Phoenix Points of Pride

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St. Mary's Basilica Saint Mary's Basilica003.jpg
St. Mary's Basilica

The Phoenix Points of Pride are 31 landmarks and attractions in Phoenix, Arizona, selected by voters since 1992 to represent the city's best features for residents and visitors. They include structures, such as St. Mary's Basilica, the Phoenix Zoo and Footprint Center; and natural formations such as Camelback Mountain and Hole-in-the-Rock at Papago Park.

Contents

Mystery Castle Mystery Castle Phoenix Arizona2.jpg
Mystery Castle

The first 25 Points of Pride were selected in 1992. The program was seen as a way to boost civic morale in the wake of negative national publicity for Phoenix in the wake of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday controversy. Cricket Wireless Pavilion and the Deer Valley Rock Art Center were added in 1996 and 2000 respectively, and the Japanese Friendship Garden, Ben Avery Shooting Facility and the Thomas J. Pappas School were selected in 2004. Arizona State University at the West Campus, Burton Barr Central Library and Cutler-Plotkin Jewish Heritage Center (the area's first Jewish synagogue) are the most recent Points of Pride, selected in 2008. [1]

The Phoenix Pride Commission maintains the list of Phoenix Points of Pride and promoting these unique metropolitan area resources. In the past, the commission accepted nominations from the residents and selected locations for the Points of Pride ballot. The residents voted for these locations and the commission determined how many of the locations receiving the greatest number of votes were designated as a Point of Pride.

In July 2008, Phoenix mayor Phil Gordon changed the Phoenix Pride Commission to an ad hoc commission, meaning that it will meet more infrequently to save money; this could mean the effective end of the Points of Pride program. [2]

List

This list shows information about each of the Phoenix Points of Pride.

NameLocationImageDescription
Ak-Chin Pavilion 2121 North 83rd Avenue
33°28′17″N112°13′58″W / 33.4715°N 112.232875°W / 33.4715; -112.232875
Ak-Chin Pavilion-2.jpg A 20,000-seat open-air amphitheater
Arizona Biltmore Hotel 2400 East Missouri Avenue
33°31′24″N112°01′24″W / 33.523446°N 112.023404°W / 33.523446; -112.023404
Arizona Biltmore Hotel.jpg A destination resort built in 1929 and featuring 39 acres of gardens and architecture influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright
Arizona Center 400 East Van Buren Street
33°27′08″N112°04′07″W / 33.45231°N 112.068745°W / 33.45231; -112.068745
Arizona Center-1.jpg A shopping, dining, and entertainment destination
ASU West campus 4701 West Thunderbird Road
33°36′29″N112°09′35″W / 33.608052°N 112.159855°W / 33.608052; -112.159855
ASU West-5.jpg A liberal arts campus of Arizona State University
Ben Avery Shooting Facility 4044 West Black Canyon Boulevard
33°48′15″N112°08′46″W / 33.804078°N 112.145995°W / 33.804078; -112.145995
Ben Avery Shooting Facility-5.jpg A 1650-acre outdoor shooting range open to the public
Burton Barr Central Library 1221 North Central Avenue
33°27′45″N112°04′24″W / 33.46246°N 112.073224°W / 33.46246; -112.073224
Burton Barr Central Library-7.jpg A Public library of over 700,000 items, including rare books and unique collections
Camelback Mountain East McDonald Drive at Tatum Boulevard
33°30′52″N111°57′52″W / 33.514528°N 111.964466°W / 33.514528; -111.964466
Camelback Mountain-1.jpg A prominent feature of the Camelback Mountain Echo Canyon Recreation Area, a 75-acre park
Cutler Plotkin Jewish Heritage Center 122 East Culver Street
33°27′46″N112°04′21″W / 33.462738°N 112.072534°W / 33.462738; -112.072534
Phoenix-Temple Beth Israel-1922.JPG A museum and cultural center operated by the Arizona Jewish Historical Society
Deer Valley Rock Art Center 3711 West Deer Valley Road
33°41′02″N112°08′23″W / 33.683809°N 112.139839°W / 33.683809; -112.139839
Deer Valley Rock Art Center.jpg A site of over 1500 Native-American petroglyphs ranging in age between 800 and 1500 years
Desert Botanical Garden 1201 N. Galvin Parkway
33°27′45″N111°56′41″W / 33.462456°N 111.944639°W / 33.462456; -111.944639
Phoenix-Desert Botabical Garden-Entrance.JPG A 140-acre desert garden featuring over 21,000 plants including 139 rare, threatened, or endangered species
Encanto Park 2745 North 15th Avenue
33°28′31″N112°05′25″W / 33.47525°N 112.09016°W / 33.47525; -112.09016
Encanto Park-9.jpg A 222-acre park featuring a variety of leisure activities
Footprint Center 201 East Jefferson Street
33°26′45″N112°04′16″W / 33.445909°N 112.071213°W / 33.445909; -112.071213
US Airways Center-2.jpg A sports and entertainment arena and home to the Phoenix Suns and the Phoenix Mercury professional basketball teams
Heard Museum 2301 North Central Avenue
33°28′21″N112°04′21″W / 33.472377°N 112.072393°W / 33.472377; -112.072393
Heard Museum-1.jpg A museum devoted to culture and history of Native peoples, including a collection of over 40,000 items
Herberger Theater Center 222 East Monroe Street
33°27′04″N112°04′15″W / 33.45103°N 112.070772°W / 33.45103; -112.070772
Herberger Theater Center-6.jpg A three-stage performing arts center
Heritage Square 115 North Sixth Street
33°27′00″N112°03′57″W / 33.449902°N 112.065709°W / 33.449902; -112.065709
Heritage Square-1.jpg A late-1800s residential area now supporting museums, restaurants and gift shops
Rosson House NRHP Reference: 71000112
Baird Machine Shop NRHP Reference: 85002047
Japanese Friendship Garden 1125 North Third Avenue
33°27′39″N112°04′39″W / 33.460887°N 112.077418°W / 33.460887; -112.077418
Japanese Friendship Garden-2.jpg A joint project between Phoenix and its sister city of Himeji, Japan, the 3-1/2 acre garden and tea house include over 50 varieties of plants
Mystery Castle 800 East Mineral Road
33°21′23″N112°03′44″W / 33.35644°N 112.062141°W / 33.35644; -112.062141
Phoenix-Mystery Castle-3.JPG An 18-room castle museum built in the 1930s from salvaged items
Orpheum Theater 203 West Adams Street
33°26′57″N112°04′36″W / 33.449132°N 112.076706°W / 33.449132; -112.076706
Phoenix-Orpheum Theatre-1929.jpg A 1929 Orpheum theater built in the Spanish Baroque style and currently home to the Phoenix Metropolitan Opera
NRHP Reference: 85002067
Papago Park Galvin Parkway and Van Buren Street
33°27′18″N111°56′54″W / 33.454879°N 111.948348°W / 33.454879; -111.948348
Phoenix-Hole-in-the-Rock-Papago Park.JPG A 1200-acre park featuring the Phoenix Zoo, the Desert Botanical Garden, Governor Hunt's Tomb, baseball and softball fields, picnic areas, and hiking trails
Hunt's Tomb NRHP Reference: 08000526
Phoenix Art Museum 1625 North Central Avenue
33°27′58″N112°04′24″W / 33.466181°N 112.073366°W / 33.466181; -112.073366
Phoenix Art Museum-3.jpg A collection of more than 18,000 works, independent film screenings, live performances, dining and shopping
Phoenix Mountains Park 2701 East Squaw Peak Lane
33°32′48″N112°01′17″W / 33.546724°N 112.021286°W / 33.546724; -112.021286
Phoenix Mountains Preserve 01.jpg A park surrounding Piestewa Peak, the second highest point in the Phoenix Mountains, and within the area of the Phoenix Mountain Preserve
Phoenix Zoo 455 North Galvin Parkway
33°27′05″N111°56′53″W / 33.451307°N 111.947982°W / 33.451307; -111.947982
Phoenix Zoo-1.jpg A 125-acre zoo containing over 2.5 miles of walking trail and over 1300 animals in the area of Papago Park
Pueblo Grande Museum 4619 East Washington Street
33°26′46″N111°59′04″W / 33.446232°N 111.984438°W / 33.446232; -111.984438
Pueblo Grande Museum.jpg A pre-Columbian archaeological site and National Historic Landmark dedicated to preserving ruins left by the Hohokam culture
Ruin NRHP Reference: 66000185
Irrigation Site NRHP Reference: 66000184
Shemer Art Center and Museum 5005 East Camelback Road
33°30′18″N111°58′20″W / 33.504902°N 111.972164°W / 33.504902; -111.972164
Shemer Art Center.jpg An arts education facility and community center featuring temporary exhibitions and a permanent collection
South Mountain Park 10919 South Central Avenue
33°20′49″N112°05′04″W / 33.347056°N 112.084518°W / 33.347056; -112.084518
Entrance to South Mountain Park.jpg An urban park over 16,000-acres containing many species of desert plant and animal life
St. Mary's Basilica 231 North Third Street
33°27′02″N112°04′11″W / 33.45069°N 112.069732°W / 33.45069; -112.069732
St. Mary's Basilica-1.jpg A minor basilica in the Catholic Church and home to Arizona's largest collection of stained glass
NRHP Reference: 78000551
Symphony Hall 225 East Adams Street
33°26′56″N112°04′14″W / 33.448841°N 112.070563°W / 33.448841; -112.070563
Symphony Hall (Phoenix, Arizona).jpg A multi-purpose performing arts venue and home to the Phoenix Symphony, Arizona Opera, and Ballet Arizona
Telephone Pioneers of America Park 1946 West Morningside Drive
33°38′57″N112°06′06″W / 33.649261°N 112.101758°W / 33.649261; -112.101758
Telephone Pioneer Park.jpg A barrier-free park designed to meet the needs of the physically challenged
Tovrea Castle 5041 East Van Buren Street
33°26′55″N111°58′20″W / 33.448738°N 111.972252°W / 33.448738; -111.972252
Px-CastleTorvea.jpg A three-tier, wedding cake style structure built in 1931 of wood and stucco
NRHP Reference: 96000309
Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza 1700 West Washington Street
33°26′53″N112°05′39″W / 33.44812°N 112.094291°W / 33.44812; -112.094291
Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza.jpg A two-block plaza on the grounds of the Arizona State Capitol featuring 29 memorials
Wrigley Mansion 2501 East Telawa Trail
33°31′23″N112°01′36″W / 33.523052°N 112.026635°W / 33.523052; -112.026635
Wrigley Mansion-2.jpg A 1931 mansion currently offering a restaurant and meeting space in a private club setting
NRHP Reference: 89001045

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References

  1. "City of Phoenix press release about the 2008 Points of Pride". Archived from the original on October 29, 2014.
  2. "Budget woes may have doomed Points of Pride program", The Arizona Republic, July 31, 2008