Phoenix Valley of the Sun Attractions

The Sun Cities Art Museum features exhibits of American, Asian and other art.

ATTRACTION IS CLOSED.Painted Rocks State Park is named for a group of boulders covered with Indian petroglyphs. The park is located 25 miles northwest of Gila Bend.

Phoenix International Raceway is home to the annual NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Indy Racing League, and Copper World Classic.

The largest sundial in the Western Hemisphere is located in Carefree, built as a tourist attraction in the late 1950s. The world's largest sundial is in Jaipur, India. Located in Sundial Circle, this ancient time telling instrument was constructed of a steel frame and covered in anodized copper.

The Boulders is a resort with public championship golf course in Carefree, with beautiful desert scenery and boulder formations. Visitors can enjoy tennis, a full-service day spa and upscale shopping. Horseback riding, hiking, and mountain-biking tours can also be arranged by The Boulders staff.

Carefree Studio is a movie facility with three massive sound stages and an outdoor Western town set.

The Heard Museum North in Carefree is a new 8,500 square-foot exhibit space for the Heard Museum in Phoenix. Two full-scale exhibitions are presented annually.

ATTRACTION IS CLOSED.Jeep tours through Arizona's backcountry feature views of Native American ruins and narratives about area history, wildlife and plant life.

ATTRACTION IS CLOSED.Duncan's Family Farm in Goodyear is a 2,000 acre vegetable farm with guided tours, a farm market, petting zoo, and an antique equipment display.

Estrella Park is a 19,840-acre park that features 65 acres of grass with ten covered ramadas, picnic tables, grills, restrooms, playground equipment, two lighted ballfields, an 18-hole golf course, and a rodeo arena.

The Ak-Chin Indian Reservation is located 43 miles northwest of the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, near the town of Casa Grande.Archeological finds have confirmed that tribal ancestors of the Ak-Chin have occupied and farmed the Ak-Chin land for several thousand years.

The Casa Grande Valley Historical Society and Museum features exhibits on local culture and history. There are 3 period rooms, Native American artifacts, mining and agricultural exhibits, and a historical diorama.

The Cave Creek Museum displays artifacts from prehistoric times through to ranching and mining in this century. The collection reflects the lives of Indians, miners, ranchers and pioneers.On-site is also the First Church of Cave Creek, built in 1948 and the last remaining Tubercular Cabin, which is on the National Historic Register and the Golden Reef Stamp Mill.

ATTRACTION WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE.The Cave Creek Mistress Mine is an old 1883 gold mine. It has a museum displaying antique mining tools and equipment. Mistress Mine is a working mine that still mines by hand, similar to how it was done in the 1880s.

The Grace Foundation for the Preservation of Americana is a private museum in Cave Creek. It showcases the collection of Grace Voss Frederick, including vintage clothes, men's uniforms, music boxes, magic lanterns, early phones, radios, TVs, jukeboxes and bicycles.

The Gilbert Historical Center tells the history of the area from prehistoric to modern times. The Historical Center features a display of antique farm equipment, artifacts from early school days and toys, clothing and shoes from the late 1800s.

Hale Centre Theatre began in 1947 in a small rented building in Glendale. It is noted as the longest continuously running, privately owned and operated theatre company in the US. There are an array of performances weekly.

The Peoria Sports Complex is America's largest baseball spring training facility, with a 11,000-seat stadium and 12 practice fields. It is home to both the San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners in the spring, and the Peoria Javelinas and Sun City Solar Sox in the fall. It was the first Major League Baseball facility in the country shared by two teamsIn addition to baseball tournaments, the facility hosts community events, concerts, art and trade shows, weddings and group events. Surrounding the complex are numerous hotels, restaurants, shopping and entertainment.

The Challenger Space Center in Peoria has a space flight simulator and hands-on space lab. The 2-hour simulated space mission allows visitors to experience launching and docking. The Challenger Space Center is affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution and features star-gazing and planetarium programs.

Lake Pleasant Regional Park has 24,000 acres of hiking trails, camping, swimming, fishing, and canoeing.

Casa Grande Ruins National Monument is located in Coolidge. The ruins include the Casa Grande, the largest remaining structure built by the prehistoric Hohokam Indians. It is four stories high and 60 feet long, and designed to align with the sun and moon at specific times.Surrounding the main building of the Casa Grande Ruins are the remains of a walled village. A prehistoric ball court is still visible with a viewing platform located above it.

The Golden Era Museum in Coolidge has a collection of antique toys, dolls and restored classic cars.

Sacaton is a small village on the Gila River Indian Reservation. It was first visited by Spanish missionaries in 1696.

The Wigwam is a public golf course and resort in Litchfield Park. The Wigwam has been around since 1918 when the Goodyear Tire Company built the Organization House for sales representatives who supplied equipment to the ranchers. In 1929 The Wigwam opened its doors as a guest ranch.

The Wildlife World Zoo in Litchfield Park has the largest collection of exotic animals in Arizona, over 3000 animals covering 600 species.