Labor Day weekend is the perfect opportunity to take a break from the everyday routine and enjoy a little extra time off. For many people, the long weekend means having three days to relax, spend time with family and friends or have a small getaway.
It doesn’t always have to be an expensive vacation or a trip far away. Sometimes, getting out of your own city is enough to make the weekend feel like a real escape. If you don’t have the budget to leave the state, there are still plenty of places around Arizona where you can enjoy a change of scenery without spending a fortune.
For things to do in Flagstaff, Prescott, Bisbee, check out our Labor Day weekend guide.
Here’s what to do Labor Day weekend in Arizona.
What are some fun things to do in Arizona on Labor Day weekend?
Here’s what you can do in Tucson, Payson
and Jerome for Labor Day weekend.
Tucson
About 1-2 hours from metro Phoenix, Tucson is a good choice for people who like having city amenities but still want a smaller town feel. You get restaurants, shopping, museums, nightlife and local events, along with easy access to desert scenery and outdoor activities. Here’s what to do:
- The Tucson Fall Gem Show: This event is a collection of gem, mineral, fossil, jewelry and rock shows with several large shows and vendors selling everything from crystals and fossils to jewelry and unique collectibles. It’s especially fun for people who like shopping, rocks, jewelry, science or finding unusual treasures. For more information and tickets, check out their website.
- Hacienda del Sol Labor Day Luau: Get in the tiki spirit at this tropical-themed celebration at the historic Hacienda del Sol Guest Ranch Resort, with a Hawaiian-inspired atmosphere, food, drinks and entertainment. For more information and tickets, visit their website.
- Ghost Ranch Exotics: Have you ever wanted to pet a capybara? Ghost Ranch Exotics is an exotic animal experience where you can get up close to and interact with capybaras and other unusual animals. Visitors can feed and pet animals such as porcupines, warthogs, emus, goats and capybaras.
Payson
About 1-2 hours from Phoenix, Payson is best for nature enthusiasts and people who want a relaxing mountain getaway. It’s a good choice if you enjoy hiking, scenic drives, forests, lakes and being outdoors. Here’s what to do:
- Camping: Payson is a great place to camp because it’s surrounded by the Tonto National Forest and the Mogollon Rim, offering plenty of options for both developed campgrounds and more primitive dispersed camping. For an easy campground close to town, pick Houston Mesa Campground. If you want a more scenic mountain setting, Aspen Campground near Woods Canyon Lake is a popular choice for camping, fishing and enjoying the cooler pine forest. You can also find dispersed camping along designated Forest Service roads around the Payson and Mogollon Rim area if you prefer a quieter experience.
- Water Wheel Falls: Great for the adventure seeker, you can hike along the creek, see cascades and explore the swimming holes. Make sure to bring an outfit you’re not afraid of getting wet.
- Pine/Strawberry road trip: Take a quick detour north, stop in Pine and Strawberry for food and coffee, explore the little shops and enjoy the cooler mountain scenery.
Jerome
About 2 hours from Phoenix, Jerome is perfect for people who like history, small towns, unique shops, art and a little bit of spooky fun. It has a quirky, old-mining-town feel and is great for a slower, walk-around-and-explore kind of weekend. Here’s what to do:
- Jerome’s Sliding Jail: The Jerome Sliding Jail is one of Jerome’s strangest historic attractions. Built in 1905, the concrete jail eventually slid more than 200 feet down the mountainside after the ground shifted during the town’s mining era. Today, you can see the old jail sitting along Hull Avenue.
- The Skullatorium: The skull museum and oddities parlor is a quirky little museum in Jerome featuring more than 1,500 real animal skulls from over 1,000 species. The collection includes mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and other unusual specimens, along with fossils, bones and other oddities. Admission is $15 for adults and $10 for those under 18.
- Jerome State Historic Park: Explore the old mining history, photographs, artifacts and mineral displays. It's a good way to understand why Jerome became the unusual hillside town it is today.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Skip the airport. These 3 Arizona escapes are perfect for Labor Day
