Experience AZ magazine is Arizona’s go-to travel and adventure guide, showcasing the best places to eat, stay, shop, explore and experience across the state. Here are five places in Arizona that will take you back in time, as featured in the latest issue of Experience AZ.
Arizona Renaissance Festival
The Arizona Renaissance Festival transforms Gold Canyon into a full-blown medieval village each spring, complete with jousting knights, roaming performers, artisan markets and hearty feasts. Booths from vendors with medieval goods and clothes give attendants the opportunity to participate in the immersive experience. With 16 stages of nonstop entertainment, axe throwing and turkey legs in hand, it’s a wild escape straight into the 16th century.
Information: arizona.renfestinfo.com
Arizona Science Center
The Arizona Science Center in Downtown Phoenix is a hands-on journey through time, space and science. Explore four floors of interactive exhibits, from the inner workings of the brain to the edges of space. Catch a show in the five-story IMAX theater or planetarium, and dive into rotating national exhibits. Designed by Antoine Predock and rooted in over 40 years of STEM education, it’s an immersive, curiosity-fueled adventure for all ages, all year long.
Information: azscience.org
Medieval Times Dinner Theater
Catching dinner and a show at Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament in Scottsdale is a step into the age of knights, jousting and royal feasts. Guests enjoy a four-course meal while cheering for their champion in an epic arena show packed with sword fights, horsemanshi, and medieval pageantry. No silverware, no problems, just pure medieval fun year-round.
Information: medievaltimes.com/scottsdale
Biosphere 2
Biosphere 2 in Oracle, Arizona, feels like stepping into a time machine for Earth. Built in 1991 as a closed ecological experiment, it spans 3.14 acres under glass, housing a rainforest, ocean, desert and more. Once sealed with scientists inside, today it’s open daily to the public, tickets are affordable, starting at $25.
Information: biosphere2.org
Old Tombstone Western Theme Park
Old Tombstone Western Theme Park brings the Wild West to life with daily gunfight shows, comedy stunt performances and historical reenactments. Located in historic Tombstone, Arizona, visitors can pan for gold, tour a replica jail or ride a stagecoach. Open daily, it’s best to arrive by 11 a.m. for the full experience.
Information: tombstonegunfights.com
