Things to Do in Arizona

1. Grand Canyon National Park

Grand Canyon National Park is a national treasure of the United States and one of the most stunning examples of the natural landscape of the Southwest. The canyon has steep sides that lead down to the Colorado River and it has been inhabited for thousands of years by various Native American groups, including the Pueblo people, who considered the canyon to be a religious site.

One of the canyon's most beautiful features is the view of its many colored layers, which formed over time through geological erosion. Each layer represents a different age in the life of the stone. Grand Canyon National Park is a popular weekend destination.

Grand Canyon Village, AZ 86023, Phone: 928-638-7888, Grand Canyon Video

2. Musical Instrument Museum, Phoenix

The Musical Instrument Museum in Phoenix houses the largest collection of instruments in the world and is a must-see for music lovers.This colossal set of exhibits contains over 15,000 pieces comprising both musical instruments and related items.

The museum is highly interactive; one of its floors is dedicated to letting visitors touch and play instruments from different cultures, while another allows them to watch the instrument preservation and restoration processes as they happen.

On its upper level, the museum is divided by geographical area, showcasing the musical traditions of ancient and modern cultures from across the globe.

4725 E. Mayo Boulevard, Phoenix, AZ 85050, Phone: 480-478-6000

3. Western Spirit: Scottsdale's Museum of the West

Western Spirit: Scottsdale's Museum of the West is a place where visitors can learn all they ever wanted to know about the “Wild” West.

The museum occupies the historic site of the Loloma Transit Station, which provides a sprawling two-story exhibition space for art, culture and the history of the 19 states which make up the American West, Western Canada and Mexico.

As well as a core collection of permanent exhibits, Western Spirit Museum hosts regular exhibitions and events to bring the culture and history of the West to interested visitors. Docent-led tours are available and offer in-depth insights into the true spirit of the West.

3830 N. Marshall Way, Scottsdale, AZ 85251, 480 686 9539

4. Titan Missile Museum

The Titan Missile Museum is a historical and technological exhibit that shows off a real Titan II nuclear missile complex, one of 54 that existed on United States territory during the Cold War and which was on alert between 1963 and 1982.

As the missile was never fueled for launch, it can be safely viewed on your trip.

The 301-foot missile sits in its silo and has a hole cut into its side to prove it is inert.

The facility also includes a three-floor control center and an outdoor antenna, and guided tours of the entire missile system can be requested. Titan Missile Museum is a 30-minute day trip from Tucson.

1580 W. Duval Mine Rd., Sahuarita, AZ 85614, Phone: 520-625-7736

5. Pima Air & Space Museum

The Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson is a private museum collection with almost 300 different aircraft spread across its 80 acres. In addition to its vast outdoor space, it also has several colossal hangar spaces with different display items. Although this museum's most impressive artifacts are its airplanes, which range from World War II era military craft to modern commercial airliners, it also has two galleries devoted to space travel and the machines that have made flights into space possible.

In addition, the facility is home to the fondly named “Boneyard”, the largest airplane preservation and storage site in the world. The Boneyard is also open to visitors and can be reached by shuttle from the main museum complex.

6000 E. Valencia Rd., Tucson, AZ 85756, Phone: 520-574-0462

6. The Phoenix Symphony

The Phoenix Symphony was originally founded in 1947 as an occasional musician group, prior to the city's population explosion in the mid-2oth century. Since 1972, the symphony has offered performances at the 2,312-seat Phoenix Symphony Hall, which was fully renovated in 2005.

Today, the symphony serves as Arizona's only full-time professional orchestra, funded by the National Endowment of the Arts and the Arizona Commission on the Arts. Couples and families can attend annual performances by the 76-member ensemble throughout the year, which often feature guest artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Midori, James Galway, Sarah Chang, and Itzhak Perlman. Past guest pops artists have included luminaries such as Marvin Hamlisch, Michael Feinstein, and Andrea Marcovicci. Since 2014, the symphony has been under the supervision of music director Tito Muñoz.

75 N 2nd St, Phoenix, AZ 85004, Phone: 800-776-9080

7. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson was founded in 1952 as a place to exhibit the unique wildlife of Arizona's Sonora Desert. The museum prides itself on its unusual zoological and plant exhibitions which foster interaction with the natural world. Here one can find tens of thousands of living plants and animals in its zoo, botanical gardens, and extensive network of trails covering over two miles in total.

Guests can either traverse the museum's enormous territory independently or enjoy guided tours, live animal presentations, aquarium touch tanks, and even a one-of-a-kind demonstration of the flight paths of raptors and other birds of prey.

2021 N. Kinney Rd., Tucson, AZ 85743, Phone: 520-883-2702

8. Desert Caballeros Western Museum

The Desert Caballeros Western Museum is a multi-purpose museum that exhibits works of art and historical artifacts from the American West. The museum was founded in 1960 as a hometown museum for its town of Wickenburg.

It has since grown to include a number of items that tell the story of both the small town and the state of Arizona as a whole. Its works of art include paintings by the famous founder of the Cowboy Artists of America, Joe Beeler, while children can enjoy a special exhibit dedicated to the typical “Main Street” found in Old Western towns.

21 North Frontier Street, Wickenburg, AZ 85390, Phone: 928-684-2272

9. Heard Museum

The Heard Museum of Native Cultures and Art is a designated Phoenix Point of Pride located in the city of Phoenix, Arizona. Originally the personal collection of the Heard family, which owned a number of Native American archaeological artifacts from the La Ciudad ruin, the museum was opened to the public in 1929.

An affiliate of the Smithsonian Program, today the museum is a huge collection of over 40,000 Native American artifacts from the southwestern United States. One exhibit of note is its Barry Goldwater Collection, which contains over 437 traditional Hopi Kachina dolls. The museum also hosts the annual Mercado de los Artes Festival each year, during which Hispanic artists from the region sell their work and mariachi bands play traditional music.

2301 N Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85004, Phone: 602-252-8840

10. Kartchner Caverns State Park

. Kartchner Caverns State Park, about 2.5 hours from Phoenix, is a great place to spend a few days exploring with friends and family.

The massive network of caves was discovered in 1974 by 2 young cavers who quickly realized that they had stumbled onto something very special. The caverns are made up of upper and lower segments and some of the remarkable and fragile stone formations have been growing for more than 10 thousand years.

To see the incredible formations you will need to join a guided cave tour – there are 3 different tours available, one of which gives you the option to explore the caves with a helmet and torch. There is an on-site campground and cabins and there are several local area attractions.

2980 S. Highway 90, Benson, AZ 85602, 877 697 2757