The 16 Best Things to Do in Glendale

A tiny paperback copy of "Fifty Shades of Grey" sitting next to a miniature bag of Lay's barbecue chips pretty much sets the tone. Auntie Em's is a dollhouse supply and curiosity shop in Historic Downtown Glendale with thousands of small-scale items, from hand-painted furniture to tiger-skin rugs. The other half of the store belongs to retro toys: pedal cars, vintage Barbies, model trains. No website, so you just have to show up.

1. Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Place to Buy Something Small · Best of Phoenix
2. Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Tiny Things · Best of Phoenix

1. Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Go-Karts · Best of Phoenix

A mom-and-pop pet grooming shop in a west-side strip mall, Bark & Purr handles cats and dogs of any age, including the anxious, reactive, and difficult cases that other groomers quietly turn away. The staff take time before your appointment to understand your pet's particular quirks, so call ahead rather than walking in. Wear something dark-colored, or don't, and just lean into it.

1. Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Pet Grooming · Best of Phoenix

A comic shop in Glendale sitting on tens of thousands of titles across every genre, plus a deep back-issue inventory for the hunters. The staff will hold you hostage in conversation about the latest manga wave or the return of Marvel's Ultimate line, and they seem genuinely pleased to do it. Toys, T-shirts, and over 150 posters round out the shelves, and the occasional game night or artist signing gives regulars a reason to show up even after they've bought everything they wanted.

1. Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Comic Book Store · Best of Phoenix

Thirty-five dollars gets you a thirty-minute deep-tissue massage at this no-appointment-needed foot spa and massage shop tucked into a Glendale strip mall. Chairs up front handle the foot work; beds in the back are for serious back sessions. The therapists are thorough enough that regulars have a standing order to ask for the "magic potion," a salve that targets whatever's been bothering you. Open every day from morning to evening, it runs on walk-ins.

1. Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Cheap Massages · Best of Phoenix

A wicker basket a few hundred feet over the Sonoran Desert has a way of reordering your priorities. Rainbow Ryders runs hot air balloon flights over Phoenix, and the combination of cityscape and open desert below does something to your sense of scale that ground level simply cannot. They carry a serious safety record, which matters more than usual when the floor is a woven basket. Go at dawn; the math on summer afternoon heat in a balloon is not in your favor.

1. Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Way to See Phoenix From the Air · Best of Phoenix

Floor-to-ceiling shelves packed with over 50,000 DVDs, Blu-rays, and games make this a video rental shop that has, against all odds, continued to exist. Superstar Video carries the latest releases alongside out-of-print rarities you won't find on any streaming service, and if they don't have it, the owner will track it down. New releases rent for a couple of dollars, which says everything about why people keep coming back.

1. Phoenix New Times 2025 · Best Video Store · Best of Phoenix

A vast stage and a sound system loud enough to rattle the fillings out of your skull make The 44 in Glendale the go-to metal venue in the Valley, which feels cosmically correct given that Alice Cooper grew up nearby. National touring acts share the bill with tribute bands and local talent, and the bar food is cheap enough that you can eat and still afford a band tee. Bring earplugs unless you enjoy tinnitus as a souvenir.

1. Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Place to See a Metal Show · Best of Phoenix
2. Phoenix New Times 2023 · Best Place to See a Metal Show · Best of Phoenix

Nearly 180 cars fill a converted big-box store in Glendale, ranging from a 1909 REO touring car to muscle cars that look like they're still angry about the gas crisis. The collection rotates regularly, since the owner keeps classics stashed all over the Valley, so repeat visits turn up something new. A vintage carousel and a 1929 Chevrolet popcorn truck keep younger visitors occupied while the gearheads linger over the Hot Rod back issues.

1. Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Place to See Classic Cars · Best of Phoenix

A Chicago-style speakeasy in suburban Glendale that survived a close call when its founders stepped away, saved by a general manager who bought the place outright and kept the plush seating and famously good acoustics intact. Local blues and R&B acts play the stage most nights, and a recently upgraded patio now lets you take your drink outside. Phoenix's blues scene is thin, so this one carries some weight.

1. Phoenix New Times 2024 · Best Blues Bar · Best of Phoenix

Bellair Golf Park is a driving range that stays open until 10 p.m., which tells you most of what you need to know about the vibe. TopTracer technology tracks every shot for those who like data, while everyone else just enjoys hitting things outside of the summer heat. It lands somewhere between serious practice facility and a genuinely good time, without the bill that comes with the fancier simulators around town. The west side's answer to a night out that doesn't require a dress code.

1. Phoenix New Times 2023 · Best Place to Trace Your Balls · Best of Phoenix

Blue Dragon Vapor is a vape shop chain with several Valley locations, and the main thing separating it from the average smoke shop is that you don't feel vaguely ashamed walking in. The spaces are bright, clean, and well-stocked, with glass cases of hardware, a solid wall of e-juice, and staff who actually know what they're selling. Phoenix New Times named it Best Vape Shop in 2023.

1. Phoenix New Times 2023 · Best Vape Shop · Best of Phoenix

Neon lights, a DJ booth, and rental skates that have seen things: Great Skate is a classic indoor roller rink doing what roller rinks do, and doing it on a packed schedule. Public sessions run most nights alongside kids' and adult lessons, themed skate events, and the occasional adults-only evening when the parents reclaim the floor. The food and drinks are rink-standard, which is exactly what the mood calls for.

1. Phoenix New Times 2023 · Best Roller Skating · Best of Phoenix

Six Flags Hurricane Harbor is a full-scale waterpark on the northwest edge of Phoenix, and the Anaconda is its calling card, a multi-person raft slide that corkscrews and spins before depositing everyone into a pool in a satisfying heap. Younger kids have their own splash zones to tear through. When summer in the Valley runs past 110 degrees, "waterpark" stops being a leisure category and starts being a survival strategy.

1. Phoenix New Times 2023 · Best Waterpark · Best of Phoenix

A historic park in Glendale where peacocks graze under fruit trees while doves call from tall palms overhead. The grounds are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the old ranch buildings make a handsome backdrop for a walk through the gardens. There are playgrounds and sports fields on the other side if you need a reason to bring kids. The peacocks, though, do most of the convincing on their own.

1. Phoenix New Times 2023 · Best Park · Best of Phoenix

The Arizona Cardinals call it home, but State Farm Stadium earns its keep on the concert calendar. The retractable-roof arena seats 64,000, which means when a stadium tour rolls into the Phoenix metro, the spectacle scales accordingly. The Rolling Stones, Metallica, and U2 have each played it twice, and Taylor Swift launched the Eras tour here. Big room, big sound, big crowds dressed accordingly.

1. Phoenix New Times 2023 · Best Stadium Venue · Best of Phoenix