Tempe, Arizona, is a beautiful city in Arizona that's on the outskirts of Phoenix
and is the home of Arizona State University. The college town remains a top-rated tourist
destination for visitors to the state, and there are numerous things that you can check out when
you're in the area! Join Viewcation as we share the best things to do in Tempe, AZ.
Visit Tempe Town Lake One of the most popular
locations in Tempe, Arizona, remains Tempe Town Lake. Visitors are allowed to go out on the lake
in various ways, including kayak, paddleboard, and boat. During the summer, the Tempe Town
Lake Festival is home to the city’s 4th of July fireworks display, though the lake is also fun
to visit at other times of the year. Spanning across the lake is the Old Mill Avenue Bridge,
constructed in 1931 and has long since been included in the National Register of Historic
Places. Thanks to the bridge’s historic status, it has been meticulously maintained and remains a fun
and beautiful way to travel the width of Tempe Town Lake. During the Christmas season, the Old
Mill Avenue Bridge is decked out with spectacular lights. If you’re visiting the area during the
holiday season, taking a walk across the bridge can be considered a must!
Visit the 6th Street Market Every Sunday from morning to afternoon,
a unique market opens up in the downtown area of Tempe, Arizona! Located between 5th Street and 6th
Street, the market consists of independent booths that sell all sorts of different goods. Residents
are free to rent a booth and sell pretty much anything that tickles their fancies, from arts
and crafts to antiques. There are generally around 100 stalls operating at the 6th Street Market,
and all of them feature something unique and exciting that can only be found in Tempe.
The 6th Street Market also typically features live music performed during its operating hours,
meaning you'll be able to get a kick out of the market even if you don't intend to buy anything!
Strolling the market and taking in the live music is a great way to experience a sample of
everything that Tempe, Arizona, has to offer. There are also plenty of options for food
available at the 6th Street Market, with an impressive amount of local cuisine on offer.
Visit Singh Meadows While the 6th Street Market
is only open on Sundays, Singh Meadows is open every day! Singh Meadows is a unique type of
farmers market that exists within Tempe, Arizona. Nestled on over 70 acres of property that feature
plenty of expansive walking trails and open spaces, Singh Meadows is an enclosed farmer’s
market offering a plethora of food from local sources. The market features produce and other
goods that you can take home, including a café that serves organic food, juice, and coffee.
If you're into healthy food and find yourself in the Tempe area,
visiting Singh Meadows is a must! However, the expansive open space around the market enclosure
makes Singh Meadows a fun place to visit, even for those that prefer junk food to cold-pressed
juices. The food at the café ranges from complete meals to baked goods, and you can take whatever
you order out into any one of the gorgeous open areas and have yourself a Tempe picnic!
Visit Hayden Butte, aka “A” Mountain Given that Tempe, Arizona, is the home of
Arizona State University, aka ASU, it will likely come as no surprise when you arrive in the city
and notice the giant mountain with the "A" engraved on it. Colloquially referred to as "A"
Mountain but actually named Hayden Butte, the mountain is one of the most popular locations
for tourists to explore when visiting the beautiful, sunny college town. If you'd
like to get a close-up view of Hayden Butte for yourself, the best way to do so is to hike it!
The hike up Hayden Butte isn’t incredibly challenging, meaning even beginning hikers will
likely be able to see the top of the mountain within a reasonable amount of time. Although
the hike doesn’t provide much of a challenge, it certainly provides some beautiful sights.
When you get to the top of Hayden Butte, you'll be treated to an incredible view that sees the
downtown area of Tempe on one side and Tempe Town Lake on the other. The view
becomes particularly gorgeous during sunset. The "A" that gives the mountain its nickname
has been featured on its side since 1938. However, it was initially just loose rocks
that had been assembled by local residents. In 1955, the "A" was redone entirely in steel
and concrete. The letter remains there to this day and stands as a symbol of the college town.
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Visit Papago Park If you’ve already
experienced the hike up Hayden Butte and it didn't satisfy your cravings for adventure,
you might want to visit Papago Park! Papago Park features several different hiking trails,
with many of its trails being similarly user-friendly to Hayden Butte's hike. The park's
most popular hiking trail takes you to a tourist location by the name of "Hole in the Rock".
As the attraction's name suggests, this is simply a naturally occurring hole in a rock. Though it
may sound simple, it's stunning! In addition to the hole itself being a unique marvel of nature,
those that have hiked to the attraction can also experience an expansive view.
Besides its various hiking trails, Papago Park is also home to the Desert Botanical Garden,
a pretty noteworthy Tempe tourist attraction in and of itself!
The garden features a stunning variety of cacti and other desert plants,
making it the perfect place to visit to get a taste of Tempe's plant life.
Experience Tempe’s Local Art Scene Like any college town in America, Tempe, Arizona,
has an impressive variety of local art that visitors can experience if they so desire. There
is plenty of public art in the city, with both permanent and temporary installations
being located sporadically throughout the city. In addition to these installations,
there's also some pretty captivating architecture in the city that you won’t find anywhere else.
One art installation that visitors to Tempe, Arizona, can check out is Air Apparent,
which is an art installation designed by native Arizona artist James Turrell.
Though James is a native to Arizona, he has art that is visible all around the country!
James is famous for his "Skyspaces", which utilize an architecture that changes appearances based
on the sun's position. Air Apparent is one of many Skyspaces that James Turrell has designed,
and it's located on the campus of Arizona State University. Even though it's located
on the college's campus, the installation, which occupies a steel building, is open to the public.
Given that James Turrell's various Skyspaces are designed to interact with the light of the sun
in a unique way, visitors may have a completely different experience visiting
Air Apparent depending on the time of the day. Another local artist is Jake Early,
who painted a very large and beautiful mural by the name of Meet Me at Daley Park.
Located adjacent to the titular park, the mural is one of the most striking in
the area, and remains a beloved attraction for art-loving Tempe residents and visitors alike!
Finally, art lovers visiting Tempe will want to check out the Tempe Festival of
the Arts. The festival occurs twice a year, taking place once in March and another time
in December. While you won’t be able to visit the festival if you arrive in Tempe
at any other time of the year, visitors who find themselves in the area during
the appropriate time will certainly want to take advantage. The festival offers a taste
of all the different types of art that the city has to offer, as well as art from all around the
country. The festival is one of the biggest in the city, making it a pretty big deal!
Visit Four Peaks Brewing One of the first things that anyone who’s been to
Tempe, Arizona, will tell you if you’re about to visit the area is that you need to check out Four
Peaks Brewing! As the name suggests, Four Peaks Brewing is a brewery located in Tempe that offers
some exceptionally tasty brews! Visitors to the brewery are free to take a tour, and they’ll
have plenty of fun as they’re given a detailed overview of everything it takes to operate a
commercial brewery. If you’re less interested in the technicalities of the beer and would prefer to
simply taste the various brews for yourself while enjoying some delicious food, you can check out
the 8th Street Brew Pub, featuring the type of comfort food that you’d expect from a brewery.
Visit the Local Coffee Shops If you don’t like beer, you might prefer
to visit one of Tempe’s many local coffee shops! There are many little cafes located throughout
the bustling college town, from Cartel Roasting Co. to Cafetal Coffee. A college
town is nothing without a unique, local café on every corner, and Tempe knows this!
If you’re looking for a sunny location that you can visit at any time of the year, Tempe,
Arizona, is a beautiful college town with plenty of awesome stuff to do,
whether you prefer nature or the arts! Now it’s time to hear from you:
did you know that Tempe, Arizona, is home to one of James Turrell’s famed Skyspaces,
and did you know that the renowned artist was actually born in the state? As always,
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