City: Scottsdale, AZ

Category: Tours & Attractions

Telephone: (480) 421-1004, (800) 782-1117

Address: 4343 N. Scottsdale Rd.

Insider Pick:

Description: Downtown Scottsdale is better seen by foot than by car. Scottsdale Road and the east-west roads that cross it are jam-packed with stores, restaurants, and galleries. Besides, traffic on Scottsdale Road slows to a crawl in high tourist season, so you might as well leave the car in one of the many public parking lots. Look at the lampposts and elsewhere, and you’ll see signage that designates the different areas of downtown, including Old Town Scottsdale, West Main, Marshall Way, and 5th Avenue. The latter three areas are the domain of shoppers and art connoisseurs and are well worth your time if you are interested in souvenir hunting or in browsing the galleries. See the Shopping and The Arts chapters for more information.You get a sense of the city’s Old West heritage on a walking tour suggested by the Scottsdale Historical Society that includes these sites: the intersection of Brown Avenue and Main Street, site of the first general store and post office; the Little Red Schoolhouse on the Civic Center Mall, preserved from 1909 and home of the Historical Society; Cavalliere’s Blacksmith Shop at 3805 N. Brown Ave.; and the building at 3933 N. Brown Ave., built in 1923 as a pool hall.Be sure to walk around the Civic Center Mall, a modern complex of government buildings, a public library, a performing arts center enlivened with gardens, fountains, and sculptures, and the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art. It is a comfortable place to walk, or to sit and relax at an outdoor festival or concerts.