The best outdoor museums throughout Greater Phoenix

While Boyce Thompson Arboretum might be Arizona’s largest botanical garden, we also like to think of it as an outdoor museum that constantly changes, with new artwork appearing every season. In the spring and summer months after the monsoons, you can witness rushing rivers and swelling ponds that’ll make you forget you’re in the middle of the desert. And in the fall and winter months, you can enjoy a stunning array of bold colors and beautiful desert foliage. These cooler months are also prime for wildlife viewing, when visitors might get lucky and see some turkey vultures and coatimundis. Sophisticated gazebos, intricate mosaics, and a suspension bridge seamlessly connect the various gardens. And while the landscape here is always changing, one thing remains constant: Regardless of when you choose to visit, you’ll always find marvelous beauty throughout the arboretum’s nearly 350 acres.

Located just east of downtown Phoenix in Papago Park, the Desert Botanical Garden houses over 50,000 different plants, including a wide variety of rare desert species. The garden is comprised of five major trails, all of which highlight a different aspect of native desert life. General admission grants you access to all of the trails but some of the more popular ones include the Desert Wildflower Loop Trail and the Plants and People of the Sonoran Desert Loop Trail. If you visit in early spring or late fall, be sure to stop by the tented butterfly pavilion and surround yourself with hundreds of monarchs and swallowtails. It’s also worth noting that the Desert Botanical Garden stays open until 8 p.m. and visiting at night is an entirely different experience, full of epic sunsets, amazing art installations, and glowing statues. And if you’re an early riser, the garden allows visitors to bring their dogs in the mornings on seasonally-designated “Dog Days.”

Stepping into the Japanese Friendship Garden, it’s hard to believe that downtown Phoenix is right next door. The sounds of trickling waterfalls, rustling leaves, and delicate wind chimes will transport you and deliver a peaceful sense of calm and relaxation. In fact, it’s not uncommon to find visitors meditating on the grass or simply sitting in the shade with their eyes closed. With a large koi pond, multiple stone footbridges, and intricate lanterns, the Japanese Friendship Garden has done an incredible job of creating an authentic space right in the middle of the Sonoran Desert. Fun fact: The garden is named RoHoEn, and is a joint project between the City of Phoenix and its sister city in Himeji, Japan.

One of the oldest and most historic museums in Greater Phoenix, the Pueblo Grande Museum and Archaeological Park has been operating for 90 years. With an emphasis on sharing the rich culture of the Indigenous people of the Salt River Valley, Pueblo Grande not only features galleries of original artifacts, but also regularly hosts rituals and ceremonies—everything from dances and performances to cooking demonstrations and archery lessons. There are two major sections of the park: The indoor museum (currently closed) and the outdoor trail walk. The trail walk is an excellent opportunity for visitors to see what some of the original Pueblo Grande buildings and structures looked like (and it’s free to explore!). If you’re looking for a family-friendly activity, and want to gain an appreciation for the cultural history of Greater Phoenix, then definitely make a point to stop here.

To put it simply, Roosevelt Row is a neighborhood overflowing with art and culture. Commonly referred to as “RoRo,” this walkable arts district in downtown Phoenix is full of murals, galleries, sculptures, art installations, boutiques, restaurants, and breweries. Most of the shops are centered around East Roosevelt Street, but the entire district covers multiple blocks in all directions. Specifically, Roosevelt Row begins at 7th Avenue and extends east to 16th Street, and on the north side it begins at Interstate 10 and extends south to Fillmore Street. With ample parking and endless street art to explore, a self-guided mural tour is a great way to get to know RoRo. Don't miss the alley behind the popular eatery The Churchill. Here you'll find what is called the "1 1/2 Street Mural Project," a colorful and collaborative effort by 12 local artists that stretches the full length of the alley.

The USS Arizona Memorial Gardens at Salt River is both impressive and humbling. Not to be confused with the USS Arizona Memorial found in Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza, the Memorial Gardens sit on five acres at the end of Pima Road. It is here that you’ll find a piece of the USS Arizona’s boathouse that sank at Pearl Harbor in 1941. The boathouse was originally part of the larger Pearl Harbor Memorial in Honolulu, Hawaii, and was gifted to the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community in 2018. The Gardens—which include a light installation designed to outline the exact length and width of the USS Arizona—have been built around this incredible relic, which is housed in an extremely large, temperature-controlled glass case. The Memorial Gardens is open every day from dawn to dusk and is completely free to the public.