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Cheap or Free Things To Do During an Extended Stay in Phoenix

Cheap or Free Things To Do During an Extended Stay in Phoenix

Planning an extended stay vacation to Phoenix? This city offers many low-cost attractions, museums, and activities to choose from. Stay at one of our three Phoenix metro InTown Suites and make your travel budget go even further. Follow along to find great accommodations near all the best things to do and have fun exploring Phoenix and enjoying new adventures every day.

Affordable Weekly Hotels Near Things To Do in Phoenix

Selecting extended-stay hotels in Phoenix near attractions is key to making your trip affordable and stress-free. If you’re a fan of idioms, you probably agree that “time is money,” so why would you want to waste your entire vacation commuting to and from things to do? Not only will this cost money for gas or rideshares, and squander valuable time you might spend on more worthwhile pursuits, but no one wants to blow their entire week sitting in traffic. 

InTown Suites’ Phoenix extended stay hotels are located in metro areas near tons of free and cheap things to do. Each suite is outfitted for a practical, budget-friendly vacation and includes an in-room kitchen with a full-size refrigerator, two-burner stovetop, and microwave so you don’t need to eat out every meal, and you will have plenty of space to enjoy activities in your suite instead of paying for nightly entertainment. The cheap weekly rates let you stay long enough to enjoy all the area has to offer, too. So now that you know where to stay in Phoenix, it’s time to create an itinerary. 

Free Things To Do in Phoenix

Having fun in Phoenix doesn’t have to cost you a lot of money or require endless searching to find things to do—this city has loads of fun stuff to do, from attractions to museums and outdoor spots that are engaging for all ages—and most of them are free. Museums are a great way to learn and explore: The Art Museum is free on Wednesdays and the Capitol Museum is free every day with an advanced reservation. We’ve included other options for entertainment related to nature, history, and sports, so you can find free things to do today or any day during your visit.

Walk Through Historic Heritage Square

The city block known as Historic Heritage Square is part of the Heritage & Science Park and can be found on the National Register of Historic Places; this district features beautiful Victorian homes from Phoenix’s original settlement. Take a leisurely stroll through the oldest residential area in the city, and be sure to check out Rosson House in Heritage Square, which was once one of the most prominent homes in town. The official tour is a worthwhile, yet cheap thing to do in Phoenix, as it lasts an hour and the cost starts under $20 for adults. There are also discounts available for seniors, members, and military personnel. This attraction is just seven miles from InTown Suites Phoenix West and within 20 minutes of Chandler and Gilbert.

Get Active in South Mountain Park

This park is one of the best free things to do in Phoenix and it is open every day, even weekends. South Mountain Park is a 16,000-acre park full of trails and wildlife, and there’s a road that leads to a lookout with panoramic city and valley views. Pack a picnic lunch and head out for hiking and spending the day in this stunning natural environment. There are trails for any skill level and lots to see, like the petroglyphs (prehistoric rock art) and the famed Mystery Castle. This park is nearest the Chandler InTown Suites, just a short five-mile drive away, but is within 15 miles of all our metro properties.

Visit the Phoenix Art Museum For Free

Because it offers free admission on Wednesdays from 3pm to 9pm, there’s no better time or place to immerse yourself in art exploration than at the Phoenix Art Museum. The United States’ largest art museum for visual art features exhibits with an emphasis on American, Asian, European, Latin American, modern and contemporary influences. Along with free Wednesdays, the Phoenix Art Museum also hosts free events quarterly, one on rotating dates and the other on select Fridays:

  • Family Fundays: This all-ages event is offered free to everyone four times a year and features all-ages arts engagement programming.
  • AfterHours: On select Friday evenings the museum is open for free live music, art-making workshops, specialty food and drink experiences, and other performances.

Tour the Arizona Capitol Museum

You’ll need to plan ahead to visit the Capitol Museum, but it is one of the free things to do in Phoenix that interests civic-minded visitors, architecture enthusiasts, and history buffs alike. Tours are available by reservation only and must be booked one week in advance. Learn about Arizona’s time as a territory and the early days of its statehood, see its historic flags, and spend some time at the Bolin Memorial Park outside. The monuments include those for the USS Arizona, memorials for Desert Storm and World War II, and more. InTown Suites West is the nearest location, but the other properties are within a 30-minute drive.

See the Action at the Cardinals Training Camp

When you’re looking for free stuff to do in Phoenix for sports fans, head to the Cardinals Training Camp. These open practice days are free for anyone to watch the superstar football players run drills and get ready for the next season. The State Farm Stadium also hosted Super Bowl LVII in 2023 so you can see where history was made. No-cost digital tickets are required to hold your spot, so stay tuned for the dates, as they are announced during the summer. The nearest InTown Suites is the West location, just seven miles away.

Cheap Things To Do in Phoenix

Though these activities will cost you a few dollars for admission, these cheap things to do in Phoenix are worthwhile ways to spend your time. We’ve included a mix of indoor and outdoor activities so you can find entertainment for any weather. And none of these activities is too far from our affordable InTown Suites locations in Phoenix. 

Stroll the Japanese Friendship Garden of Phoenix

Discover this serene garden in the heart of downtown Phoenix and feel transported to a different world. The Japanese Friendship Garden includes four gardens—the stroll garden, tea garden, stone garden, and courtyard garden and is within 30 minutes from the three InTown Properties in Phoenix. The low-cost admission is available only online, and prices increase at the gate, so order your tickets in advance for the cheapest admission.

Uncover History at the Hall of Flame Fire Museum

Add the Hall of Flame Fire Museum to your list of cheap things to do in Phoenix to learn about firefighter heroes and see antique equipment. This museum offers free parking, and admission starts under $20. Touring the Hall of Flame Fire Museum is money well spent when you see all of the historic exhibits of fully restored fire apparatuses dating from 1725 to 1969, plus firetrucks and interactive areas. This museum is within 15 miles of all of the InTown Suites locations.

Learn Something New at the Arizona Science Center

Discounted admission days and promotions make the Arizona Science Center another affordable, cheap thing to do while in Phoenix. Visit in the afternoons (after 1:00 p.m.) to take 32% off an adult general admission, and find other discounts for seniors and active duty military members. This museum is open seven days a week so you can add it to your list of things to do in Phoenix this weekend or during the week. The center features permanent exhibits about flight, money, and biology, plus rotating attractions. 

Saddle-Up for Adventure at Goldfield Ghost Town

Though this attraction is about 45 minutes from downtown, it is well worth the desert drive since most visitors to Phoenix agree that seeing Goldfield is one of their favorite things to do. This real ghost town from the Gold Rush era offers many attractions; most are cheap—costing only $8 to $12 each—and some are free. Pan for gold, circle the town on a narrated railroad journey, explore authentic Old West buildings, or head underground for a tour of the former gold mine. There’s also a bakery, saloon, and merchants in the town for you to make the most of your time in Goldfield.

Step up to the Plate with Chase Field Tours

The 75-minute ballpark tour of Chase Field, home to the Diamondbacks of MLB, is a great adventure for baseball fans. Admission is relatively inexpensive—especially during the week—and they also offer discounted parking right at the stadium and deals at the team store for tour participants. The ballpark itself boasts some features worth seeing, like a pool in right field, one of the league’s largest video scoreboards, and several restaurants. This tour is a cheap activity for any sports fan and a fun way for anyone in Phoenix to spend their day.
Now that you’ve got some inspiration for free or relatively cheap things to do in Phoenix, it’s time to plan your trip! You can easily fill a weeklong itinerary with one or more of these activities and make your vacation the most fun—and affordable—one yet. Find InTown Suites in Gilbert and other Phoenix metro areas and watch our weekly offers to save even more on your visit to The Valley of the Sun.

Weekly Rate Hotels in Phoenix

InTown Suites Extended Stay Phoenix AZ – West
$429 /weekly
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InTown Suites Extended Stay Phoenix AZ – Chandler
$449 /weekly
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InTown Suites Extended Stay Phoenix AZ – Gilbert
$489 /weekly
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