If you’re looking for things to do in downtown Phoenix, I’ve got you. I recently went spent one day in Phoenix and was blown away by all the fun things to do in Arizona’s capital. It’s the perfect weekend getaway from the Pacific Northwest, particularly because flights are as low as $150 roundtrip. Plus, it’s a great way to escape the dreariest times of year up here in Washington.
So here’s your itinerary for how to spend one day in downtown Phoenix. It includes where to stay, fun places to eat, a checklist of what to do in downtown Phoenix, and some ideas for exploring the surrounding area if you have time.
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Things to Do in Downtown Phoenix in One Day
If you only have one day in Phoenix, here’s an itinerary with all my favorite things to do! Save this to Pinterest for later, as I’ll update it with more finds the next time I visit.
Get breakfast at Matt’s Big Breakfast
website | get directions | cuisine: American
I do a lot of research before traveling to a new city. When I started hunting for the best brunch in Phoenix, I was surprised that the recommendation was pretty unanimous: Matt’s Big Breakfast.
Matt’s has a few locations open daily around the greater Phoenix area. They use local ingredients to make simple, well-executed food. Their menu reminds me of Homegrown or Portage Bay Cafe in Seattle, two of the best brunch spots in Seattle.
We arrived a bit before 9 AM on a Thursday and were able to snag a seat right away. However, it filled up and had a wait by the time we left.
I got the breakfast sandwich with bacon, cheese, egg, and onions. Dan got the griddle pancakes. Both were quite tasty and a great way to start the day.
I had a slight preference for the pancakes because the bacon was a touch smoky for me. But everything else about the sandwich was killer. I bet subbing the bacon with sausage or ham would put it over the top.
Check out the Phoenix Art Museum
website | get directions | cost: ~$25 adults, $22 seniors, $20 students, $15 youth, free under 5 years old
I have a secret: I don’t really like museums. I get really antsy because I can only take so many pictures of 12th century people looking forlorn. This always embarrassed me because who doesn’t like international treasures like the Vatican Museum or Louvre?! Me.
However, the Phoenix Art Museum made me realize something. I do like museums! I like contemporary museums that feature modern art. So if you’re like me, this is one of the best things to do in downtown Phoenix.
Like all museums, the Phoenix Art Museum has rotating exhibits. One standout when I visited was the Black Cloud exhibit by Carlos Amorales. It greeted you right in the lobby with 25,000 tiny black insect cutouts made to look like a swarm leading you to the other exhibits.
Another favorite exhibit was the gallery wall goals created by Icelandic artist Ragnar Kjartansson. Called The End, Kjartansson created it by secluding himself in a 14th century Italian palazzo and painting one canvas per day for six months. It resulted in a 144-piece installation that’s rarely exhibited.
My absolute favorite exhibit was by award winning Japanese artist, Yayoi Kusama’s, called You Who Are Getting Obliterated in the Dancing Swarm of Fireflies.
It was impossible to get tickets when Kusama’s infinity mirrors exhibit came to Seattle. So I was beyond excited that the Phoenix Art Museum has a permanent installation included in the general admission ticket price.
Kusama’s fireflies installation is a dark room lined with mirrors that bounce thousands of looping LED lights. It’s meant to represent the glowing insects often found during a warm August evening on the east coast. It also symbolizes Kusama’s ongoing hallucinations and her philosophy that one should “obliterate” their personality and become one with eternity in order to find the true expression of your self.
The Phoenix Art Museum has other exhibits that share the works from the southwest, Native Americans, and other world-renowned artists.In fact, they have the largest museum collection in the southwest with more than 17,000 objects.
Yet they do it in a space that is intimate enough to not be overwhelming. We were able to see all the exhibits in about 1.5 hours, making it the perfect stop when you only have one day in Phoenix.
Enjoy Phoenix’s other arts and culture
If art museums aren’t your thing, there are other options. For example, visit the Arizona Science Center for a fun day learning about astronauts, space, and other scientific phenomena.
Audiophiles will want to check if there are any concerts at Van Buren, one of Phoenix’s most famous venues inside a converted historic auto dealership. Or see if there’s a larger event happening while you’re there at Orpheum Theatre at the Phoenix Convention Center.
If you don’t have time to squeeze in one of these other destination, make sure to at least walk through Civic Space Park. There’s a huge psychedelic sculpture hovering above the grassy park with the city skyline behind it. It’s a great spot for photo ops!
Get lunch and shop at The Churchill
website | get directions | best for: visiting about 10 vendors under one roof
The Churchill is one of my absolute favorite things to do in downtown Phoenix. Think of it as an incubator for small businesses. It’s a funky building made of shipping containers with a center courtyard and shops lining the perimeter.
Co-owner Hartley Rodie describes it as a community gathering place with an emphasis on social impact. That’s because the vendors pay “social rent” by volunteering a certain number of hours at local charities.
Since it’s essentially a food hall, order from a few different restaurants to make your own smorgasbord. Don’t miss the brisket tacos from Provecho, acai bowl from InFruition, and Margherita pizza from Freak Brothers Pizza.
Not only will this give you a a great spread of flavors, you’ll also be supporting micro businesses that have really unique stories.
For example, Prevecho is run by a husband-and-wife duo creating food from their home in Guadalajara.
Freak Brothers Pizza also has a really fun story. It’s run by brothers Nathan and Jamil who went into business together thanks to running groups. When their friends ran multi-day races like Ragnar, they used to try and organize food along the race route.
However they found the restaurants unreliable, so they decided to start serving mobile wood-fired pizza. They became so popular that they turned into a busy food truck until finally settling down at The Churchill.
Between bites, definitely check out local shops to pickup unique gifts. If you’re thirsty, pickup local brews at The Brill Line (I mean, look at that gorgeous packaging from Phoenix-based Wren House Brewing!).
See the art murals in Roosevelt Row
website | get directions | best for: a ton of public art within walking distance
If you only have one day in downtown Phoenix, Roosevelt Row is a must do. This arts district reminds me of Berlin with its galleries and gorgeous murals that capture the changes to the area over time.
The neighborhood’s sidewalks were poured in 1909, three years before Arizona officially became the 48th state. Businesses once lined the happening streets, but a re-zone in the 1970s caused people to leave.
Rent tends to be cheap in areas that are known for crime, boarded up buildings, and drugs…which means artists started moving into the affordable gallery spaces. They slowly built the neighborhood into the cultural epicenter of Phoenix that it is today, and the area is now protected by a nonprofit organization.
Consider taking a mural tour
I took a tour of Roosevelt Row with Billy Oxford, the president of Arizona Pedal Cab Tour. However, it looks like he isn’t doing tours anymore so here is another mural tour option.
I found a tour to be the perfect way to get a lay of the land while also hearing the stories behind the murals. My tour guide explained that the murals were a statement from the local people.
Those who couldn’t afford moving from the depressed area back in the day painted murals to express their anger and sadness, while also attempting to beautify the area. Each mural captures a moment and emotion in time.
For example, he explained the story behind this mural on the side of Taco Chelo (another fun place to eat in Phoenix). It was painted in 2009 by renowned street artists El Mac and Augustine Kofie.
However, it didn’t originally have the gold paint defacing the woman looking up at the sky. Billy explained that it was vandalized by a local when Taco Chelo was opening. Likely it represents the gold gilding of “gentrification” that the area was going through at the time.
This mural from Hugo Medina painted on the side of Local First Arizona is called Sign of the Times. It symbolizes the despair that artists and others felt seeing their beloved community spaces taken away by rapid commercial development and gentrification of the area.
My favorite mural was this pastel beauty painted by Sky Black Art on the side of Monorchid. It’s a bit hidden down an alley, but worth seeking out.
The mural captures what Phoenix was like when urban renewal was just beginning. The coyote represents the people’s spirit, overlooking the area that existed before this area became the hip, artistic neighborhood it is today.
More to explore near Roosevelt Row
Roosevelt Row is near the Japanese Friendship Garden. Consider stopping to check out the tranquil park.
You’ll also be near Heritage Square built in the late 1800s. It has the restored Rosson House Museum that offers guided tours of Phoenix’s history.
Shop local Phoenix makers
There are so many great independent shops spread throughout downtown Phoenix. Some of my favorites included:
- Made Art Boutique – A shop right in Roosevelt Row that curates goods from local makers.
- Modern Manor – A beautifully-curated midcentury furniture store that I literally gaped at when I walked in. If there had been a piece we needed, you better believe I was figuring out how to ship it back to Seattle.
- Practical Art – A studio that sells handmade pieces from more than 150+ local artists.
There are so many stores I didn’t get to go into, so take a look at my Phoenix map below for more ideas of things to do in downtown Phoenix!
Get dinner at Pizzeria Bianco
website | get directions | cuisine: Italian
You know I was all about the eats when looking for what to do in downtown Phoenix. There are so many unique restaurants in Phoenix. If I had to pick just one, the famous Pizzeria Bianco would be it.
Chris Bianco is said to make some of the best pizza in the US. Seriously, Zagat said he was one of the 6 people to change pizza. I can confirm that he makes one hell of a Neapolitan-style pie. And his Heritage Square spot is cute as a button with patio seating and brick facade.
Still hungry?
You know how I feel about poke in Seattle, so leave it to me to find a legit poke place in Phoenix. You heard that right: raw fish in the middle of the desert. If you can stomach it, go have a second dinner here.
During my last visit, I was looking for cool places to eat in Phoenix. No really, it was more than 100 degrees in August. The thought of eating anything hot was out of the question.
So when I saw a 5-star poke place on Yelp, I had to try it. Chula Seafoods is a family-owned restaurant that catches their own fish out of San Diego on their boat called “Chula”. They’re one of the few boats in southern CA certified to use a harpooning technique that is a more sustainable way of fishing. They specialize in swordfish, but also fish for other local Pacific species.
They get asked the question “Why Arizona?” a lot. This is how the story goes: The family was raised in Arizona, but owner Jim Heflin moved to CA after his children grew up. He runs the CA division (fishing and wholesale) while his son, Jon, lives in Phoenix and operates the restaurants.
These are just two of the fun places to eat in Phoenix, but check out my map below for more ideas if your plan for things to do in downtown Phoenix revolves around just eating (I get you!).
Catch a sporting event
Baseball lovers know that Phoenix is home to the Arizona Diamondbacks team. If it’s baseball season, catch a game at Chase Field. Or if you’re lucky enough to visit during Spring Training when Phoenix plays host to all of MLB’s teams for practice games, try to snag tickets!
More a basketball fan like me? Get tickets to a Phoenix Suns game instead!
Grab a nightcap at Century Grand
website | get directions | best for: 3 theatrical bar concepts in one
The dopest bar I went to on my first trip to Phoenix was UnderTow. It’s a nautical themed, tiki-style bar known for stellar drinks and theatrics.
UnderTow actually one of three bar concepts under Century Grand. It shares a space with Platform 18, a Prohibition-era bar made to look as if it’s on a moving train going through the Louisiana bayou, and Grey Hen, a New Orleans-style apothecary bar.
I’m not kidding when I say Century Grand is into “theatrics”. This place is bananas. For example, you wait for your table on train benches outside a structure that literally looks like a train. Every so often a whistle blows and steam streams into the space.
As you wait you’re staring at Grey Hen, which looks like a historic brick building on a tree line streets. Fireflies glow in the trees and it looks like people are gabbing on a sidewalk enjoying drinks on quaint bistro tables.
At UnderTow, the drink menu is broken up into chapters. Each year they release a new “chapter” and completely revamp the decor and drink menu.
When I first went, they were on chapter 6 that followed a captain on a boat with his crew. They got diverted to the Amazon and needed to bargain with heathens to get a secret ingredient, the key to their escape. To give you a sense of the ambiance they designed to fit the theme, there was rain and thunderstorm sounds paired with flashing lights and screens showing the Amazon from portholes lining the bar’s walls.
This place is fully immersive and one hell of an experience. It may sound cheesy, but it honestly never felt like this was a joke.
Few things you should know.
Reservations are a must. They seat parties in 90-minute increments and have a strict late policy.
In addition they discourage back-to-back reservations, so if you’re in Phoenix for more than one day make a reservation at each spot on different nights! I honestly think this is one of the coolest things I did during my trip, so I consider it one of the best things to do in downtown Phoenix.
Map of what to do in downtown Phoenix
There is just SO much to see and do in Phoenix and the surrounding areas. Here is my Google Map with all my finds of what to do in downtown Phoenix and the surrounding areas of Scottsdale, Mesa, Tempe, Sedona, Cottonwood, Flagstaff, and the Grand Canyon.
Have more than one day in Phoenix?
The above are my top recommendations of what to do in downtown Phoenix. But if you have more than one day in Phoenix, here are the other places I recommend checking out.
Go hiking on one of the many nearby trails
If you look at my map of Arizona above, you’ll see there are a ton of hiking opportunities right outside of Phoenix. We had a hard time choosing just one, but we ended up being happy with our choice to explore Treasure Loop Trail #56.
It’s a fairly easy, 2.3-mile hike in the gorgeous Lost Dutchman State Park about 40 minutes away from Phoenix. There’s a parking lot at the base with real bathrooms and the trail starts flat among gorgeous desert plants like the beautiful saguaro cactus, chola cactus, and more. I immediately exclaimed giddily, “I love seeing my plant babies in their natural habitat!”, followed by, “Am I the only one who didn’t know cactus get this big?!”
The trail starts weaving up the mountain to give you gorgeous views of the park. It’s marked as moderate, but I didn’t find it too strenuous. There were dogs and children, so if you’re looking for something casual this is a good bet.
Get a massage
After all that hiking you’ll likely want some relief for your tired muscles. Thee Spanish-themed Joya Spa at the Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Montelucia has great ambiance. You’ll find a whirlpool, dry and steam saunas, a relaxation room, and a private pool overlooking Camelback Mountain. Make sure to carve out time to explore all the amenities!
Check out the Desert Botanical Gardens
website | get directions | cost: ~$25 adults, $15 youth, kids 2 and under free
If you love cactus and desert flora, make sure to stop at the Desert Botanical Garden. There are multiple exhibits to explore and snap pictures. Plus they have a lot of fun events throughout the year.
For example, I went to an “Electric Desert” installation. They opened the gardens at night and turned it into a huge light show. It was a great way to beat the heat considering it was dark!
More to explore near Phoenix
Once you finish exploring all the fun things to do in downtown Phoenix, take a road trip to these other areas!
- Spend the Weekend in Nearby Scottsdale
- Eat at the Unique Restaurants in Scottsdale
- Explore the Wineries Near Sedona, Arizona
- Take a Road Trip to Sunny San Diego, California
- Go on a Road Trip from San Diego
- Visit Joshua Tree National Park
Disclaimer: This article was originally published in partnership with Visit Phoenix who provided me with a flight, accommodations, meals, and activities in exchange for my honest opinion of their city. However, it’s since been modified to reflect information from separate trips I took on my own. Thank you for supporting the brands who help make The Emerald Palate happen!
