Free & Cheap Things to Do in Scottsdale

Arts & Culture

Scottsdale's contemporary art museum, set in a converted movie theater in the downtown Arts District, with rotating exhibitions of modern art, architecture, and design — including the immersive, mirror-walled 'Knight Rise' skyspace by James Turrell. Admission is free every Thursday.

Address: 7374 E 2nd St, Scottsdale, AZ 85251

Tip: Free all day Thursday and pay-what-you-wish; under-18s are always free. Don't miss the free, permanently installed Turrell Skyspace in the courtyard — best at dusk.

Family & Kids

A 30-acre park built around railroad history, free to enter, where the big draws are a ride on the Paradise & Pacific miniature train and a restored 1950 carousel ($3 each). A free indoor railroad museum and model-railroad building, playgrounds, and picnic ramadas fill out a low-cost family day.

Address: 7301 E Indian Bend Rd, Scottsdale, AZ 85250

Tip: Entry, parking, and the railroad museum are free. Buy ride tickets at Stillman Station; all-day wristbands save money for repeat riders. Shaded and stroller-friendly.

History & Culture

A free museum showcasing one of the most successful teams in motorsports, with a rotating display of Indianapolis 500–winning race cars, trophies, and memorabilia from Team Penske's decades at the top. A quick, shiny stop for racing fans, tucked into a North Scottsdale auto mall.

Address: 7191 E Chauncey Ln, Phoenix, AZ 85054

Tip: Free admission, Monday-Saturday 10am-4pm, Sunday 12-5pm. In North Scottsdale near Scottsdale Quarter. Small but polished — about 30-45 minutes. The upstairs café serves lunch.

Arts & Culture

The home and studio of architect Paolo Soleri, a Frank Lloyd Wright student, this otherworldly compound of cast-concrete 'earth-formed' structures is free to wander. Artisans still pour the famous Soleri bronze windbells on weekday mornings — you can watch the molten metal poured.

Address: 6433 E Doubletree Ranch Rd, Paradise Valley, AZ 85253

Tip: Free to walk the grounds and watch bronze pours (weekday mornings, roughly 9:30 & 11:30am, weather permitting). Just west of Scottsdale in Paradise Valley. Guided tours run by reservation.

Shops & Downtown

Scottsdale's walkable historic core blends Old West storefronts with galleries, boutiques, patio restaurants, and a dense concentration of free public art along the Scottsdale Waterfront and Marshall Way. The Thursday-night ArtWalk has drawn gallery-hoppers for more than 40 years and is free to join.

Address: Old Town, Scottsdale, AZ 85251

Tip: Free underground parking garages ring the district. The Thursday evening ArtWalk (7-9pm) is the signature free event. Walk the Soleri Bridge and canal at the Waterfront.

Parks & Nature

The largest urban preserve in the country at more than 30,000 acres, threaded with 225-plus miles of free trails for hikers, bikers, and riders across saguaro-studded foothills. The Gateway and Brown's Ranch trailheads offer well-marked loops for every level, with shaded ramadas and clean facilities.

Address: 18333 N Thompson Peak Pkwy, Scottsdale, AZ 85255

Tip: Free to enter with free trailhead parking. The Gateway Loop (4.5 mi) is the classic intro. Start early — there's almost no shade and summer mornings are essential. Bring lots of water.

Parks & Nature

A free North Scottsdale park built around a 3,170-foot granite pinnacle, with a well-graded 3.5-mile out-and-back trail winding through boulders and desert flora past rock-climbing spots and luxury-home views. Interpretive signs and a ranger station make it a friendly, scenic desert hike.

Address: 26802 N 102nd Way, Scottsdale, AZ 85262

Tip: Free entry and parking (the lot fills on cool-season weekends — arrive early). The trail is exposed; bring water. Watch for rock climbers on the spire and the occasional rattlesnake.