Wickenburg

Get Wild in Wickenburg ...

• Play cowboy at an authentic dude ranch

• Take a desert sky ride in a hot air balloon

• Watch for birds at Hassayampa River Preserve

• Summit Vulture Peak

• Saddle up and ride to dinner

• Take in a round of golf at Los Caballeros Golf Course

• Tour the historic district, western art galleries and Old West buildings

• Soak up authentic culture at the Desert Caballeros Western Museum and the Del E. Webb Center for the Performing Arts

Wickenburg - a haven for all things Western along with an amazing array of charming shops - will provoke your inner cowboy to ride the range at a world-renowned guest ranch or reawaken the urge to slurp ice cream mid-afternoon while shopping on a shaded street.

Wickenburg doesn’t want you to pardon their dust, you will be charmed by it. And don’t expect a theme-park version of the Old West. The spurs have a job to do and the hats are not accessories. Wickenburg has character. You can call it the Old West but they refer to themselves as the Wild West.
Wickenburg beckons its visitors to be the cowboy they dreamed of as children. In fact, four distinct Wickenburg guest ranches offer complete Western experiences. City slickers can saddle up for horseback rides, strap in for Jeep and four-wheel tours or float away on hot-air balloon rides.

Back at the ranch, guests enjoy gourmet meals, a refreshing dip in the pool or a relaxing round of golf – perhaps at one of Golf Magazine’s Top 75 Golf Courses in the country, Los Caballeros Golf Club. Another option for golfers is the Wickenburg Country Club. In addition to guest ranches with names like the Kay El Bar Ranch, the Flying E Ranch and Rancho de Los Caballeros, many unique bed & breakfasts and hotels cater to the cowboy as well as the traveler.

The town motto of “Spend a Day, Out Wickenburg Way” is also backed up by a variety of Western art galleries, unique Western shops, historical attractions, Old West experiences, cultural activities and natural attractions.

The Desert Caballeros Western Museum is celebrating its 50th year and is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the history and art of Arizona and the West. It takes pride in being Arizona’s Most Western Museum. The permanent collection includes American Indian and late 19th- and 20th-century Western American paintings and sculptures. The museum also offers special exhibits, lectures, workshops, classes and tours.

The beautiful and state-of-the-art 600-seat Del E. Webb Center for the Performing Arts, located on the campus of Wickenburg High School, has scheduled performances from October through May in a season of shows that reflect the diversity, beauty, energy and excitement of the performing arts.
The Wickenburg Chamber of Commerce has a map for a self-guided tour of downtown historic buildings, some dating back to the early 1900s, including the 114-year-old Santa Fe Depot, now the Chamber of Commerce office and official Arizona Visitors Center. Wickenburg celebrated its Incorporation Centennial in June, and the community itself turned 146 years old.

Other notable attractions include a Santa Fe Steam Locomotive, a veteran of the rails between Chicago and the West, the Historic Garcia “Little Red School House,” and the Jail Tree, a 200-year-old mesquite tree which once served as Wickenburg’s jail. The Massacre Monument commemorates a somber moment in history, dedicated to lives lost in an 1871 stagecoach attack by bandits, mistakenly thought to be committed by surrounding Yavapai-Apache Indians. New to the historic downtown are character bronzes with narration, which provide information about our community and heritage. Murals and other beautiful life size bronzes provide enjoyment for resident and visitor alike. The historic downtown has undergone three years of improvements in streetscape and attractive benches, signs and pedestrian pathways.

Rising above the town is Vulture Peak, where one of the richest gold mines in Arizona was discovered. Today, Vulture Mine is a tantalizing remnant of mining history, showcasing original mining equipment and some of the old structures. Vulture Peak itself is an excellent, yet strenuous, hiking destination. The two-mile trail leads hikers just below the summit.
For more of the great outdoors, visit The Nature Conservancy’s Hassayampa River Preserve, with its 230 species of birds including eagles. This riparian treasure contains the spring-fed Palm Lake, a unique four-acre pond and marsh habitat.

For more than six decades, Wickenburg has hosted the award winning annual Gold Rush Days in February in celebration of its ranching and mining heritage. Activities in the historic district include arts & crafts exhibits, gold panning, a senior professional rodeo and one of the largest parades in the state. The Chamber also produces annual events such as Fiesta de Septiembre, Wickenburg Fly-In & Classic Car Show, a Bluegrass Festival, Cowboy Christmas Poets Gathering and the popular “Christmas Parade of Lights.”  Call the Chamber for all of the special event information at 928.684.5479 or online at outwickenburgway.com.

You can call it the Old West but they refer to themselves as the Wild West.

Out Wickenburg Way

Best Western Rancho Grande

The Best Western Rancho Grande is conveniently located in the heart of historical downtown Wickenburg. Walk to art galleries, restaurants, antique and boutique shops as well as the remarkable Desert Caballeros Museum. The property’s 80 guestrooms and suites, featuring Southwestern architecture and décor, make for a great place to call home during your visit to the area. After a day of horseback or ATV riding, golfing, prospecting for gold or shopping, enjoy the pool and spa that are heated year-round. 293 E. Wickenburg Way, Wickenburg, 800.854.7235, bwranchogrande.com

Del E. Webb Center for the Performing Arts

Voted “Best Live Music Venue” in the Arizona Republic Readers’ Choice Poll, the 600-seat theatre presents world class artists in an intimate setting from November through April. The 2009-2010 season highlights include performances by Herb Albert, Mary Stuart and His Fabulous Superlative, Arlo Guthrie, Steve Tyrell, Don Edwards, Bowfire “Holiday Heart Strings,” A Celtic Yuletide, The Phoenix Symphony and the 3 Redneck Tenors.  Professional dance presentations include American Ballet Theatre’s ABTII, Northwest Dance Project and MOMIX. To view the full season line-up check website delewebbcenter.org or contact the Box Office 928.684.6624 to receive a free season brochure.  Visit the Webb Center at 1090 South Vulture Mine Road, Wickenburg.

Desert Caballeros Western Museum

Named an “Arizona Treasure” by Governor Janet Napolitano, this museum is one you surely don’t want to miss. Here, art and history go hand in hand with one of the most complete collections of Western art in the country, along with one of the finest selections of historic cowboy memorabilia ever opened to the public. There’s also a historic Wickenburg street, a fascinating Out on the Ranch exhibit, plus exciting changing exhibitions all of which make this “Arizona’s Most Western Museum.” Visit daily 10am to 5pm, Sunday 12pm to 4pm, 21 N. Frontier St., Wickenburg, 928.684.2272, westernmuseum.org.

Rancho de los Caballeros

Rancho de los Caballeros, celebrating its 62nd season, is a premier guest ranch resort situated among 20,000 acres of pristine high Sonoran desert. A string of 100 horses to ride through the sweeping vistas of the desert, an 18-hole championship golf course, spa, tennis, trap & skeet shooting, a heated outdoor pool, naturalist program, mountain biking, hot air ballooning, desert Jeep tours, conference center and the Caballeros Kids Program. 1551 S. Vulture Mine Road, Wickenburg, 928.684.5484, 800.684.5030 or visit our web site at SunC.com.

Super 8 Inn

Super 8 Wickenburg offers free high speed Internet and free SuperStart Breakfast. Suites, business rooms, business center with printer, in-room microwave/fridge, coffee, hair dryer & iron/board. Cable TV with HBO, guest laundry, free local calls, large vehicle parking.  Children 17 & under stay free with an adult. Pets allowed with permission/fee. Just a short walk to Denny’s 24-hour restaurant. Highways 89 and 93, 1021 N. Tegner, Wickenburg, 928.684.0808, super8.com

Wickenburg Chamber of Commerce

Most often the Wickenburg Chamber is the first contact for visitors, new residents, and businesses coming into the area. The 114-year-old historic Santa Fe Depot Visitor Center will provide you with information to experience authentic western hospitality. 800.942.5242, outwickenburgway.com, wickenburgchamber.com

Wickenburg Inn

The Wickenburg Inn is an unique boutique property perfectly situated at the base of the Bradshaw Mountains in Arizona’s famous Sonoran Desert. Old West attractions like Robson’s Mining World and Desert Caballeros Western Museum bring the pages of Western history to life. Golf, shopping, and restaurants are minutes from the Wickenburg Inn. Whether traveling for business or for vacation, the friendly staff at the Wickenburg Inn is happy to serve you. 850 E. Wickenburg Way, Wickenburg, 928.684.5461, wickenburginn.net