Sedona, Arizona Attractions

If you ask a local person from Sedona, Arizona about Sedona attractions in his or her town, you may get a blank stare, or a puzzled look. That's because the town of Sedona Arizona isn't a Disney World type of tourist town. It's a very nice town set in one of the most beautiful places in the country, near Oak Creek Canyon and Red Rock Country. The Sedona attractions are what was there before people ever arrived: nature. You will find things for tourists to do, but they you won't find tourist attractions in the usual sense of the term. Thank goodness for that, because Sedona, Arizona is the perfect place for soaking up the spectacular surroundings without feeling bombarded by touristy types of things that usually accompany such attractive and popular destinations. Chapel of the Holy Cross Marguerite Staude had a vision, lots of money, and powerful friends. The result of these forces was construction of the Chapel of the Holy Cross, one of the most popular Sedona attractions. Marguerite was an heiress and a sculptor and wanted to build a church that was dedicated to art. In the mid 1950s she got on a plane and looked at the land around Sedona, Arizona for the perfect spot for her arts chapel. She chose a spur of rock then known as Little Horse Park. With political pull from her friend Barry Goldwater, she got permission to build on the forest service land, hired a construction supervisor, and wetn to work. It took a year and a half, and $300,000, and was touted by such reknowned sources as Life Magazine and The New York Times. It won all sorts of architecture awards (she was a big fan and follower of the Frank Lloyd Wright's style of architecture, incorporating the nature around the building site, letting nature become part of the interior) and has been a leading attraction in Sedona, Arizona since the 1960s. Come up here just for the view and you will be amazed. Stop inside the chapel for some personal reflection, all are welcome, just respect it. There's a gift shop nearby and also a trail that leads you to a quiet rocky spot for more personal reflection.

Tlaquepaque As the artist community of Sedona, Arizona grew and grew in the 1960s and 1970s, its reputation as an artistic center also grew. Someone decided that Sedona needed a special place for artists to live and show their work, all in one place. THat someone was Abe Miller, and the year was 1971. He built a Spanish colonial style village among the sycamore trees and it was finally completed in 1978. The builders used traditional techniques and tried as much as possible to build around existing trees. The result is a beautiful area that looks like it's been there a century or more because of the old standing trees. Today you can visit Tlaquepaque and see over forty shops, galleries and restaurants. There are gardens and fountains out back that are well worth the trip alone to Tlaquepaque. They hold festivals and farmer's markets here all year long, and December is the best time to be here, when they have their annual luminaries festival for the holidays. Oak Creek Canyon If you are traveling from Sedona, Arizona to Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon, you will pass by Oak Creek Canyon, if you take the most scenic route. It's actually more than just a scenic route, it's one of the most beautiful places in all of Arizona, especially in Fall. The road is an engineering marvel, winding thorugh steep canyons with views of the rock formations that will call at you to stop and take their picture. The creek for which the canyon is named, Oak Creek, runs along the bottom of the canyon is flanked on both sides with activities for tourists. Find a motel down there and spend the night, and you will not be sorry! Sedona Heritage Museum If you are a history buff, or you want to learn about local Sedona, Arizona history, visit the Sedona Heritage Museum on Jordan Road. It's located inside the Jordan Historical Park, and housed in an historical home full of antiques. There are exhibits showing information on some of the movies that have been filmed in Sedona, Arizona. Top