiting this magical place hidden away in Tucson.
Valley of the Moon Tucson/Facebook If Phoenix is the Valley of the Sun, it seems only fitting that Tucson would be home to the Valley of the Moon. This mysterious place is hidden away in Tucson’s neighborhoods and has been a community treasure since the 1920s where plays are held and the imagination can thrive. For details and location, click this link.
- Feeling hungry? Pay a visit to this small town for the most amazing Mexican food.
Rich V./Yelp Globe sits in central Arizona, home to mining, history, and delicious food. The Mexican restaurants here specialize in mouthwatering Sonoran Mexican food, where you’ll find burros, chimichangas, hard-shelled tacos, and delectable sauces. Make sure you arrive with an empty tummy because you’re going to want to finish plates and plates of the meals here. For details and location, click this link.
- If you want a completely unique dining experience, how does dinner underground sound?
Grand Canyon Caverns & Inn/Facebook Grand Canyon Caverns near Peach Springs recently opened a new restaurant called The Grotto where you can enjoy a meal in a cave. Located about 200 feet underground, The Grotto offers lunch and dinner options and you get a guided tour with your meal! For details and location, click this link.
- For an even more secluded experience, try visiting this almost forgotten park sitting on a lonely highway.
Monica D. Spencer/Flickr The Little Painted Desert is no longer a county park but you’ll still be able to see a picturesque scene of colorful badlands and a deep blue sky. It’s just 18 mile from Winslow and is a perfect spot for a quiet picnic or practicing your landscape photography skills. For details and location, click this link.
- For those who love geology, try this hike that gives you a great view of a volcano’s insides.
Graeme Churchard/Flickr Seeing the interior workings of a volcano doesn’t mean you’ll just come across a tube. Instead, a hike on Red Mountain Trail near Flagstaff will show you it’s a little more complicated but incredibly beautiful. The fractured cinder volcano has spires jutting from the earth and even crystals scattered on the ground. For details and location, click this link.
- Surprise the train aficionado in your family with a special trip to this park in Scottsdale.
McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park/Facebook McCormick-Stillman Park in Scottsdale feels something like a train theme park, with rides, a museum, model trains, and plenty of other things to do. Dust off your favorite engineer hat and get ready for a fun-filled day! For details and location, click this link.
- For another train experience, try booking a stay in an old caboose or railway car!
Canyon Motel & RV Park/Facebook This motel is located on the outskirts of Williams and offers some unique accommodations that still manage to feel cozy. If you’re lucky, you might even find yourself spending a night in one of the haunted train cars. For details and location, click this link.
- If you want to wake up to a beautiful view, book a night or two at this hotel.
Phil Whitehouse/Flickr Monument Valley has to be one of the Southwest’s most iconic landscapes. If you want to see the deep red landscape at sunset and sunrise, you’ll want to book a room at The View, the park’s hotel where the windows open up to the two mitten-shaped buttes. For details and location, click this link.
- Enjoy the lingering heat on Arizona’s only white sand beach.
dconvertini/Flickr It may be fall but the temperatures are still mighty warm in some areas of the state and that includes Arizona’s “West Coast.” If the weather is calling you to the river and lakes, then check out the beach at Lake Havasu State Park which features glimmering white sand and rushing blue waters. For details and location, click this link.
- Finally, check out a mysterious castle located in Phoenix that has an incredible view of the city.
J Etzel/Flickr Mystery Castle’s sprawling 8,000 square-foot home and found material construction was built in the 1930s as an homage to familial love. You’ll find a number of incredible things hiding in the home, which twists and turns into 18 different rooms. For details and location, click this link.
Want to see more amazing places to visit around the state? If you’re looking for a date idea, check out our recent article, 9 Downright Dreamy Places You’ll Only Find In Arizona.
Schnepf Farms/Facebook
Each October, Schnepf Farms in Queen Creek hosts a month-long Pumpkin & Chili Festival that has tons of fun, fall themed things to do. In between picking pumpkins and wandering through a corn maze, hop aboard this small train for a short tour of the picturesque farm. For details and location, click this link.
Deborah Lee Soltesz/Flickr
Located in the Hualapai Mountains southeast of Kingman, the building was originally designed as part of a series of modern housing for miners at the Gold King Mine in 1929. However, after the stock market crashed that same year, plans for building more of these were put on hold and eventually deserted. The building later eventually became known as the Gold King Mansion and is accessible by rough trails. For details and location, click this link.
Trevor Huxham/Flickr
Saint Anthony’s Greek Orthodox Monastery was built in 1995 and feels like a Mediterranean oasis in the Arizona desert. You can embark on a self-guided tour of the grounds daily and experience the peaceful environment for yourself. For details and location, click this link.
Valley of the Moon Tucson/Facebook
If Phoenix is the Valley of the Sun, it seems only fitting that Tucson would be home to the Valley of the Moon. This mysterious place is hidden away in Tucson’s neighborhoods and has been a community treasure since the 1920s where plays are held and the imagination can thrive. For details and location, click this link.
Rich V./Yelp
Globe sits in central Arizona, home to mining, history, and delicious food. The Mexican restaurants here specialize in mouthwatering Sonoran Mexican food, where you’ll find burros, chimichangas, hard-shelled tacos, and delectable sauces. Make sure you arrive with an empty tummy because you’re going to want to finish plates and plates of the meals here. For details and location, click this link.
Grand Canyon Caverns & Inn/Facebook
Grand Canyon Caverns near Peach Springs recently opened a new restaurant called The Grotto where you can enjoy a meal in a cave. Located about 200 feet underground, The Grotto offers lunch and dinner options and you get a guided tour with your meal! For details and location, click this link.
Monica D. Spencer/Flickr
The Little Painted Desert is no longer a county park but you’ll still be able to see a picturesque scene of colorful badlands and a deep blue sky. It’s just 18 mile from Winslow and is a perfect spot for a quiet picnic or practicing your landscape photography skills. For details and location, click this link.
Graeme Churchard/Flickr
Seeing the interior workings of a volcano doesn’t mean you’ll just come across a tube. Instead, a hike on Red Mountain Trail near Flagstaff will show you it’s a little more complicated but incredibly beautiful. The fractured cinder volcano has spires jutting from the earth and even crystals scattered on the ground. For details and location, click this link.
McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park/Facebook
McCormick-Stillman Park in Scottsdale feels something like a train theme park, with rides, a museum, model trains, and plenty of other things to do. Dust off your favorite engineer hat and get ready for a fun-filled day! For details and location, click this link.
Canyon Motel & RV Park/Facebook
This motel is located on the outskirts of Williams and offers some unique accommodations that still manage to feel cozy. If you’re lucky, you might even find yourself spending a night in one of the haunted train cars. For details and location, click this link.
Phil Whitehouse/Flickr
Monument Valley has to be one of the Southwest’s most iconic landscapes. If you want to see the deep red landscape at sunset and sunrise, you’ll want to book a room at The View, the park’s hotel where the windows open up to the two mitten-shaped buttes. For details and location, click this link.
dconvertini/Flickr
It may be fall but the temperatures are still mighty warm in some areas of the state and that includes Arizona’s “West Coast.” If the weather is calling you to the river and lakes, then check out the beach at Lake Havasu State Park which features glimmering white sand and rushing blue waters. For details and location, click this link.
J Etzel/Flickr
Mystery Castle’s sprawling 8,000 square-foot home and found material construction was built in the 1930s as an homage to familial love. You’ll find a number of incredible things hiding in the home, which twists and turns into 18 different rooms. For details and location, click this link.
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