South of Scottsdale and sandwiched between downtown Phoenix and Mesa, Tempe is home to the 50,000 students of Arizona State University's main campus. Founded in 1885, the vast campus is home to the Sun Devil Stadium, performance venues, galleries and museums, and has some eye-catching architecture. It’s also taken a leadership role in the eco-movement in striving to become a ‘living laboratory’ for sustainability.
Arizona State University
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
8.81 MILES
This extraordinary museum spotlights the history, life, arts and culture of American Indian tribes in the Southwest. Visitors will find art galleries,…
17.32 MILES
From Uganda thumb pianos to Hawaiian ukuleles to Indonesian boat lutes, the ears have it at this lively museum that celebrates the world's musical…
2.98 MILES
Blue bells and Mexican gold poppies are just two of the colorful showstoppers blooming from March to May along the Desert Wildflower Loop Trail at this…
Arizona Museum of Natural History
5.76 MILES
Even if you're not staying in Mesa, this museum is worth a trip, especially if your kids are into dinosaurs (and aren't they all?). In addition to the…
13.9 MILES
Taliesin West was the desert home and studio of Frank Lloyd Wright, one of America's greatest 20th-century architects. A prime example of organic…
10.2 MILES
The home and studio of Frank Lloyd Wright student Paolo Soleri, who died in 2013, this unusual complex of cast-concrete structures was a stepping stone…
7.89 MILES
Designed to encourage active involvement rather than passive contemplation (text-heavy signs are ditched in favor of interactive exhibits and invitations…
5.12 MILES
Tucked among Scottsdale's malls and bistros is its Old Town, a Wild West–themed enclave filled with cutesy buildings, covered sidewalks and stores hawking…
Nearby attractions
0.32 MILES
This airy, contemporary gallery space has permanent collections of contemporary, Southwestern, North and Latin American art, hosts regular temporary shows…
0.52 MILES
Along the western edge of Arizona State University, Mill Ave is Tempe's main drag and is lined with restaurants, bars and a mix of national chains and…
0.74 MILES
For sweeping metro and mountain views, huff it up for half a mile to the top of Tempe's 'A' Mountain, so-called because of the giant letter 'A' painted…
1.12 MILES
Mill Ave spills into Tempe Town Lake, a 2-mile-long recreational pond created by reclaiming the long-dry Salt River in the 1990s. Have a picnic at Tempe…
2.35 MILES
Home to more than 1400 animals, including local natives such as the bald eagle and bighorn sheep, Phoenix Zoo houses species rare and common in several…
2.98 MILES
Blue bells and Mexican gold poppies are just two of the colorful showstoppers blooming from March to May along the Desert Wildflower Loop Trail at this…
3.5 MILES
The O'odham Indians use the word 'Hohokam' ('all used up') for the ancestors who mysteriously abandoned this adobe city and the intricate irrigation…
8. Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art
5.02 MILES
Complementing the adjacent Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, SMoCA's five galleries, housed in a cleverly adapted old movie theater, showcase…