On the northern edge of Tempe's downtown district,
two-mile-long Tempe Town Lake offers leisure boating using rental canoes, kayaks
and electric boats. Excursion boats tour the lake daily; these can be chartered for
group events.
The Tempe Historical Museum presents the story of Tempe, from prehistoric Hohokam
Indians to pioneer farmers to the first businessmen. A downtown historic area displays
some early Tempe homes.
Presenting various theatrical performances, the Tempe Performing Arts Center is
one of several such venues.
Grady Gammage Auditorium, a Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece, is a major stop for
Broadway shows and musicals. The Nelson Fine Arts Center houses the Paul V. Galvin
Playhouse and the Arizona State University (ASU) Art Museum, with its extensive Latin
American, American and Contemporary collections. The Northlight Gallery presents
exhibitions of significant contemporary and historical photography.
Occupying an unusual location, Wyndham Buttes Resort sits atop a volcanic plug,
sporting beautiful waterfalls and an 18-foot slide built into the rock. Southwestern
cuisine is the menu of choice at the Buttes' Top of the Rock Restaurant.
ASU's Sun Devil Stadium hosts the NFL Arizona Cardinals and the Fiesta Bowl. Major
League Baseball's Anaheim Angels use Tempe's Diablo Stadium for Spring Training.
Offering shoppers some interesting venues, Arizona Mills mall includes more than
175 manufacturer outlets, including Last Call Neiman Marcus and Kenneth Cole New
York. Mill Avenue, the heart of downtown, offers coffee shops, quaint stores and
nightclubs. Mill Avenue also sees the annual Fiesta Bowl Block Party, called by USA
Today one of the eight best places in the country to spend New Year's Eve.
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