What an AWESOME family experience at Taroko! We came as a…read morefamily of six, with ages ranging from 10 to 40, and EVERYONE had an incredible time! From the batting cages, to pitching, to the arcade games, and to food and drinks there was something for everyone. We laughed, competed, played, and made some great family memories. But what REALLY stood out was the customer service from Tallon (sorry if I butchered your name)! He was absolutely fantastic! He continuously checked on us throughout our visit to make sure we had everything we needed and were enjoying ourselves. What impressed us even more was how attentive he was to all the other customers too. You could tell he genuinely cared about making sure everyone was having a great experience. That kind of customer service is RARE and deserves to be recognized! Tallon truly went above and beyond and made our visit a great experience! THANK YOU!

Visited Taroko Sports last night with my husband and two kids (5 and 7). We came across their Yelp…read morepage and knew we had to pay a visit during our mini vacay in Scottsdale / Mesa. Our son is a baseball fanatic and we knew he would have a blast here. As a pitcher, he LOVED the pitching cage. The cage measures your pitch speed and also scores based on your accuracy. What a fun concept. In addition, there are a good amount of batting cages. Each cage is equipped with different sized bats and a helmet. You may also bring your own gear as well. There are softball and baseball cages and speeds of 50 - 80 MPH. We all had a fun time practicing our swings with the virtual pitcher. * Note: Batting cage for left handed hitters is cage 9. There are basketball games in the back along with bowling lanes and arcade games in the facility. Our 5 year old loved the driving games. We couldn't believe the great deal that they have. For $64.99, you can get 90 minutes of unlimited free play for 4 people with a pizza and choice of drink. Yes, UNLIMITED. It was a perfect choice for our family of four. The customer service was top notch and very informative / detailed. Huge thanks and props to Talon for all of his help and ensuring that we enjoyed our time at Taroko!! He was so great and so patient for answering our many questions. Taroko will definitely be a regular stop for us when we are in AZ. It is a perfect spot for tons of family fun for all ages. We cannot wait to come back!!

Was looking for something different to do during the day with my teens since we had most of the…read moreday-time to kill before our evening event, and I'm beyond thrilled that I found this place! We purchased our tickets online, but you can also purchase them right when you get there. It wasn't busy at all when we went, which was a Sunday afternoon, so there was plenty of parking available. When you walk towards the entrance area there will be someone standing there to greet and ask if you've already got your tickets. If so, they will scan them and you're free to head inside. If not, they'll direct you to the ticket window for purchase. There's a little gift shop and restaurant/bar off to the right and bathrooms to the left as soon as you walk in! The entire experience was so beautiful and serene! There's a map that they give you when you walk in as well, which was very helpful since the entire facility is pretty large with multiple various pathways. Pro tip; you can also use the map to fan yourself if it's too hot. And it will be hot! I meant to bring an umbrella, however I forgot. So I'm glad there's some shaded areas throughout. They have multiple water fountains along the pathways where you can also fill up your own water bottles for free. There was also a "Cool Down" room that was a nice, almost necessary spot to stop in to do just that! They don't want you fainting or having a heat stroke, so take advantage! There's also so much to see!!! I would just once again recommend bringing a reusable water bottle or lots of water if you don't want to use the fountains. An umbrella, or wear a sun hat or lots of sunscreen! Most importantly, bring your camera, or make sure you have your phone fully charged because there are so many beautiful things to see and photograph!

I've been to the garden a number of times specifically for the night lights exhibit this summer…read more They did such a great job! This is always such a peaceful place to walk around and enjoy the plants and seasonal exhibits. While I'm sad to see the garden lights exhibit go, I'm excited to see what's next, and for nice weather activities! They've re-opened the garden cafe with Mark Tarbell in charge so looking forward to trying that out, and added a Cantina with cocktails, beer, wine, and a mocktail. And have a gelato and coffee shop coming soon. I love seeing the changes and always done so well.

The exhibits were pretty creative and fun! I loved that most of them were super interactive…read more Beautiful installations of lights for sure. Selection of the art was good. The staff were also super helpful. I think it was worth coming here for sure.

A nice unique thing to do in Scottsdale when you want to cool off from the oven-like conditions…read moreoutside but still want to wander around on your feet. Wonderspaces is basically a poor-man's TeamLabs. Large scale immersive and sometimes interactive artpieces arranged in a minimal modernist setting. When I first looked to go here it looked like it was only operating 5 days a week but to my surprise and delight they were open on the Monday that I was in town, so naturally I grabbed myself a ticket for a mental diversion from my workcation otherwise holed up in my hotel. When you check-in, a nice old man explains all the exhibits and points out a few highlights, one of which is a piece where you have to sit still for 20 minutes and let "3 robuts" draw you - cuz when else do you get drawn by a robot? (Well, in the age of AI, is it all that different?) Thankfully it wasn't too crowded when I went otherwise it could get quite backlogged waiting to sit for a digital caricaturist! This was probably the most tedious of the works, so I'll start here, as I had to get the host's attention and he came over and did some set up with the robot arms and the nearby tablet's app. He made small talk with me so as to keep my gaze steady as the robots with their webcams and drawing arms started their work. After a few minutes he left me alone but insisted I stay seated still until all the robots were done. One of the robots worked on me for an extra 8 minutes, so this felt more like a dental appointment than a fun electronic experiment. Another work was very reminiscent of teamlabs with dangling strings of LED lights They made such a big deal of each light having its own IP address, which was an implementation detail that really should not have needed oversharing. The work spoke for itself and the lights synchronized to the music immersively. Another fun one was large dots flipping in such a way that you could tell was capturing your motion and playing it back. And some 3D models spun at high speed with flickering lights to make it look like they were pulsing. Then there was the uninteresting video about a boy growing up awkwardly. Didn't seem to fit the theme of the exhibit. The last large scale piece were large plastic takeout bags almost recalling the nihilism from American Beauty and the futility of consumerism - which I think is the underlying principle that got me to spend money in this museum in the first place. A big crowd pleaser which was a large suspended tapestry was out of commission - you could see it but it was lowered for maintenance, so I missed out on that. Anyway, was it a good diversion? I'm satisfied.

1 Star - Dangerous and disappointing experience on the Big Wheel…read more I rode the Boardwalk Big Wheel at Arizona Boardwalk today with my two young boys, ages 2 and 4. The experience was honestly terrible and, more importantly, felt unsafe. It was 105°F outside, and we were placed in the orange #15 gondola. The gondolas are primarily enclosed by glass and have no effective air conditioning. The AC in ours was clearly broken and was blowing hot air instead of cooling the cabin. Within minutes, all three of us were drenched in sweat and the heat inside was becoming extremely uncomfortable. The biggest issue was that the attendant locked us inside the gondola despite the extreme heat. We waved at her to let us out, but she didn't. We went around the entire wheel and, when we came back around, we waved again. She saw us, but still didn't open the door. I ultimately had to yell and knock on the glass to get her attention before she finally let us out after the second trip around. When we got off, I explained what had happened to the attendant. Her response was essentially an unenthusiastic, unapologetic "sorry." There was no concern about whether my children or I were okay, no offer to move us to a functioning gondola, and no refund or other attempt to make the situation right. I paid $22.71 for the ride, but the money isn't really the issue. What concerns me is putting young children into an enclosed, extremely hot gondola with a malfunctioning cooling system and then failing to respond when the passengers are clearly asking to get out. I would strongly recommend that Arizona Boardwalk inspect and properly maintain these gondolas and, more importantly, make sure attendants respond immediately when passengers are signaling that they need to exit. I would not recommend riding the Boardwalk Big Wheel, particularly with young children in extreme heat.

Such a fun place to visit! There are so many restaurants and activities all in one area, plus…read moreparking is easy. Not too fun during the summer though because it's open parking! It's also a great spot to entertain and tire out the kids! Lol There's even a Ferris wheel, but it was way too hot for us to ride. We also found a photo booth near the restrooms ($8), which was a fun little bonus. It's conveniently located near OdySea, Topgolf, and Talking Stick, and it's super easy to get to from the freeway. If you're visiting during the summer, I'd recommend saving the outdoor walking for the cooler months and spending the hotter afternoons indoors at OdySea.

AMAZINNNNNGGGG!!!!!! This is a multi-room place you can go and bring your friends for fun…read moreactivities. The rooms range from activities that have strength, brain teasers, teamwork, and more. It's such a great bonding opportunity and allows you to have fun with whoever you bring with phones down. Parking is NO issue at all at this location. They have so many spots available given the strip outlet location it's in. I do recommend not wearing any thick or heavy clothes and bringing as little items as possible, because you will be moving A LOT and sweating will be your enemy. They have a bar and restaurant as well, but we didn't get a chance to go. Definitely will be back, and next time need to go for 4 hours! I think we did 2 hours and it didn't feel like enough time.

We went to Bam Kazam on a Saturday at around 8 PM. There were 4 of us total, 2 have been there…read morebefore, but this was my first time. The premise is similar to an escape room, but there are several themed, interactive rooms that you try to progress through. Each room has a 3 minute time limit and if you pass the first challenge, a door opens to another room. Each themed room has 3 challenges total. We all had a lot of fun working together as a team. The rooms are hard to complete (at least for us lol) and some of the rooms required more physical ability. There are employees there to help you as requested, which helps if you get stuck on what you're supposed to do. The rooms are well put together, theme-wise, which adds to the experience of the challenges. There were a lot of people there, which meant a long waiting time. I feel as though we did more waiting than we did inside the rooms. Although, it didn't help that several rooms broke or weren't functioning correctly throughout the night. There's also a bar in the back where you can grab drinks and food, if you so choose. I would recommend waiting until after the experience since you have a 2 hour time limit. Overall, Bam Kazam is a unique activity to get a group of friends or family together for a night of fun and challenges! I would definitely go back again, but perhaps on a weekday or a time that would be less busy.

I love coming to this area when looking for some authentic Asian bites and treats, they have the…read morewhole area set up to find basically any Asian sweet treat food and goods you need! Service is always friendly and prompt as well! And it's close by down town mesa area.

I have been to a few of these Asian Night Markets since the Asian Chamber of Commerce started…read morehosting them here in Arizona. For me, I enjoy the chance to engage with culture, eat a variety of foods, and support our local Asian community. These events typically take place in the parking lot of the AZ International Marketplace in Mesa. Several food and retail vendors fill up the parking lot with all sorts of yummy food and cool merchandise. There is also a stage with live entertainment. I recently attended the Kamayan Festival version of the night market which was part of the celebration for Filipino American History Month. I had a VIP pass to the Sapporo beer garden and enjoyed the perks that came with it. As much as I enjoy being a part of these festivals, the lines are usually insanely long. I come to these to try new things, but find myself getting discouraged by the long waits. I have learned the best time to come to Asian Night Markets is when they first open if you want to try a variety of food.

What a surprise! I wasn't expecting much from a spot in an office park but WOW. They really went…read moreall out on the decor and created a true experience. When you walk in, you check in at the combo concession stand/host. There's not a lot (ie no cocktail bar or nachos) but what's there is well-curated. We'd just eaten dinner so didn't get anything but there were snacks and drinks for all tastes. The show room is ....well....magical! It's arranged to seat 44 people, with a long table lower at the center, and then a higher seating area around that. It's all very dark velvet, candles (flameless), and vintage magic posters. Definitely sets the mood and the chairs are very comfortable! The host takes you in and shows you your seats. The magicians rotate but we saw John Shryock. He did a close up magic act and explained how he loves doing these but few venues work for it. He was fun -- lots of "dad jokes", pretty astounding magic, and clearly loves what he does. It's really cool to have something like this here-- and in a spot with easy, free parking and lots of dining choices nearby. We ate at Mekong before and went back for dessert after. Speaking of cool, the air con was set to keep us nice and cool. Much appreciated!

Absolutely an excellent evening of magic happens at Mystique in a surprisingly intimate setting…read more They have locations across the country. Now that I've been there, I think we're are fortunate to have one in the valley. The staff is exceptional in making people feel welcome. We saw Dave Cox who is famous across the country. They change their entertainers regularly. I'm sure we will be going back. If you're looking to have an evening that has a flair and not hokey, Mystique is one to consider. Honestly, I wasn't expecting much, so what I found at Mystique was a shock and certainly a favorable one. I could see a show like this in Las Vegas. Just remember, it is an evening of magic. I can't tell you what to expect and would not want to. Easy to get to, plenty of parking. and directly across from the Sycamore stop at the rail line. There is no reason to be late because of not finding parking. Also, they hold your tickets until five minutes before closing the door so be early. It's worth taking the time not to be late. Read what it says when you buy your ticket. Have a mysterious time!

I live close by, so thank my lucky stars! I wouldn't mind setting up shop in the gaming area and…read moreliving out the rest of my days only sleeping, eating, and gaming. The place is totally air conditioned, no windows, has flat screen tv's and consoles, comfy chairs, what more could you ask for? However, since I have a life (is a life without gaming, really a life I want to live??), I can only make it in here sporadically. Don't even get me started on the customer service, which is hands down, the friendliest customer service I have ever experienced this side of the desert, including Las Vegas. Here we were, chatting up the shop clerk, when lo and behold I find me a copy of Vampire Hunter D. Now I know the game is kinda crappy, but I had to have it for my collection of rarities. Cheaper prices than on Amazon too. So far, this is the only store I know of that stays open so late for all of your gamez (yes, I said GAMEZ) needs.

I usually don't ever make reviews but this has made me so mad at the service here. I was with my…read morefriends and I had to use the restroom and I asked the cashier and he was on his phone and told me there was no bathrooms. I then asked him where the nearest bathroom was and he looked at me and just shrugged at me. Well come to find out my friend also needed to go and he went to the back and saw the public bathroom. Really pissed off how this was handled and I had to walk 2 blocks to find a shop when all along there was a bathroom right there.

Looking for an inexpensive way to kill time, we stumbled upon the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary…read moreArt! There is a free parking garage located behind the museum, shared with nearby businesses. Admission is as follows: Non-members: $16 Students, seniors (65+), veterans, active duty-military, and educators: $13. ID required. Not on their website but healthcare workers are also given this $3 discount! Thanks! I showed up in scrubs after work and qualified lol. * Squidsoup * Infinite * Mark + Making Visions '26 Open Spaces: Fiber Arts Addressing the Landscape Knight Rise by James Turrell ... and more! Small but quaint museum with enthralling exhibits. Definitely worth checking out if you're ever in the area and even remotely into art!

This is a small, contemporary art museum. There are 5 galleries, which are well marked and very…read moreinteresting. The museum is very clean and modern. Parking is FREE, in adjacent covered parking structure Bathroom is in Performing Arts Building, which is right next door to museum Admission is $3.00 less ($13) is bought ahead of time Docent George was a real standout- What a nice guy! He was extremely knowledgeable about the exhibits There is a small gift store area as well as a outdoor exhibit All exhibits were contemporary art Overall, this is a fabulous museum to visit. It takes a couple of hours to see everything

Super fun arcade located inside the Yucca Tap Room! There's three entire rooms of mainly pinball…read moremachines, but some other arcade games too. There's a little tiki bar and I got the vacation in valhalla drink. They also have a few NA beverages and the prices are good. There's two machines to get tokens from if you have cash (or you can get cash back when you order drinks). My friends and I had a great time trying out the various pinball machines! Only negative is that some of the pinball machines ate my tokens. The arcade also has events like a weekly pinball tournament.

The Bat lived up to all expectations. 6 hours of pumping…read morecoins and slamming drinks. What a day! Thanks Patrick Swayze for the gear and the tips on the tacos! Can't wait to come back!