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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