Mesa Area Activities

There are so many things to do in Mesa.  Mesa is located due East of Phoenix Arizona. The City of Mesa is home to Mesa’s Grande Cultural Park, which has a ceremonial mound that is centuries old. The Hohokam people from hundreds of years ago left many artifacts and relics at the mound site. There’s a Museum of Natural History that has exhibits of Dinosaur skeletons and other archaeological finds from the area. The I.D.E.A. Museum has lots of hands on activities, artistic projects and exhibits for children of all ages. Lots of great theater productions, musicals, and contemporary art on display at the Mesa Arts Center.

Whatever it is you’re looking for in educational, relaxation, history, and entertainment, Mesa has the experience you’ve been looking for. The area’s natural attractions include: Superstition Mountains, Salt River, Verde River, Apache Trail, Usery Mountain Regional Park and many lakes nearby. Hike and explore the Superstition Mountains in all its beauty, catch a boat cruise aboard the Desert Belle on Saguaro Lake (one of my favorite spots to cool off in the summertime), or take a slow trip in the Dolly Steamboat on Canyon Lake.

Perhaps child friendly museum fun is on your agenda for family fun in Mesa? The dinosaurs have come to life at the Arizona Museum of Natural History. Let your mind soar high among the clouds learning about vintage airplanes and aircraft at the Commemorative Air Force Airbase Arizona. Take a trip back into the past at the Rockin’ R Ranch. Get a head above the rest while taking in the beautiful Sonoran Landscape by taking a hot air balloon ride with Hot Air Expeditions.

Outdoor Things to do in Mesa

Visit the Dobson Ranch Golf Course for a par 72, excellent 18-hole championship quality golf course. There’s mature trees, large greens, and boasts a challenging landscape with over 6,700 yards of fairways lined with native trees. The driving range and practice facilities are lighted, and PGA instruction on proper golfing are a few of the reasons why Dobson Ranch Golf Course is a great option. The pro shop offers a complete product line of golfing equipment and apparel, and offers free junior golfer clinics every summer. Add this golf course to your bucket list 2155 S. Dobson Rd. Mesa, AZ.

New Times says this is the Best of Phoenix Winner: Mesa Amphitheatre at 263 N. Center Street is rated one of the best outdoor concert venues in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. The Mesa Amphitheatre hosts bands and touring musical acts from all across the globe or right here at home. Big name acts frequently perform at this great outdoor venue every year. The construction of the Amphitheatre allows concert goers to experience a more intimate experience, because every seat in the house is a great one! Mesa Amphitheatre is an open air style venue that’s popular for community events and daylong festivals. Owned and operated by the City of Mesa, you’ll surely want to stop in and catch a show organized by the Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities Department.

I.D.E.A Museum was a prodigy of a great 36-year history with the Arizona Museum for Youth. This museum is fun, original, educational, inspiring, and has a hands-on art museum for families and youth from all over. The museum hosts over 100,000 people annually and has over 1,700 families apart of its membership. The addition of science, engineering, and design-provoking technological advancements at the museum has inspired more families to become a part of the creative development process. Founded in 1978, John Whiteman and a group of dedicated individuals in the Mesa community started The Center for Fine Arts, Inc., which evolved into the Arizona Museum for Youth in February 2014, but has since been shut down due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The project was focused on getting youth inspired in art during the developmental phases of early learning. With so much to discover and be inspired by, bring the family to I.D.E.A. Museum at 150 W. Pepper Place, Mesa for a great learning experience.

The Arizona Commemorative Air Force Museum is located at 2017 N. Greenfield Road, Mesa. For less than $20.00 per person, you’ll definitely want to spend the day checking out the vintage aircraft from the WWII era. This museum is run primarily by volunteers that are educating, preserving, and restoring a piece of military aviation history that we must never forget. Take your friends and family on this eye-opening experience of combat aviation history. You’ll experience more than your average museum visit when you get up close and personal with artifacts, stories, and hands-on with real combat Air Force War Planes in Mesa, Arizona. To make the experience super exciting, you should consider booking a night-time flight mission aboard Old Number 30, the museum’s C-47. See all Phoenix’s beautiful night time lights on this unforgettable adventure. Share in the excitement of vintage flight with gift certificates for a half dozen war birds. Experience the new WWI Exhibit and the latest Huey UH-1B Gunship Chopper Exhibit. Be one of the families among the thousands of people to experience the Commemorative Air Force Museum in all its guts and glory.

Explore the Arizona Museum of Natural History. Lots of great Exhibits to see including: Cultures of the Ancient Americas, Cenozoic Lobby, Origins, Dinosaur Hall, Dinosaur Mountain, Arizona Through Time, DinoZone, Paleo Dig Pit, Native People of the Past, Mesoamerica and South America Gallery, Fun with Arizona History and the Exploration Station. Explore the most Archaeology in the state with: Arizona Archaeology Society, Arizona State Historical Preservation Office, Archaeological Excavations, and the Architecture and Chronology at Chichen Itza, Yucatan. There’s amazing information on Paleontology including: Fort Crittendon Formation Paleontological Project, 111 Ranch Paleontological Project, Zuni Basin Paleontological Project, Arizona Triassic Paleontological Project, Tonto National Forest Devonian Project, Phoenix Basin Ice Age, Shellenberger Canyon Paleontological Project, Field Methods, Publications, and Southwest Paleontological Society. There’s so many collections to see and learn about, and a few of these are: Archaeology Collections, Art Collections, Ethnology Collections, History Collections, Natural History Collections, Paleontology Collections, Catalog of Museum Collections, and the Collections of Public Art & Sculptures. With days of stuff to explore you’ll want to make plenty of time to see the Arizona Museum of Natural History located at 53 N. Macdonald, Mesa, AZ.

Next time you’re looking for things to do in Mesa, you’ll have a much easier time planning your next vacation get away.