Things to Do in Glendale AZ: A Local Guide

Glendale is the anchor of the Phoenix West Valley, and it punches well above its weight as a destination. Most visitors know it for State Farm Stadium — the Cardinals home and one of the premier event venues in the Southwest — but the city has a lot more going on than a single stadium. From a genuinely walkable antique and dining district to one of the best sports entertainment complexes in the country, Glendale is worth understanding on its own terms.

State Farm Stadium and Westgate

State Farm Stadium at 1 Cardinals Drive is the centerpiece. The retractable-roof stadium seats over 63,000 and hosts Arizona Cardinals NFL games from August through January, along with a rotating calendar of major concerts, college football bowl games, and occasional marquee events — it has hosted multiple Super Bowls, the College Football Playoff National Championship, and some of the largest touring acts in music. If you are visiting Glendale for any of these, the stadium is the obvious anchor.

Directly adjacent is Westgate Entertainment District — a walkable outdoor plaza with sports bars, restaurants, a movie theater, and retail that activates heavily on game days and event nights. It is designed for exactly this kind of pre- and post-event crowd, and the concentration of options in one walkable block makes it more convenient than most of the Valley's sprawling strip corridors. Even on non-event days it functions as a legitimate dining and bar destination.

Old Town Glendale

About eight miles east of Westgate, Old Town Glendale is an entirely different character. It is one of the few genuinely walkable historic districts in the West Valley, anchored by antique shops, independent restaurants, coffee houses, and craft vendors concentrated along Glendale Avenue and 58th Avenue. The neighborhood has a quiet, small-town energy that is a real contrast to the stadium corridor, and it draws a loyal local crowd that has nothing to do with football or spring training.

Old Town is worth a few hours on any visit — especially if you are doing a Cactus League trip and want a break from ballpark food and chain restaurants. The weekend farmers market and the twice-yearly antique festivals draw larger crowds, but the neighborhood is pleasant even without a specific event on.

Spring training at Camelback Ranch

Glendale's second major sports venue is Camelback Ranch, the spring training home of the LA Dodgers and Chicago White Sox. The complex is in the far western part of the city, about 20 minutes from Westgate. Spring training runs from late February through late March and is one of the best baseball experiences in the country — see the Camelback Ranch guide for the full picture.

Outdoor spaces and parks

Glendale has a solid network of parks for a city its size. Sahuaro Ranch Park near 59th and Mountain View is the most distinctive — it preserves a working citrus grove and historic ranch buildings in the middle of the suburbs, and the grounds are genuinely pleasant for a morning walk or picnic. Foothills Recreation and Aquatics Center on 75th Avenue is a popular community hub if you need a lap pool or fitness facility during a longer stay.

Food and drink

Glendale's food scene splits clearly between the Westgate corridor (chains and sports bars optimized for event crowds) and the independent restaurant and brewery scene in and around Old Town — Saddle Mountain Brewing, Simple Machine Brewing, Grand Avenue Brewing, and craft cafes like Union Coffee Co. and The Pink Door Tea House are the flagships — (more local, more varied, better value). For the best independent dining, focus on Old Town and the Glendale Avenue corridor east of 59th. For pre-game convenience, Westgate has everything you need within a short walk of the stadium.

For entertainment, PopStroke (Tiger Woods mini-golf + bar), Chicken N Pickle (pickleball + food), Escape Westgate (escape rooms), Castles N' Coasters, and Stir Crazy Comedy Club all operate in the Glendale corridor. Browse current restaurants, bars, and events across Glendale and the rest of the West Valley on the West Valley guide, and see the Arizona events calendar for what is running during your visit.