My best friend and I visited Desert Botanical Garden after a lovely dinner in the area. She…read morementioned that she had tickets left over from a visit earlier in the day that granted admittance later in the evening/after dark. I had never been to Desert Botanical Garden despite living in the area for nearly five years, so I was quick to agree to tag along! We visited on an evening that was also dog night, so in addition to seeing the beautiful botanicals, we got to see lots of happy pups. Though my dog was not with us, I appreciated how they had lots of doggy bags, water bowls, and water stations at the ready for the dog owners. The exhibit was beautiful, seeing the lights intertwined with the plants and the cacti. This was truly breathtaking. I will definitely add Desert Botanical Garden to my list of places to take friends and family who visit me out west.

Beautiful area to stroll in nature and see desert plants and animals, with a similar experience to…read moreBoyce Thompson Arboretum but less sprawling. The spring is also a great opportunity to see cactus flowering; the nice thing is experiencing the space in different seasons. They frequently have special exhibits and events. This month, it was focused on desert photography and there were several screens put up throughout the garden including a video screening indoors. They also have the garden at night if you want to explore under the cover of darkness and the garden is lit up. On certain weekends they also have dog days where pets can come with owners. In the butterfly area they happened to be releasing butterflies so we got to open envelopes and let them go; kids especially enjoyed this. There are plenty of lizards, bees, hummingbirds and other birds, and for the first time saw a snake slithering around. In the summer, they open early and it's better to go early because it can get very warm when the sun is full force. There are many places to walk, sit on benches and enjoy nature. There are also water bottle filling stations and bathrooms throughout. There's a store with gifts and garden items and a restaurant as well. If you're a member, you also get a small discount at the store. The restaurant isn't cheap, entrees are about $30-35 and they have tacos, salads and appetizers. Near the airport and Papago park, visit the gardens for a peaceful outing.

I loved my experience here at the Japanese Friendship Garden! For starters, this area is peculiar…read morefrom the rest of Phoenix, making it stand out from the other attractions enlisted here. It creates a beautiful environment that not many can experience outside of Arizona, and it is highly recommended to visit for anyone that is seeking a quiet, peaceful, calm, and beautiful setting with jaw dropping scenery. I went with one of my close friends and we both enjoyed the experience we shared. There were benches around to sit and admire the views, along with bridges to get a closer look at the koi fish and ducks. However, the best part was how many ducklings there were following their mamas. I had never seen anything like it, and it was truly an experience to remember.

Wowww, I have heard about this garden for sometime but finally I made it happen to visit…read more As soon as you stepped in-- you already find yourself in the right place; calm, peaceful, beautiful and simple. The garden is well maintained and organized, quiet place for give yourself quiet time and meditation. The garden is not that big place to walk around, but it's definitely worth it if you feel like need to escape and looking for nature therapy--this is the one! Give yourself more time to sit back and enjoy the greenery. The staff is super friendly and welcoming! I will definitely come back again soon.

What a wonderful space available downtown Phoenix. Their website does not do justice to the work…read morethey have put in to create a great event space with bar, stage, garden and all amenities. Attended a wedding at Alwun and can say this place is a new favorite event space downtown. Very quiet, picturesque and really takes you away from the hustle and bustle of the downtown environment around Fountain, bar, tables & chairs, stage, covered area and great lighting. Really wonderful in person.

Started First Friday at Alwun House. My first time there and I really enjoyed walking around the…read morerooms of the old house. The art was quite nice with mixed media that was at time part Hellraiser, and part Roman Emperor Caligula. I love to look at art, it focuses my attention as I slow down stop and reflect. Art always challenges one to shift one perspective and muse new ways of thought and bent on life. The patio and outdoor landscape is equal parts calmness with water gently gurgling, koi fish swimming with lush pretty plantings and equal parts First Friday pumping techno bass, food trucks and art stalls. If you haven't been so check out Alwun House, support local businesses and artists!!

This garden is simply Beautiful. There are lots trees. Perfect for weddings, quiet gatherings,…read moreand much more.

What can we say... WOW! Boojum Tree was the wedding venue of our dreams! The venue itself is so…read morebeautiful, perfectly matching our vibe with its greenery, eclectic decorations, warm lights, stone, wood, and water features. The settings within it are so varied and fun to hang out in and explore, and many of our guests came to tell us how gorgeous it was. Moving on from looks, Boojum Tree also has fantastic package deals, which made planning for the wedding so much less stressful from out of state. To have a set of great vendors already included (bar, catering, DJ, and day-of-coordinator), as well as decorations, silverware, linens, chairs, ceremony equipment, etc etc was the best thing and really helped us be present and enjoy our wedding. Our day-of-coordinator, Jennifer, was also incredible! She took great care of us, staying organized, moving around flowers and decorations, ensuring our wedding favors were at each table, coordinating with our other vendors, helping with an emergency dress bustling, keeping us on time, and hundreds of other things that we did not see behind the scenes. She clearly works hard and is amazing at what she does. This was the perfect venue for the best day of our lives and booking with Boojum was the single best decision we made. We cannot sing their praises enough and could not have had the wedding we did without them. We are so thankful to the team that made it happen!

Fantastic service. Easy to work with team. Very responsive. Yard looks great now. Was a jungle…read morebefore!

Valentine and his guys did some quick quality work. Always nice when you can find a service to do…read moresmall jobs they can fit in

We decided to have our wedding at the Teapot. Jonathan took so much stress off of us and we were…read morereally able to just enjoy the wedding. This was the perfect intimate venue and the night was absolutely amazing. Jonathan was extremely helpful suggesting a timeline for us and making sure the event ran smoothly. The Teapot also has optional decoration packages and staff that help with the event. I could not recommend this space enough - it was everything we dreamed.

What a beautiful quaint venue to hold any type of celebration. Our baby shower when off without a…read morehitch. Jonathan the owner is extremely helpful and responsive to messages... nothing is a problem. All the guests adored the Teapot Tearoom! Thank you so much.

I was looking for something to do with my parents and family the day after New Year's Day. None of…read moreus had been to Queen Creek Botanical Gardens before so we decided to check it out. We had two seniors (my parents), and three adults. It's $11.57 for adults, $8.41 for seniors, and $5.73 for children under 15. The Queen Creek Botanical Garden is a fully functional, edible landscape, a sacred garden, and an event venue. Guests can explore the hidden alcoves, English Gardens, grassy meadows, Japanese terraced gardens, legend falls, a turn-of-the-century water wheel, hillside gardens, scavenger hunt for kids, and so much more. However, the garden is very small. We were probably there for 30-45 minutes, but we played the lawn games, sat down, and took lots of photos. You can easily explore the whole garden in 15 minutes or less. Guests can rent a canoe for an additional charge but I believe you can fish for no additional charge. The garden is beautiful, serene, and well maintained. It's worth visiting at least once.

Tiny but might. Beautiful grounds situated in the Pecan Lake complex next to feed, go carts, mini…read moregolf, surf, etc. The grounds are beautiful & very well kept. Entry get you in & out all day with a wrist band.

Hello, I was just married here 1/22/2026. It was a wonderful experience and I would recommended it…read moreto all prospective brides. The venue allows you to bring in all your own vendors and make the space your own. The manager is extremely helpful and a wonderful person.

We got married here on March 1, 2025. From start to finish, our experience with The Valley Garden…read moreCenter was great. Ann Marie was very helpful and always responsive to our questions. The grounds are beautiful. As the bride, I loved the bridal suite, although if you have more than 5 bridesmaids it may be a bit small for you. It was really great to be able to bring our own vendors. Highly recommended!

Great Place for pictures! This is the second time I have come here to get pictures. Last year and…read morethis year, our children opted to come to Manistee Ranch for Homecoming pictures with their friends. Tip: The evening light is gorgeous. The ranch offers great places for photographs with the backdrop of greenery, a rarity in the desert landscape of Phoenix. There are arboretums, trellis with gorgeous vines, park benches, quaint historical buildings that suit a photoshoot. Parking is nearby albeit it is hidden. Turn south on 51st from Northern. Watch carefully for the sign next to the Walgreens parking lot that says in fine print: Manistee Ranch Parking. For those in heels and finery, the grounds are small so there isn't a long walk to the great photo spots!

I almost hate to put this place on the Yelp! map because of wanting to keep this "secret" garden…read moreall to myself :) But seeing as I do love a good park amidst the city scene it is worth a mention. Note: you have to walk to it since there is no dedicated parking for this park, but it is definitely worth it!

I was pleasantly surprised by this park! It was very nice and clean, lots of paths to take. There…read morewere a lot of different areas to the park too, one area had old antique buildings and farming equipment while another area was an orchard/garden. The grilling setup was probably the nicest I've ever seen for a public park. There were probably 20-30 individual picnic table areas each with their own grill. They also had a covered area with even bigger grills. There were even peacocks walking around! Numerous baseball/softball fields, as well as playground equipment. I would definitely come back here and bring people.

Fun little trail to run walk or watch the peacocks shaded in some areas can be crowded with moms…read morewith strollers but it's a park what do you expect there's people. Fun history all over this old farm/ranch