Scottsdale Old Town

Scottsdale began in the late nineteenth century as a small farming community in the desert east of Phoenix, taking its name from an early settler. Irrigation from the Salt River made farming possible, and for its first decades the town was a modest agricultural place on the edge of the growing valley.

In the twentieth century, warm winters, desert scenery, and the arrival of artists and resorts transformed Scottsdale into a destination. It embraced a Western theme and a reputation for art and hospitality, and the old core became Old Town, the walkable heart that preserves the city's early character even as the surrounding metropolis grew enormous around it.

Old Town is one of the great gallery districts of the American Southwest, packed with art spaces showing everything from traditional Western and Native American work to contemporary and international art. For collectors and casual browsers alike, the sheer density of galleries in a few walkable blocks is a draw in itself.

The district's long-running weekly ArtWalk, held on Thursday evenings, is a beloved tradition, when galleries open their doors, the streets fill with people, and the whole neighborhood takes on a festive air. Alongside the fine art, shops sell Southwestern and Native jewelry, crafts, and goods, giving the district a strong sense of place rooted in the region's cultures.

The Salt River Valley where Scottsdale sits is ancient inhabited country. Long ago the Hohokam people built an extensive network of irrigation canals across this desert to farm its river-fed land, an engineering achievement whose traces underlie the modern valley. Their descendants and other peoples continue to live in the region today.

Just east of Scottsdale lies the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, home to the Akimel O'odham and Pee-Posh peoples, a reminder that the valley's story did not begin with the farming town or the resort city. That deep Native presence is part of the cultural richness reflected in Old Town's art, jewelry, and craft traditions.

Old Town's great appeal is how easily it is explored on foot, a rarity in the car-centric Valley. A free trolley links it with nearby areas, and the district connects to Scottsdale's waterfront, resorts, and the wider Phoenix metro, so a visit can stretch from an afternoon browse into an evening out.

The Valley's climate shapes the rhythm of a visit. The cooler months, from fall through spring, are ideal for strolling the streets, browsing galleries, and enjoying outdoor dining, and they are the busiest season. Summer days are famously hot, so outdoor wandering is best saved for early morning or the cooler evening, when the district comes alive with lights and crowds.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.