FAQ

On private property where the owner allows it, out of public view. That usually means your home, a friend's place or a rental whose host permits cannabis. Public places and open spaces are off limits under Arizona law.

No. Arizona's adult-use law doesn't license consumption lounges and bans smoking in public places, so there's no legal weed lounge in Scottsdale. Dispensaries don't allow on-site use either.

Almost never. Most Scottsdale resorts and hotels ban smoking anything on property, and state law lets private owners ban cannabis. Check your booking's smoking policy before you go.

The Beverly on Main and EVO both keep their kitchens running late, and Mesquite Fresh Street Mex's Old Town shop is open into the early morning for street tacos. Hours shift with the season, so check before you head out. Grab a ride instead of driving.

Sphinx Date Co. Palm & Pantry at 3221 N Hayden Rd. The shake is simple, ice cream blended with date milk, and the shop has been selling dates in Scottsdale for decades. Grab a box of dates on the way out.

Yes. The Sugar Bowl at 4005 N Scottsdale Rd has been open since 1958, is still family-owned and is on Scottsdale's historic preservation register. The Pinnacle Peak sundae and the Camelback Soda are the classics.

iPic closed its Scottsdale Quarter theater in January 2020. Landmark Theatres took over the same space at 15257 N Scottsdale Rd and reopened it in December 2021 as Landmark Scottsdale Quarter, with recliners and in-theater dining.

No. Studio Movie Grill's Scottsdale theater, its only one in Arizona, shut when theaters closed in spring 2020 and never reopened. For dine-in in Scottsdale today, go to RoadHouse Cinemas at the Pavilions or Landmark at Scottsdale Quarter.

Depends what you're watching. Harkins Camelview at Fashion Square is the best for indie and foreign films, Harkins Scottsdale 101 is the best for blockbusters on a huge screen, and RoadHouse Cinemas is the best if you want to eat in a recliner. Shea 14 is the easiest on a weeknight.

Start with the sensory stuff: the butterfly conservatory at Butterfly Wonderland, the rotating theater at OdySea Aquarium and the Knight Rise skyspace at SMoCA. Taliesin West and Cosanti are both architecture that feels like another planet.

No. Smoking marijuana in a public place or open space is a petty offense in Arizona, and trails and parks count. Sesh at home before or after.

ArtWalk happens every Thursday evening in the Old Town arts district, along Main Street and Marshall Way.

Yes. Arizona legalized adult-use cannabis with Prop 207 in 2020, and it applies in Scottsdale. Adults 21 and older can buy, possess up to one ounce (no more than 5 grams of concentrate) and consume on private property where the owner allows it.

Yes. You don't need to be an Arizona resident or have a medical card. Licensed adult-use dispensaries sell to anyone 21 or older with a valid government photo ID, including an out-of-state driver's license or a passport.

No. Smoking marijuana in a public place or open space is a petty offense under Prop 207. That includes Old Town sidewalks, bar and restaurant patios, city parks and the Greenbelt. Private property with the owner's permission is where it's allowed.

Not in public. Arizona adults 21+ can possess cannabis, but smoking in a public place is a petty offense, and that includes sidewalks, parks and patios open to the public. Sesh on private property with the owner's OK, and check your hotel or rental rules first.

The earliest structure on the historic walking route is the building at Brown Avenue and Main Street that J.L. Davis built in 1897 as Scottsdale's first general store and post office. The Little Red Schoolhouse dates to 1909 and the Old Adobe Mission to 1933.

Yes, entrance to the Scottsdale Historical Museum in the Little Red Schoolhouse is free. It's at 7333 E Scottsdale Mall, right on the Civic Center grounds.

ArtWalk runs every Thursday evening along Main Street and Marshall Way, except Thanksgiving. It's free. Themed Gold Palette ArtWalks happen in the cooler months with extra performances.

Since 1975, according to the Scottsdale Gallery Association, which calls it the nation's longest running art walk.

It follows Gallery Row on Main Street from Scottsdale Road to Goldwater Boulevard, then north on Marshall Way across Indian School Road to the Horse Fountain on Fifth Avenue. It sits right next to historic Old Town.

It's the small grid of streets just north of Old Town Scottsdale, around Saddlebag Trail, Craftsman Court, Stetson Drive and Indian Plaza, a short walk from the Arizona Canal and Fashion Square. Everything is walkable.

Thursday through Saturday are the big nights, with Saturday the busiest. The cooler months and spring training season are peak, while summer nights start later.

No. Public consumption is a petty offense in Arizona, and bar patios are open to the public. Venues will kick you out. Sesh at a private place where the owner allows it before heading out.

It's the downtown stretch of the Arizona Canal next to Scottsdale Fashion Square, with paved paths, pedestrian bridges, the Soleri Bridge and Plaza, and restaurants with patios facing the water.

Paolo Soleri designed it as a solar calendar on a true north axis. At the summer solstice it casts no shadow at solar noon, and a red stripe on the deck tracks the light. The Goldwater Bell, made by Soleri in 1969, sits inside the bridge's pylons.

Yes. Canal Convergence is a free light art event along the Arizona Canal between Scottsdale Road and Goldwater Boulevard. It runs for about ten nights in the fall.

SoSco is the local nickname for South Scottsdale, roughly the neighborhoods south of Old Town around McDowell Road, Thomas Road and Hayden Road. It's older, more residential and less touristy than the rest of the city, and it's known for great casual food.

No. Smoking cannabis in public is a petty offense under Arizona law, and Salt River Fields sits on Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community land, which has its own laws. Keep it sealed, enjoy the game and handle your sesh back at a private place.

Papago Park sits just over the line on the Phoenix side, on the western edge of South Scottsdale. The Hole-in-the-Rock trailhead is on Galvin Parkway in Phoenix, a few minutes west of SoSco.

Yes, park admission is free. The train, the carousel and some attractions take tickets, while the railroad museum and model railroad exhibit are free to walk through.

No. The Indian Bend Wash Greenbelt is public parkland, and smoking cannabis in public in Arizona is a petty offense. Sesh at home or another private place first, then go for the walk.

Seven man-made lakes, totaling about 130 acres. Many of them have walking paths around them.

Kierland Commons is inside Phoenix city limits, but it uses Scottsdale mailing addresses and everyone calls it Scottsdale. For cannabis purposes it doesn't matter, because Arizona's rules are state law and apply the same in both cities.

No. Smoking cannabis in public is a petty offense in Arizona, and the walkways and courtyards of a shopping center are public spaces in practice. Have your sesh at home or another private place where it's allowed, then come walk around.

Dinner on a patio, a lap around The Quad fountain, and a round of mini golf at Puttshack, which has a bar and restaurant next to the course.

No. The preserve is public land, and smoking cannabis in public is a petty offense in Arizona. The desert brush is also a real fire risk, so save your sesh for a private place before or after the hike.

The main trail is 2 miles one way, with about 1,300 feet of cumulative elevation gain because it climbs and drops along the way. Dogs and bikes aren't allowed on it.

No. The Tonto National Forest is federal land, and cannabis is still illegal under federal law even though Arizona legalized it. Leave it at home when you head out past Cave Creek.