Old West

Saddle Up

Scottsdale still maintains its own identity as "The West's Most Western Town". Every year there is a "Parada del Sol" Parade and Trail's End Celebration through the downtown area along Scottsdale Road as part of the Rodeo Festival. There are western wear shops and a number of art galleries featuring western artworks from some of the top artists in the country.

Even so, the New York Times called Scottsdale "The Beverly Hills of the Desert" and the Travel Channel named it one of the most luxurious destinations in the nation. An interesting contrast yet part of what makes Scottsdale special.

West World

West World, situated on 120 acres northeast of the corner of 101 and Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd., is managed by the City of Scottsdale. Horse shows of all kinds take place throughout the year here. WestWorld is a premier, nationally recognized, user-friendly equestrian center and special events facility serving our community and target market visitors.

West World's calendar of events provides lots of opportunities to enjoy a variety of activities and events at WestWorld in Scottsdale, Arizona. Note that the nationally-acclaimed Barrett-Jackson Auto Auction takes place every winter at West World.

Old West Scottsdale Statue

Western Art

Downtown Scottsdale has some excellent art galleries featuring Western Art for you to explore.

The Hohokam

From roughly 300 BC to 1400 AD, the Hohokam Indians inhabited what is now Scottsdale. The word Hohokam translates to "vanished" as there are no traces left of their people.

One of their key legacies is the incredible 125 miles of irrigation canals they built for agricultural purposes. What remained of those canals were improved upon in the late 1800s and a gentleman names Jack Swilling set up the Swilling Irrigation Canal Company at that time.

Prior to Winfield Scott's purchase in the late 1800s, Scottsdale was a Pima Indian village known as Vasai Svasoni. Today, the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community is nearby.