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Scarizona Scaregrounds

The 12 Best Things to Do in Mesa and the East Valley, Ranked (2026)

A ranked guide to Mesa, Tempe, Gilbert, and Chandler from a haunt operator who has run the East Valley's October season for over two decades. Twelve real places, what each is best for, and where Scarizona fits, disclosed.

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12 places ranked · Mesa, Tempe, Gilbert, and Chandler · Updated August 2026

By the Scarizona Scaregrounds Crew

Mesa, AZ · Updated August 2026 · 8 min read

By the Numbers

What This Guide Covers

Real venues across Mesa and the East Valley.
Mesa, Tempe, Gilbert, Chandler, and Queen Creek.
How long we have run the East Valley’s October season.
Scarizona and Schnepf Farms run in October; the rest are year-round.

Why This List Exists

Written From Home Turf

We build and run a haunt in Mesa, and the East Valley is where we load in every September and where we spend the off-season. That is the only reason we feel qualified to rank anything: Mesa is home turf, and we have sent thousands of guests toward the rest of these places over the years.

The list runs Mesa-first, then widens to Tempe, Gilbert, Chandler, and Queen Creek, because that is how most East Valley nights actually get planned. Scarizona is on it, placed in the middle of the list and disclosed in the methodology below. If you want the wider metro, we keep a separate Phoenix guide, and if you are hunting scares specifically, start with the haunted houses in Phoenix.

Where Everything Is

The East Valley, by City

Every ranked entry, grouped by where it sits. Tap a name to jump to its card.

Mesa

Tempe

Gilbert

Chandler

Queen Creek

The Ranking

All 12, Ranked

  1. Organ Stop Pizza

    Mesa

    Best for: A one-of-a-kind night out

    Location
    Mesa
    Category
    Dining & live music
    Season
    Year-round
    Family note
    All ages

    Operator's note: I have lived in Mesa long enough to lose count of the birthdays I have spent in this room. A single organist plays the world’s largest Wurlitzer theatre organ while the pizza comes out, and the whole place goes quiet to listen. It is the first stop I send every out-of-town guest to. Check current hours on their site before you drive over.

  2. Arizona Museum of Natural History

    Mesa

    Best for: Dinosaurs and a hot-afternoon plan

    Location
    Mesa
    Category
    Museum
    Season
    Year-round
    Family note
    Family-friendly

    Operator's note: Downtown Mesa’s dinosaur hall is the too-hot-outside plan every local family already knows by heart. The animatronic dinos and the indoor flash-flood exhibit still hold up for me. It closes Mondays, so confirm the day on their site.

  3. Mesa Arts Center

    Mesa

    Best for: Live performance downtown

    Location
    Mesa
    Category
    Arts & theatre
    Season
    Year-round
    Family note
    All ages

    Operator's note: The largest arts campus in the East Valley sits right in downtown Mesa, and the evening lineup runs from touring theatre to concerts. I check their calendar every season for something to build a night around. Showtimes and tickets live on their site.

  4. Scarizona Scaregrounds

    Mesa

    Best for: October scares after dark

    Location
    Mesa
    Category
    Seasonal haunt
    Season
    October
    Family note
    Not recommended under 12

    Operator's note: This one is us, and I am putting it in the middle of the list in plain sight rather than at the top. Scarizona is a seasonal October outdoor haunt in Mesa: three walk-through haunts on one price, with free parking included. It is designed to be intense and is not recommended for guests under 12, though parents and guardians know their children best. See all three haunts at our attractions page and claim a timed slot before the night sells out from under you.

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  5. i.d.e.a. Museum

    Mesa

    Best for: Families with young kids

    Location
    Mesa
    Category
    Kids art & STEAM
    Season
    Year-round
    Family note
    Geared to young kids

    Operator's note: When the kids are too young for anything on this list with a scare in it, this downtown Mesa art-and-STEAM museum is where East Valley parents take them, and I have sent plenty their way. Entry is timed, so book ahead on their site.

  6. Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch

    Gilbert

    Best for: Morning walks and birding

    Location
    Gilbert
    Category
    Outdoors & nature
    Season
    Year-round
    Family note
    Family-friendly

    Operator's note: My go-to early walk before a Valley summer day cooks. The Gilbert preserve has flat trails, a heron-filled water ranch, and a small public observatory on clear nights. Trail and observatory hours are posted on the Gilbert site.

  7. Hale Centre Theatre

    Gilbert

    Best for: Theatre in the round

    Location
    Gilbert
    Category
    Arts & theatre
    Season
    Year-round
    Family note
    Family-friendly

    Operator's note: Theatre in the round in downtown Gilbert, and the seats sit close enough that there is no bad one. It is family-run and it fills up, so book the evening show ahead on their site.

  8. Rawhide Western Town

    Chandler

    Best for: An Old-West day out

    Location
    Chandler
    Category
    Experience
    Season
    Year-round
    Family note
    Family-friendly

    Operator's note: Out at Wild Horse Pass in Chandler, this is a full Old-West town with a main street, staged gunfights, and stagecoach rides. Hours shift by season, so confirm the day on their site before the drive south.

  9. SEA LIFE Arizona

    Tempe

    Best for: An indoor aquarium afternoon

    Location
    Tempe
    Category
    Aquarium
    Season
    Year-round
    Family note
    Family-friendly

    Operator's note: The Tempe aquarium inside Arizona Mills is the indoor plan when it is 110 outside and nobody wants to move. The walk-through ocean tunnel is the part the kids remember. Timed tickets are on their site.

  10. Tempe Town Lake

    Tempe

    Best for: Water and festivals

    Location
    Tempe
    Category
    Outdoors & events
    Season
    Year-round
    Family note
    Family-friendly

    Operator's note: Kayaks, paddleboards, and the festival lawn that hosts half the Valley’s outdoor events. It is my default when someone wants water without leaving the East Valley. Rental and event details are on the Tempe site.

  11. Sloan Park

    Mesa

    Best for: Spring training baseball

    Location
    Mesa
    Category
    Sports (seasonal)
    Season
    Feb to Mar
    Family note
    Family-friendly

    Operator's note: Cubs spring training in Mesa is a rite of February for a lot of us. The park is walkable and the outfield lawn seats are the move on a warm afternoon. Spring-training dates land early each year on the team site.

  12. Schnepf Farms Pumpkin & Chili Party

    Queen Creek

    Best for: A daytime fall festival

    Location
    Queen Creek
    Category
    Seasonal festival
    Season
    October
    Family note
    Family-friendly

    Operator's note: The East Valley’s marquee fall festival is just past Gilbert in Queen Creek: pumpkins, a train, rides, and food across October weekends. It runs the same season we do, so a lot of families pair a daytime patch run with a haunt night later. Dates and tickets are on their site.

After Dark

Things to Do in Mesa, AZ at Night

When the sun drops behind the Superstitions, the East Valley does not shut down. These are the entries from the list above that are built for the evening.

Pick Your Night

Best for Your Situation

The overall ranking is one opinion. Re-cut it by who you are bringing and what kind of night you want.

First-time visitors

  • Organ Stop Pizza
  • Arizona Museum of Natural History

Families with young kids

  • i.d.e.a. Museum
  • SEA LIFE Arizona
  • Rawhide Western Town

An evening out

  • Mesa Arts Center
  • Hale Centre Theatre
  • Organ Stop Pizza

October scare-seekers

  • Scarizona Scaregrounds
  • Schnepf Farms Pumpkin & Chili Party

Outdoors and daylight

  • Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch
  • Tempe Town Lake

Side by Side

All 12, Compared

Mesa and East Valley things to do, compared by city, category, season, and best use
Feature City Category Season Best For
1. Organ Stop Pizza Mesa Dining & live music Year-round A one-of-a-kind night out
2. Arizona Museum of Natural History Mesa Museum Year-round Dinosaurs and a hot-afternoon plan
3. Mesa Arts Center Mesa Arts & theatre Year-round Live performance downtown
4. Scarizona Scaregrounds Mesa Seasonal haunt October October scares after dark
5. i.d.e.a. Museum Mesa Kids art & STEAM Year-round Families with young kids
6. Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch Gilbert Outdoors & nature Year-round Morning walks and birding
7. Hale Centre Theatre Gilbert Arts & theatre Year-round Theatre in the round
8. Rawhide Western Town Chandler Experience Year-round An Old-West day out
9. SEA LIFE Arizona Tempe Aquarium Year-round An indoor aquarium afternoon
10. Tempe Town Lake Tempe Outdoors & events Year-round Water and festivals
11. Sloan Park Mesa Sports (seasonal) Feb to Mar Spring training baseball
12. Schnepf Farms Pumpkin & Chili Party Queen Creek Seasonal festival October A daytime fall festival

Methodology

How We Ranked It

We weighted four things, in this order:

  • Local staying power (40%). How well the place holds up on the second visit. The venues we send guests back to score highest.
  • Distinctiveness (25%). Whether it is something you cannot get anywhere else. A theatre organ and a full Old-West town both clear that bar outright.
  • Access and ease (20%). Central location, parking, and how cleanly a night comes together around it.
  • Breadth of audience (15%). How many kinds of visitor it works for, from families to a late evening out.

Disclosed self-placement

Scarizona Scaregrounds is our own haunt. We placed it at number four rather than at the top, and we are telling you that here in plain language. It is one of the few after-dark October options in the East Valley, which is the honest case for including it. Every other entry is a venue we recommend without any stake in it.

We do not print third-party dates, hours, or prices, because they change every season. Check the venue's own site to verify. We re-check this guide before every fall.

Making It a Scare Night?

If your Mesa night is landing in October, Scarizona is three walk-through haunts on one price, minutes from the rest of this list. Free parking in the dark, timed entry, and not recommended under 12.

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Questions

Mesa & East Valley FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the best things to do in Mesa, AZ?

Our top Mesa picks are Organ Stop Pizza for a night out around the world’s largest theatre organ, the Arizona Museum of Natural History for dinosaurs and a hot-afternoon plan, and Mesa Arts Center for live performance downtown. In October, Scarizona Scaregrounds adds a seasonal haunt. Confirm current hours on each venue’s official site before you go.

What is there to do in Mesa at night?

For an evening in and around Mesa, Organ Stop Pizza runs its organ shows after dark, Mesa Arts Center and Gilbert’s Hale Centre Theatre both stage evening performances, and Tempe Town Lake hosts frequent night festivals. In October, Scarizona opens after dark for three walk-through haunts on one price.

What about Tempe, Gilbert, and Chandler?

This guide covers the whole East Valley. Tempe brings SEA LIFE Arizona and Tempe Town Lake, Gilbert brings the Riparian Preserve at Water Ranch and Hale Centre Theatre, and Chandler brings Rawhide Western Town at Wild Horse Pass. Each is grouped by city in the locator above and ranked in the list below.

Is Scarizona on this list because you run it?

Yes, and we say so plainly. Scarizona is our own Mesa haunt, and we placed it at number four rather than at the top. A guide that ranked only itself would be worth nothing to you. Scarizona earns its spot as one of the few after-dark October options in the East Valley, and everything else here is a venue we genuinely send guests to.

Are these places good for families with young kids?

Most are. The i.d.e.a. Museum, SEA LIFE Arizona, and Rawhide Western Town are geared to families, and the museums and preserve work for a wide range of ages. Scarizona is the exception: it is designed to be intense and is not recommended for guests under 12, though parents and guardians know their children best.

How current are the dates and prices here?

We do not print third-party dates or prices, because they change every season. The venue’s own site is the place to confirm hours, dates, and admission before you go. We re-verify this guide each year before the fall season.

About the Author

The Scarizona Scaregrounds Crew

We build and operate Scarizona Scaregrounds in Mesa, an October-only haunt: three walk-through haunts on one price. We have run the East Valley's October season for over two decades, which means we spend the rest of the year here too, in the same downtowns, preserves, and theatres on this list. That is the whole basis of this guide.

See the 3 Haunts Plan Your Visit

Twelve Nights Out. One in Our House.

Work down the list any time of year. When October comes, the darkest option on it is ours: three haunts, one price, free parking, timed entry. The busy nights sell out first.

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Seasonal October haunt in Mesa · 3 Haunts, 1 Price · Free parking