The Atlas Obscura Guide To Arizona

268 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Arizona

Updated October 28, 2024

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Unusual Attractions in Arizona

Self-Portrait over the Wave (On the high point)

Marble Canyon, Arizona

The Wave

Rippling sand dunes frozen in the Arizona rock.

Page, Arizona

Antelope Canyon

Most-visited and most-photographed slot canyon in the American Southwest.

Supai, Arizona

Havasupai Falls

This secluded aqua waterfall in the Grand Canyon is the perfect swimming hole, and the Havasupai tribe's fiercely protected natural wonder.

“You Who Are Getting Obliterated in the Dancing Swarm of Fireflies” at the Phoenix Art Museum.

Phoenix, Arizona

Yayoi Kusama Firefly Infinity Mirror Room

The installation’s official name, “You Who Are Getting Obliterated in the Dancing Swarm of Fireflies,” says it all.

Page, Arizona

Horseshoe Bend

Dramatic river bend surrounds a natural red-rocked pedestal.

Montezuma Castle National Monument

Yavapai County, Arizona

Montezuma Castle

Ninety feet off the valley floor is an ancient dwelling put under protection of the U.S. government by Teddy Roosevelt.

Phoenix, Arizona

Mystery Castle

A self-built castle made by a mysterious man.

Peach Springs, Arizona

Caverns Grotto

In a 345-million-year-old cave that's 200 feet underground, dinner awaits.

See All 268 Things To Do in Arizona

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Arizona

Peach Springs, Arizona

Caverns Grotto

In a 345-million-year-old cave that's 200 feet underground, dinner awaits.

Phoenix, Arizona

MacAlpine's Soda Fountain

Open since 1938, this diner has kept its fountain, malt machine, and all the gum that greasers left beneath its counter.

Phoenix, Arizona

Fry Bread House

Founded by members of the Tohono O’odham Nation, this one-room joint's James Beard–winning fry bread is light as a cloud.

Delgadillo's Snow Cap Drive-In

Seligman, Arizona

Delgadillo's Snow Cap Drive-In

A classic Route 66 landmark that was built with scrap lumber and is held together with kitsch and puns.

See all 23 Places to Eat in Arizona

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Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Atlas Obscura Itineraries

These 8 Arizona Ghost Towns Will Transport You to the Wild West

Sponsored by Visit Arizona

In the desert of Arizona, a string of ghost towns have been preserved and refurbished to give visitors a glimpse into the history of miners and the businesses who served them during the boom times of the turn of the century. Whether you want to pan for gold, discover junk art, or stay a night in a mining engineer’s cabin, these ghost towns will transport you into Arizona’s Wild West past.

All the ghosts are friendly in these towns.

Explore Arizona

Native Americans 30

History 29

Architecture 24

Geology 23

History & Culture 23

Deserts 22

Museums 21

Ecosystems 20

Ruins 19

Memorials 15

Architectural Oddities 15

Nature 15

Places To Stay 6

Unique Restaurants & Bars 3

Arizona Leaderboard

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Recent Arizona Activity

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wants to go to Antelope Canyon
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wants to go to Yayoi Kusama Firefly Infinity Mirror Room
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wants to go to MacAlpine's Soda Fountain
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wants to go to Phoenix Bat Cave
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has been to Eisendrath House

Stories About Arizona

How to Be a Food Bank Influencer

Kristina Wong uses comedy to address inequality in the food system.

by Andrew Coletti

Podcast: Montezuma Well

A mysterious sinkhole in Arizona has a strange world at its sandy bottom.

by The Podcast Team

November 14, 2023

Just 50 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles, a field of California poppies paints Walker Canyon a vibrant orange. The poppies appear in several Indigenous legends. In one Chumash story, a talking lizard describes the flowers by saying, “it is as if the sun itself is on the ground.”

Stunning Wildflower Superbloom Photos That Will Have You Racing to the Hills

Orange, yellow, and purple petals blanket the southwestern United States.

A 171-foot-tall white stain, left by the retreating waters of Lake Powell, looms over a lone human as he strides across a sandstone fin in the heart of Glen Canyon.

The Return of Glen Canyon

As Lake Powell's water levels continue to drop, a stunning landscape resurfaces—along with questions about the future of the Colorado River and those who depend on it.

by Craig Childs

Beware hungry cows.

The Arizona Cattle Ranch Hiding 10,000 Year-Old Petroglyphs

Brantley Baird’s Rock Art Ranch offers tours of canyon-wall petroglyphs and a stunning collection of ancient pottery.

Sponsored by Visit Arizona

Saguaro National Park in full bloom.

The Unique (and Surprisingly Wet) Biodiversity of the Sonoran Desert

In Arizona, the country’s most diverse desert teems with kaleidoscopic spring flowers, charming desert tortoises, and the famous saguaro cactus.

Sponsored by Visit Arizona

Podcast: Tumbleweed Christmas Tree

This is how you do the holidays in the desert.

by The Podcast Team

December 19, 2022

Podcast: Navajo Code Talkers Burger King

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.

by The Podcast Team

October 12, 2022

Lists Featuring Arizona

Fierce little cat.

Elephants playing in the mud at Elephant Nature Park.

Oh, hello!

Little Spotted Kiwi

10 Ethical Animal Places to Visit in 2019

Unique experiences from Nairobi to Chiang Mai.

Including Cat Island, Elephant Nature Park , and India's Giant Technicolor Squirrels

Winter Solstice 2019

The Spiral Jetty

City: under construction - http://raisethestakeseditions.com/basin-and-range/

Double Negative's north trench

A Tour of Spectacular 1970s Art Made From the Landscape Itself

Eight places to witness the incredible ambition of the Southwest land art movement.

Including Sun Tunnels, The Spiral Jetty, and Complex City

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