Located in Arizona’s Sonoran Desert, Goodyear is just 20 miles west of Phoenix. However, the town wasn’t formed due to urban sprawl related to the metropolis of Phoenix, as you may think.
Goodyear has a long and rich history. The city was founded in 1898 by Frank A. Seiberling, who, while on his way to Phoenix, broke down his carriage and ended up at the Goodyear tire plant located where Falcon Field airport now stands.
Prepare to witness majestic landscapes and plan for plenty of recreational activities. If you are a hiker or biker, this is your heaven destination. And when the hunger hits after a long day of exploring trails, you can choose from more than 100 restaurants offering Asian, Mexican, Italian, and much more.
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Top Things To Do In Goodyear Arizona
Visit Estrella Mountain Regional Park
14805 W Vineyard Ave, Goodyear // +16025062930
Twenty thousand acres of desert, mountain, and wetland ecosystems and environments can be found at Estrella Mountain Regional Park, located between Goodyear and Phoenix. Maricopa County Parks Inc. incorporated it as the first park in 1954, at the confluence of the Agua Fria River and the Gila River.
Knowing that Estrella Mountain Regional Park was so nearby the city, I had to check it out. And I think it rightfully takes a place as one of the best things to do in Goodyear. There was so much to do and so much to see in this park; three hours there passed in a blink of an eye.
The park is enormous, and being very close to the city makes it super convenient for anyone to visit. Consider spending at least a day here if you are looking for things to do in Goodyear, Arizona, that will recharge your inner battery.
Shop For Antiques At Brass Armadillo Antique Mall
13277 W McDowell Rd, Goodyear // +16238890290
Opened in March 2012, this Antique Mall is located in Goodyear. Currently, it offers over 50,000 square feet of collectibles and antiques every day except Christmas. Each of the shops is filled with different vendors showcasing their goods and services all day long.
Whether you’re looking for a unique-to-you gift, or you’re on the hunt for some vintage items to restore, this place can provide all this and more! I loved the layout design and interior decorations of this mall, which I had never seen before. There is so much passion behind restoring these items and putting them on display – it shows!
Visit The Bible Museum
2000 N Litchfield Rd, Goodyear // +16235368614
A visit to the Bible Museum is a great experience for anyone interested in history, culture, religion, or anthropology. The organization is not affiliated with any congregation or religious organization around the world. Instead, the exhibits provide information about conflicts within religions and what each sect believes.
The Museum includes thousands of items related to The Holy Bible from across the world and throughout history, in addition to its vast collection of antique Bibles.
The Bible Museum at Goodyear includes world-renowned artifacts from the Great Site collection, including Dead Sea Scrolls portions, original 1611 King James Version Bibles, and Gutenberg Bible pages.
I find it awesome that this museum operates 365 days a year, 24 hours a day, so you do not have to stress about the time you pick to visit this unique place. And, you will be allowed to read and hold some of the oldest theological books on the planet.
Ride A Horse At Corral West Horse Adventures
14401 W Arena Dr #9019, Goodyear // +14804502651
As the name suggests, if you are looking for adventurous things to do in Goodyear, Arizona, mark this place. Corral West Horse Adventures offers a wide variety of family-friendly outdoor tours throughout the Sonoran Desert and Estrella Mountain Regional Park, featuring guided horseback riding excursions showcasing the region’s landscape and detailing the horse-drawn travels of Western pioneers of the 19th century.
Corral West Horse Adventures is a place a friend who had gone on one of their rides had referred. It is an amazing experience offering such freedom once you sit on the saddle of those beautiful creatures and let the guide take you to the desert landscape. To complete the whole experience, they offer you traditional boots and hats.
Play Golf At The Golf Club of Estrella
11800 S Golf Club Dr, Goodyear // +16233862600
The Estrella course sits on a 600-acre parcel of land once considered to be a remote part of the desert. Over 6,000 full-time residents now live there. The city has hundreds of new homes surrounding it. Estrella includes more than just a golf course – there is also an Estrella Golf Academy, two tennis courts of championship level, as well as recreational trails and parks.
Golfweek magazine has ranked the course in the state’s top 20 best public courses, designed by the son of the legendary professional golfer Jack Nicklaus II.
In today’s world, most golf courses are designed to appeal to players, but I found the Golf Club of Estrella to have a more focused approach. In addition to being meticulously manicured, the course contains some challenging holes, including ten holes you have to play twice to make it an 18-hole round.
Relax At The Hawaiian Experience Spa
13778 W McDowell Rd # 304, Goodyear // +16235367766
Hawaiian experience in the middle of Arizona? Aloha! And you should absolutely try out this place. Hawaiian Experience Spa is known for offering the best relaxation services. A variety of techniques are used here, such as Sacred Island Sauna, Lomi Lomi Massage, and Traditional Hawaiian Facials.
Founded by the Ibach family in 2007, the Hawaiian Experience Spa business was formerly known as Hawaiian Experience Home Spa Business. Its mission is to provide its customers with the best relaxation services.
The Hawaiian Experience Spa offers holistic medicine therapies, including rejuvenated body and skin treatments, in addition to a wide range of other holistic treatments.
If you happen to feel in the mood for pampering yourself, this is one of the things to do in Goodyear, Arizona. You can thank me later. They even offer massages for couples where they do the whole treatment with chocolate. And should you decide to spend six hours at the spa indulging in massages and treatments, you go home with $75 in products.
Shop At Southwest Specialty Foods
700 N Bullard Ave, Goodyear // +16239313131
The Southwest Specialty Foods Company was founded by Jeff Jacobs in 1986 and is one of the leading specialty food companies in the Southwest, and its famous Hot Sauce & Senor Jake’s barbecue sauces have become well known.
Their Goodyear facility manufactures more than 200 products, including salsas, seasonings, jerky snacks, and cooking sauces.
During my stay, I visited the company store for the Southwest Specialty Food’s factory. It’s one of the most fun places to shop on a Saturday afternoon, with large samples of every type of hot sauce imaginable.
Plus, there was live music and cool stuff from around Arizona (hello, cactus candle).
Drink Craft Beer At Saddle Mountain Brewing Company
15651 W Roosevelt St, Goodyear // +16232495520
As one of the most unique breweries in the valley, Saddle Mountain Brewing Company stands out among the rest. Located in an industrial district in Goodyear, Saddle Mountain is surrounded by several welding and ceramic shops, which reinforce the aviation obsession that runs through Saddle Mountain like an OpenAire Imperial Black IPA.
The brewery operates its restaurants, and they do have seriously good food, at least that’s what’s what I concluded while I was reading the menu. Unable to try everything my eyes set on, I decided to pair their Summer Ale with a fantastic Fire burger. It was a bingo.
After a small talk with the friendly staff, they shared the story behind the brewery and its owners, Laura and Jacob. Jacob, in fact, did 15 years of homebrew before he decided to open a craft brewery, supported by his wife Laura. Saddle Mountain Brewing Company is the first production brewery, bottling as Taildragger Craft Beer, in Goodyear, Arizona.
Visit Goodyear Ballpark
1933 S Ballpark Way, Goodyear // +16238823120
This ballpark is located in Goodyear, Arizona, which is a suburb of Phoenix just at the western end of the city. It’s so close to downtown Phoenix and is part of the metropolitan area.
A baseball game is one of the things that can really brighten your day when the weather starts to warm up. Arizona has several baseball stadiums, and I have been to a few of them, but this was my first visit to Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear. If you are looking for things to do in Goodyear, Arizona, that are fun and family-friendly, the Ballpark is your place.
Have Fun At Elevate Trampoline Park
701 N 137th Ave, Goodyear // +16027950755
Seems like in Goodyear, the fun never stops. During the last days of my stay, I decided to visit the Elevate Trampoline Park, which is an indoor facility. Bring the whole crew here if you feel like jumping for joy.
Elevate offers lots of attractions such as ninja courses, foam pits, rock climbing, basketball hoops, and even bounce houses for the kiddies, so it’s one of the best things to do in Goodyear if you are chasing healthy doses of adrenaline and genuine fun.
And they do have pizza, in case you need a fast energy recharge.
Wrapping Up The Things To Do In Goodyear Arizona
After all, is said and done, I find Goodyear to be an exciting place for spending a weekend or even a longer vacation. Whether you’re a local, new in town, or just passing through, Goodyear will win your heart. There are several major attractions around town. Among them, the major parks, as well as smaller ones that allow pet-friendly fun is within reach.
The Estrella Mountains offer one of the best hikes in the state, and the city won two prestigious national awards in 2008: the City Livability Award from The United States Conference of Mayors and the All-America City award from the National Civic League.
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Which of these things to do in Goodyear AZ do you most want to do? Let us know in the comments section below!
Igor Jovanovski is an aspiring digital nomad, travel blogger and graphic designer who really loves food. He also has a creative side, and he works as a freelance graphic designer in his spare time. He has traveled across Europe quite a few times since he was young and recently started his mission to visit every country in the world! Igor’s favorite thing about traveling is the way he gets to know new people, food, places and cultures.
This exciting experience helps him create his own stories and make memories that will last forever