Make Family Memories

Saddle up and explore the Old Town Scottsdale Parada del Sol Rodeo Museum. Curated by a retired bull rider and housed in an original livery stable, this museum immerses you in local rodeo history. You'll discover vintage rodeo magazines, programs, and photographs dating back to the fifties, alongside well-worn competitive chaps, bull ropes, spurs, and saddles. Kids can even climb on a replica of El Diablo, a famous winning bull, for a memorable photo or try their hand at lassoing for free.

Plan a family nature walk along the Salt River. This oasis in the Sonoran Desert is alive with creatures ranging from tiny fish to wild horses, making it an ideal spot to spend an afternoon together. You can watch for eagles, mud turtles, deer, and bighorn sheep ready for a photograph. These days, the wild horses draw the biggest smiles, so bring your camera to capture the memories.

Gather the family and head to Little Canyon Park for a day full of games. First up is the new Bank Shot Basketball Court, the first in Arizona, which plays like mini golf but with a basketball twist. You start on a 16-hoop course featuring various shapes and sizes. Score points by banking the shot off the boards and through the rim. After your game, you can enjoy a sand volleyball court, outdoor ping-pong tables, and cornhole boards. Bring your basketballs, paddles, and bean bags.

Walk on the Wild Side

Your children will love the Desert Botanical Gardens^® Flashlight Nights. These self-guided Saturday adventures after dark allow you to explore trails and discover desert blooms and animals that only emerge at night. Just bring your own flashlight to start exploring. Once the sleuthing is done, you'll find delicious treats, hands-on activities, and creature features waiting.

Slither off to the Phoenix Herpetological Society in Scottsdale for an experience your whole family will remember. During your visit to the largest reptile sanctuary in the United States, you'll see large tortoises, numerous snakes, alligators, crocodiles, and plenty of lizards. Your kids will get hands-on experience holding snakes, interacting with lizards, and petting turtles.

Looking for a Tasty Treat?

Book a Scottsdale Scavenger Hunt and bring the kids along for an interactive adventure. You and your crew will discover the finest city art and learn legendary history through trivia questions and photo challenges. It's a wonderful way to bond and create lasting memories.

Ignite your imagination at the Hall of Flame Museum of Firefighting in Scottsdale. With over 130 fire trucks and emergency vehicles, plus thousands of smaller artifacts, this museum is the stuff of firefighter dreams. Everywhere you look, you'll find fire apparatus, uniforms, equipment, and hands-on exhibits that allow kids to get close to these life-saving heroes.

When the heat rises, cool down with popsicles at the Pop 'n Tea Bar. These signature three-dimensional printed treats, called Diamond Bars, are sculpted by hand and made with either gelato or sorbetto. You can choose from more than a dozen flavors, including strawberry, sea-salt caramel, mint chocolate chip, Madagascar vanilla bean, and New York strawberry cheesecake.

Want even more fun? From waterslides to sand art, pinball to painting, bear building to board games, the Holiday Inn Club Vacations Resort in Scottsdale knows how to brighten your vacation.

This is proof that big fun doesn't have to come with a big price tag. There are plenty more ways to create priceless vacation memories in Scottsdale.