Scottsdale was famous as a vacation spot long before it became a city.  Not many years ago, it was a crossroads where cowboys rode in on Saturday nights along the unpaved trails to celebrate the end of the week.  Now it is considered the shopping and art center of the Valley of the Sun.

Geographically, Scottsdale covers about 185 square miles.  It has some of the country’s most exclusive and expensive resorts within its boundaries, but there are also middle class neighborhoods.  At the Little Red Schoolhouse visitors begin a self-guided walking tour to fourteen destinations. The site of the first general store; Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, which is home to the Scottsdale Symphony; and  a vintage blacksmith who still keeps local horses shod in the present day, are points of interest.  Olive trees planted by town founder General Winfield Scott; Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art; the tastefully rendered Fashion Square mega mall; and The Borgata are among other places featured on the tour. 

Many Scottsdale events center upon its three cultures:  Native American, Spanish, and western pioneer.  More than 90 art galleries offer paintings, sculpture, and crafts. 

Scottsdale has a thriving downtown, outstanding art galleries, and many restaurants that offer

the finest cuisine from the cultural traditions represented. 

Indian Bend Wash has been developed into the city’s most popular park and accompanying lake.  The park runs the length of Scottsdale along Hayden Boulevard.  Roller skating, fishing, soccer, volleyball, baseball and jogging are among the activities provided there year round.

There are also equestrian activities of all types - everything from English and Western performances to roping, jumping, and halter events, as well as those that feature the Arabian, the Quarter Horse, and the world's longest horse-drawn parade. If your interests run to golf, tennis, fine cuisine, classic cars, art, music, or hot air ballooning, Scottsdale has these too, and more.
 

North Scottsdale is the home of Rawhide, an authentic 1880’s western town.  It has shops, a museum, an ice cream parlor, a stagecoach ride and a Canestoga wagon.  More than twenty shops sell handmade jewelry and crafts. 

For many years, Scottsdale has been known as "The West's Most Western Town." Scottsdale was voted the Most Livable City by the U.S. Conference of Mayors in 1993, and is consistently named among the top cities in the country in which to raise children, to retire, and is rated the number one resort community in America.