THINGS TO DO,SHOPPING
Arcosanti
A striking desert architecture project where tours connect ecology, community life, experimental design, and handmade bells.
Why it’s worth a stop
There is nowhere else in Arizona quite like it: part architecture tour, part working community, and part big, unfinished idea in the desert.
About this place
Arcosanti is a living design experiment founded in 1970 by the Cosanti Foundation. Its dramatic concrete vaults, apses, studios, residences, and gathering spaces explore “arcology,” the idea of bringing architecture and ecology together in a more compact way of living. A guided tour adds the context that makes the unusual site click, and the gallery sells the ceramic and bronze bells made there.
Good to know
Reserve a tour if you are making a special trip, since specialty tours and group visits need advance coordination. The site is remote and includes outdoor walking, slopes, steps, and uneven surfaces, so bring water and practical shoes.