Phoenix, Arizona, is now the six-largest city in the USA. Located on the north side of the Sonoran desert, Phoenix is
a major tourist destination all year round for holidaymakers seeking sunshine and fine weather. With more than 300 days of sunny weather each year and many first-class attractions, the city of Phoenix is many people's
idea of paradise. Phoenix has grown into a simply enormous city and has become the capital of Arizona. The city itself is based around the
winding Salt River, which remains dry for much of the year.
The downtown area of the city has a vibrant entertainment district. Hotels in Phoenix are concentrated around the city centre and also throughout the city's suburbs. As well as Phoenix
itself, the nearby towns of Mesa, Scottsdale and Tempe are also top resort destinations.
Tourist information centres include the Downtown Phoenix Visitor Information Center on North 2nd Street, and the Biltmore Tourist
Information Center, which is located within the Biltmore Fashion Mall on Camelback Road. On North Central Avenue are the Mesa
Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Arizona Public Lands Information Center.
Phoenix has many tourist attractions, including the Chase Field baseball stadium, home to the Arizona
Diamondbacks, with its retractable roof. Castles and Coasters is a popular amusement park with a huge roller coaster and
many other rides, Phoenix Zoo with its large, natural enclosures, the American West football arena, the Mystery Castle,
a folk art mansion constructed in the 1940s from local recycled materials, and the acclaimed Desert Botanical Gardens, which
contains the world's most comprehensive collection of desert plants.
Other major tourist attractions in Phoenix include the Arizona Capitol building, once the State Capitol and still a major American landmark,
built in 1898; the Burton Barr Library,a distinctive modern building with areas clad in ribbed copper, the Historic Heritage Square - one of the
last historic sites remaining in the area, the Wrigley Mansion, an Italian-style mansion which was formerly the home of William Wrigley
Junior, founder of the chewing gum empire, St. Mary's Basilica, a particularly attractive Roman Catholic church visited by Pope John Paul II,
Patriots Square Park, situated in the very heart of downtown Phoenix, with a large performing arts stage, and the Mountains Park and Recreation
Center, situated on the slopes of Piestewa Peak.
Phoenix also has many superb museums, including the Arizona Science Center, - a hands-on science museum with over 300
fascinating exhibits and general science information; the Arizona Museum of Natural History, one of the city's premier museums, housing a
range of displays including animated dinosaurs and skeletons, the Phoenix Museum of History, full of detailed exhibits relating to the
history of the city, the Arizona State University Art Museum, an innovative art gallery known for its eye-catching architecture, the
Phoenix Art Museum, featuring works of art from all over the world; and the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, boasting many rotating
exhibitions of abstract works.
Tourist attractions located near to Phoenix include the Casa Grande Ruins National Monument, one of the largest prehistoric
structures in North America, including many remaining earth-walled structures, the Apache Trail, a popular day trip from Phoenix, with
stunning desert scenery and panoramic views of Fish Creek Canyon, Florence, just a short drive from Phoenix, featuring more than 150 sites
named on the National Register of Historic Places, the Goldfield Ghost Town, ehich lies between the Goldfield Mountains and the
Superstition Mountains, with many historic buildings and regular mine tours, and the Historic Sahuaro Ranch, which offers a rare glimpse
into the region's rich agricultural past.
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