ARIZONA

8 quirky, odd or peculiar Arizona attractions

Scott Craven

The Republic | azcentral.com

The cactus garden at the Tovrea Castle in Phoenix.

There are plenty of Arizona attractions that fit the category of unique, odd or peculiar. Now is a good time to celebrate our state’s quirky nature.

The Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures in Tucson is one place to do so. The museum transports visitors to different eras and fantasy lands via its teeny, tiny displays.

Arizona also is the home to the site of a perfectly preserved asteroid strike that happened 50,000 years ago near present-day Winslow. Meteor Crater offers tours, a discovery center and moonlike terrain.Then there’s Arcosanti, an unfinished, experimental, eco-friendly “city” in the high desert that offers daily tours, periodic educational workshops and arts performances.

Add some odd road-side attractions, energy vortexes and curious castles to the mix and there’s plenty of to keep you entertained.

Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures

This Tucson museum is the brainchild of Walter and Patricia Arnell. Its name comes from the notion that visitors are transported to different eras and realms via the 400 miniature houses and room boxes in the whimsical collection. Sights range from an 19th century British home to an Irish fairy-tale castle to a tiny Western streetscape featuring animals on motorcycles. Take advantage of docent-led tours at 1 p.m. daily. From 1 to 4 p.m. every second Saturday, children can make take-home miniature pieces during the museum’s Kids Create Family Fun Program.

Details: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays; noon-4 p.m. Sundays. Closed Mondays. 4455 E. Camp Lowell Drive, Tucson. $9; $8 for seniors and military; $6 for ages 4-17; free for age 3 or younger. 520-881-0606, theminitimemachine.org.

Arcosanti

An experimental city in the scrubby high desert fits any list of quirky attractions. Arcosanti is the brainchild of the late Italian-born architect Paolo Soleri, who originally found his way to Arizona to study with Frank Lloyd Wright. Soleri started constructing his urban prototype city in 1970 based on his concept of “arcology,” or the blending of architecture and ecology. About 7,000 volunteers have participated in the construction, and about 60 residents live in this “city” intended to house 5,000 when complete. Ceramic and bronze wind bells are made to support ongoing construction. Tours are offered daily and workshops periodically. Arcosanti hosts music and theatrical performances under the stars. A cafe is on site, and guest rooms are available (without air-conditioning) for $30 to $100 per night.

Details: Tours at 10 and 11 a.m. and 1, 2, 3 and 4 p.m. daily, except for major holidays. 65 miles north of Phoenix on Interstate 10 at Exit 263, north of Cordes Junction. $10 suggested donation per person. 928-632-7135, arcosanti.org.

Meteor Crater

Learn about the asteroid that collided with Earth at this spot about 50,000 years ago. Meteor Crater near Winslow is 1 mile across, 2.4 miles in circumference and more than 550 feet deep. NASA used this site to train Apollo astronauts because the terrain resembles that of the moon. Admission includes peering through telescopes on the viewing platforms, displays in the Interactive Discovery Center, a film about the event and a guided tour on the rim of the crater. The center has a gift and rock shop, a Subway restaurant and RV park.

Details: 7 a.m.-7 p.m. daily Memorial Day through Labor Day; 8 a.m.-5 p.m. daily during non-summer hours. Exit 233 on Interstate 40, Winslow. $18; $16 for seniors; $9 for ages 6-17; free for age 5 or younger. 800-289-5898, meteorcrater.com.

Sedona vortex tours

This city nestled in the red rocks is a great getaway any time of year. While there, you’ll see references to Sedona’s vortexes by those who believe its rock formations transmit a palpable spiritual energy. You can have your aura photographed, talk to a mystic and take a spiritual-journey tour. Or you can just enjoy the beauty, fresh air and plentiful hiking trails.

Details: Sedona Chamber of Commerce Visitor Information Center, 331 Forest Road. 800-288-7336, visitsedona.com.

The Thing?

This is a classic roadside attraction — the subject of 28 billboards stretching from just north of Tucson to just east of Benson. Each sign drills a bit deeper than the last with such messages as “Mystery of the Desert” and “What is it?” By the time Exit 322 rolls around, your brain demands an answer. The Thing? is a riddle wrapped inside a display case tucked in a metal shed behind a souvenir store (the Bowlin Travel Center, 17 miles east of Benson, to be precise). We won’t give it away, except to say Homer Tate, who ran Tate’s Curiosity Shop in midcentury Phoenix, is another mystery to unravel after you’ve paid your money.

Details: 2631 N. Johnson Road, Benson (exit 322 on Interstate 10). $2. 520-586-2581, bowlintc.com/the-thing.html.

Tom Mix memorial

South of Florence on State Route 79, you’ll find a memorial to a man who best portrayed the West in 1930s Hollywood. The Tom Mix Memorial honors the silent-screen star who did his own stunts and was a bona fide cowboy. He died here in 1940 after crashing his yellow 1937 Cord Phaeton convertible into a dry wash. The plaque says, “In memory of Tom Mix whose spirit left his body on this spot and whose characterization and portrayals in life served to better fix memories of the old West in the minds of living men.”

Details: State Route 79, 20 miles south of Florence. Free.

Tovrea Castle

This wedding-cake-shaped castle dates back to 1930 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Alessio Carraro, an Italian cobbler turned businessman and land developer, built the castle as a hotel with the idea of a planned community surrounding it. In 1931, Carraro sold the property to the Tovreas, who ran a nearby stockyards and meat-packing plant. Phoenix purchased the property and its extensive cactus garden from the Tovrea estate in 1993. Tours are about 2 hours and include the castle's main floor and basement, extensive grounds and gardens. Tours require reservations and tend to fill months in advance.

Details: General admission $15 to $20; free for age 2 or younger. 5025 E. Van Buren St., Phoenix. 602-256-3221, tovreacarrarosociety.org, tovreacastletours.com.

Mystery Castle

When Boyce Gully was diagnosed with tuberculosis, he left his wife and 5-year-old daughter in Seattle and moved to the desert. He started building what would become Mystery Castle, using desert rock and all kinds of reclaimed materials, at the base of South Mountain. After his death in 1945, his daughter, Mary Lou Gully, visited the home and remembered she once had asked her father to build her a castle. She lived in the house for many years and gave tours of the 18-room structure until her death in 2010. Through the Mystery Castle Foundation, tours are still offered October through May; the complex has many stairs and is not wheelchair accessible.

Details: 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Thursdays-Sundays from October through May. 800 E. Mineral Road, Phoenix. $10; $5 for ages 5-12. 602-268-1581, mymysterycastle.com.