They call it the City of Seven Wonders. Flagstaff sits at the base of Arizona's tallest mountains, about 80 miles from the Grand Canyon, and it is the only city in Arizona where Route 66 still runs as a working main street. This guide covers the things to do in Flagstaff that locals actually recommend, from dark-sky stargazing to volcano hikes to the storied hotels downtown.
Long before the railroad arrived in 1882 and turned Flagstaff into a boomtown, this land was home to the Ancestral Puebloans and the Cohonina. Today the region remains home to the Navajo, Hopi, Havasupai, Kaibab-Paiute, and Hualapai peoples, and their cultures shape everything from the museums to the murals.
Some of what follows is downtown. Some of it is a half-day trip. All of it earns its spot.
Coconino National Forest
Coconino National Forest wraps around Flagstaff with 1.8 million acres of country that runs from red rock to alpine summit. Day hiking, fishing, horseback trails, and some of the best camping in the state. If you plan to stay out overnight, start with our guide to campsites in Flagstaff.
The Lava River Cave is the underground favorite. A mile-long tube left behind by an ancient volcanic flow, dark enough that you should carry several light sources. No pets inside.
The forest also holds the San Francisco Peaks, ancient volcanic summits that turn into ski and snowboard country every winter.
Which ghost tour should you take in Flagstaff?
Start with the Flagstaff Haunted History Tour, the city's original ghost tour: a 75-minute walk through downtown, nightly at 7 PM for $29, with a second 8 PM walk on Fridays and Saturdays.
The stories are documented, not invented. A phantom bellboy who still knocks at Room 210 of the Hotel Monte Vista. A presence in the balcony of the 1917 Orpheum Theater. The White Lady of the Zane Grey Ballroom at the Weatherford Hotel. Every stop is a building you can walk past again the next morning.
Guests 18 and up can take Mountain Town of Madness, the darker Friday and Saturday 9 PM version, and private group walks are available too. For the deeper background, read Flagstaff's haunted history.
Lowell Observatory
Percival Lowell came to Mars Hill in 1894 convinced he could find life on Mars. The observatory he founded has been studying the sky ever since, and visitors can look through high-powered telescopes at planets and deep-sky objects.
Flagstaff's famously dark skies make this one of the best stargazing stops in the country. The observatory runs several tours that teach visitors how to read the night sky.
Museum of Northern Arizona
This museum centers on the Native peoples of the Colorado Plateau, with exhibits that run from paintings to ancient animal tracks, plus displays of the region's flora and fauna.
The focus stays local. Understanding what happened on this land is the museum's whole argument for why it matters now.
Grand Canyon day trips
The canyon sits about 80 miles from town, which makes Flagstaff the natural base camp. If you would rather not plan the day yourself, guide services like Viator run small-group canyon tours, railroad excursions, and sightseeing vans from the area.
Downtown Flagstaff
Check the Downtown Flagstaff calendar before you come. Art walks, live music, trivia nights, and restaurant events fill most weeks, and the blocks between them are packed with locally owned shops and bars.
The Weatherford Hotel alone is worth a slow lap: Charly's Pub serves Navajo tacos and Irish coffee, the Gopher Hole Pub is a renovated speakeasy, and the Zane Grey Ballroom pours seasonal cocktails upstairs. Hungry for more options? Start with our list of the best restaurants in Flagstaff.
Keep an eye on the walls, too. Downtown carries murals by artists like Sky Black and Joe Sorren alongside ghost signs from the 1880s, and Mural Alley hides behind Bright Side Bookshop. The daytime Flagstaff mural tour covers the artists and the stories behind them for $29.
Route 66, still a working main street
Flagstaff is the only city in Arizona where Route 66 never stopped being the main drag, and the Mother Road turns 100 in 2026. The 1934 reroute shaped the town you see today, and relics of the neon wars survive: the DuBeau's 80-foot tower once faced off against the Downtowner's 60-foot beacon. The Route 66 Centennial Walking Tour walks that whole story daily at 6 PM.
Wupatki National Monument
Wupatki means Tall House in Hopi, and this monument was once a single multistory Sinagua dwelling with over 100 rooms and a ballcourt, the largest building site for almost 50 miles.
The red sandstone construction gives it a color you will not forget on the drive home. A must for anyone interested in the region's ancestral history.
Grand Falls
At 181 feet, Grand Falls stands taller than Niagara, about 30 miles from Flagstaff. Locals call it the chocolate waterfall for its muddy flow.
Time it right. The falls run strongest in March and April and slow to a trickle the rest of the year, and there is no paved road in, so plan on high clearance or a hike.
Mount Elden
Mount Elden is the hike most visitors can actually finish. The mountain is an ancient volcano, and the Lookout Trail takes roughly three and a half hours round trip.
The trail is popular with hikers, runners, and dogs, which are welcome on leash. Bring water and expect company.
Riordan Mansion
Built in 1904, the 13,000-square-foot Riordan Mansion belonged to the family that helped build Northern Arizona through lumber, cattle, banking, and railroads. Michael Riordan first came to the area to heal his lungs and ended up falling in love with Walnut Canyon.
The state park keeps the interior virtually unchanged, and guided tours take guests inside the West House Museum area. For the family's full story, read our post on the Riordan brothers.
Orpheum Theater
Flagstaff's live entertainment hub since 1917. John Weatherford built the theater on the remains of an older building called The Majestic and renamed it for Orpheus, the poet who walked into Hades to bring his wife back.
Shows run through the week, from films to touring acts. Staff and guests have long reported a presence in the balcony. The rest of that story gets told on the tour.
Mother Road Brewing Company
Mother Road Brewing Company takes its name from Route 66 and its mission from Arizona's wildlife, which it supports through giving programs. It is the third-largest independent craft brewery in the state.
Expect a rotating lineup of house beers and regular events through the month.
Flagstaff Extreme Adventure Course
The Extreme Adventure Course strings zip lines, obstacle courses, and climbing elements through the pines. Difficulty levels vary, so the whole family can climb, and a zipline-only option covers anyone who wants the ride without the workout.
Arizona Snowbowl
Arizona Snowbowl sits above 9,000 feet on the San Francisco Peaks. Skiing and snowboarding in winter, long views year round, and a handful of bars and restaurants at the base.
The Arboretum at Flagstaff
The Arboretum keeps 750 species of trees and flowers on 200 acres, plus a butterfly house. Guided group visits, private tours, and weekend watercolor classes round out the calendar.
Flagstaff Aquaplex
The Aquaplex is the indoor rainy-day answer: slides, water playgrounds, and pools for all ages, with an attached gym and indoor climbing wall for anyone who wants to stay dry.
Monte Vista Lounge
The Monte Vista Lounge has poured drinks for celebrities and outlaws alike, and locals say it ran as a speakeasy in its early days. One bank robber famously ordered a last drink here after a heist gone wrong, and did not live to finish the night. Order a signature cocktail and ask about it.
Meteor Crater
Meteor Crater spans nearly a mile, carved by an ancient meteor impact, with very few landmarks like it anywhere in the country. Observation decks sit at two levels, and guided tours and educational exhibits fill out the visit.
Pioneer Museum
The Pioneer Museum covers frontier-era Flagstaff, including a preserved hospital room showing how staff cared for the ill from the early 1900s through the 1930s. A Ford Model T and a locomotive caboose round out the hands-on exhibits.
Brandy's Restaurant and Bakery
Brandy's is the breakfast pick: hearty portions, reasonable prices, breakfast platters, sandwiches, a well-known chili, and mimosas or bellinis if the morning calls for it.
The Geekery
The Geekery, in the Green Tree Mini-Mall, is where the board game and role-playing crowd gathers. From Dungeons and Dragons to Monopoly, it is the cozy indoor option when the mountain weather turns.
That list only scratches the surface. Summit a mountain, drop into a lava tube, linger over brunch, or spend the whole day downtown. Flagstaff rewards whichever direction you pick.
Questions people ask
What is there to do in Flagstaff at night?
Stargazing at Lowell Observatory, live shows at the Orpheum, the downtown bar scene, and a nightly ghost walk through the historic district. Flagstaff was built for after dark, and the dark-sky rules keep the stars visible from town.
Is Flagstaff worth visiting without going to the Grand Canyon?
Yes. Between Lowell Observatory, Wupatki, Meteor Crater, the Riordan Mansion, Route 66, and a downtown full of restaurants and live music, Flagstaff fills several days on its own.
What can you do in Flagstaff with kids?
The Aquaplex, the Extreme Adventure Course, Lowell Observatory, and the Pioneer Museum all work for families, and Mount Elden's Lookout Trail welcomes dogs and kids with hiking legs.
Walk this town
The fastest way to understand Flagstaff is on foot with someone who knows where the stories are buried. The original ghost tour runs nightly at 7 PM for $29, the mural tour covers downtown's art by daylight for $29, and the Route 66 Centennial Walking Tour rolls daily at 6 PM for $35. Compare all of them on the Flagstaff tours page and pick the one that fits your evening.
Keep reading
- Flagstaff Nightlife: Discover Bars, Haunted Tours & More
- Things to Do in Flagstaff in November
- Disc Golf in Flagstaff: Courses, Leagues, and Events
