Phoenix Points of Pride

File:Saint Mary's Basilica003.jpg

St. Mary's Basilica.

The Phoenix Points of Pride are 33 landmarks and attractions within the Phoenix, Arizona, city limits that are claimed to represent the best features of the city for both residents and visitors. Each Point of Pride was selected through an election process that involved 40,000 residents voting for their favorite destinations and resources.

The Points of Pride include man-made structures, such as St. Mary's Basilica, the Phoenix Zoo and US Airways Center, as well as naturally occurring structures, such as Camelback Mountain and Hole-in-the-Rock at Papago Park.

File:Mystery Castle Phoenix Arizona2.jpg

Mystery Castle.

The first 25 Points of Pride were selected in 1992. The program was seen as a way to boost civic morale in the wake of negative national publicity for Phoenix in the wake of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday controversy. Cricket Wireless Pavilion and the Deer Valley Rock Art Center were added in 1996 and 2000 respectively, and the Japanese Friendship Garden, Ben Avery Shooting Facility and the Thomas J. Pappas School were selected in 2004. Arizona State University at the West Campus, Burton Barr Central Library and Cutler-Plotkin Jewish Heritage Center (the area's first Jewish synagogue) are the most recent Points of Pride, selected in 2008.

The Phoenix Pride Commission is responsible for maintaining the list of Phoenix Points of Pride and promoting these unique metropolitan area resources. In the past, the commission accepted nominations from the residents and selected locations for the Points of Pride ballot. The residents voted for these locations and the commission determined how many of the locations receiving the greatest number of votes were designated as a Point of Pride.

In July 2008, Phoenix mayor Phil Gordon changed the Phoenix Pride Commission to an ad hoc commission, meaning that it will meet on a much more infrequent basis due to budget shortfalls; this could mean the effective end of the Points of Pride program.

List of Phoenix Points of Pride

This list shows information about each of the Phoenix Points of Pride.

Name	Location	Image	Description
Ak-Chin Pavilion	2121 North 83rd Avenue	150 px	A 20,000 seat open-air amphitheater
Arizona Biltmore Hotel	2400 East Missouri Avenue	150 px	A destination resort built in 1929 and featuring 39 acres of gardens and architecture influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright
Arizona Center	400 East Van Buren Street	150 px	A shopping, dining, and entertainment destination
ASU West campus	4701 West Thunderbird Road	150 px	A three-college satellite campus of Arizona State University
Ben Avery Shooting Facility	4044 West Black Canyon Boulevard	150 px	A 1650-acre outdoor shooting range open to the public
Burton Barr Central Library	1221 North Central Avenue	150 px	A Public library of over 700,000 items, including rare books and unique collections
Camelback Mountain	East McDonald Drive at Tatum Boulevard	150 px	A prominent feature of the Camelback Mountain Echo Canyon Recreation Area, a 75-acre park
Cutler Plotkin Jewish Heritage Center	122 East Culver Street	150 px	A museum and cultural center operated by the Arizona Jewish Historical Society
Deer Valley Rock Art Center	3711 West Deer Valley Road	150 px	A site of over 1500 Native-American petroglyphs ranging in age between 800 and 1500 years
Desert Botanical Garden	1201 N. Galvin Parkway	150 px	A 140-acre desert garden featuring over 21,000 plants including 139 rare, threatened, or endangered species
Encanto Park	2745 North 15th Avenue	150 px	A 222-acre park featuring a variety of leisure activities
Heard Museum	2301 North Central Avenue	150 px	A museum devoted to culture and history of Native peoples, including a collection of over 40,000 items
Herberger Theater Center	222 East Monroe Street	150 px	A three-stage performing arts center
Heritage Square	115 North Sixth Street	150 px	A late-1800s residential area now supporting museums, restaurants and gift shops Rosson House NRHP Reference: 71000112 Baird Machine Shop NRHP Reference: 85002047
Japanese Friendship Garden	1125 North Third Avenue	150 px	A joint project between Phoenix and its sister city of Himeji, Japan, the 3-1/2 acre garden and tea house include over 50 varieties of plants
Mystery Castle	800 East Mineral Road	150 px	An 18-room castle museum built in the 1930s from salvaged items
Orpheum Theater	203 West Adams Street	150 px	A 1929 Orpheum theater built in the Spanish Baroque style and currently home to the Phoenix Metropolitan Opera NRHP Reference: 85002067
Papago Park	Galvin Parkway and Van Buren Street		A 1200-acre park featuring the Phoenix Zoo, the Desert Botanical Garden, Governor Hunt's Tomb, baseball and softball fields, picnic areas, and hiking trails Hunt's Tomb NRHP Reference: 08000526
Phoenix Art Museum	1625 North Central Avenue	150 px	A collection of more than 18,000 works, independent film screenings, live performances, dining and shopping
Phoenix Mountains Park	2701 East Squaw Peak Lane	150 px	A park surrounding Piestewa Peak, the second highest point in the Phoenix Mountains, and within the area of the Phoenix Mountain Preserve
Phoenix Zoo	455 North Galvin Parkway	150 px	A 125-acre zoo containing over 2.5 miles of walking trail and over 1300 animals in the area of Papago Park
Pueblo Grande Museum	4619 East Washington Street	150 px	A pre-Columbian archaeological site and National Historic Landmark dedicated to preserving ruins left by the Hohokam culture Ruin NHRP Reference: 66000185 Irrigation Site NRHP Reference: 66000184
Shemer Art Center and Museum	5005 East Camelback Road	150 px	An arts education facility and community center featuring temporary exhibitions and a permanent collection
South Mountain Park	10919 South Central Avenue	150 px	An urban park over 16,000-acres containing many species of desert plant and animal life
St. Mary's Basilica	231 North Third Street	150 px	A minor basilica in the Catholic Church and home to Arizona's largest collection of stained glass NRHP Reference: 78000551
Symphony Hall	225 East Adams Street	150 px	A multi-purpose performing arts venue and home to the Phoenix Symphony, Arizona Opera, and Ballet Arizona
Telephone Pioneers of America Park	1946 West Morningside Drive	150 px	A barrier-free park designed to meet the needs of the physically challenged
Tovrea Castle	5041 East Van Buren Street	150 px	A three-tier, wedding cake style structure built in 1931 of wood and stucco NRHP Reference: 96000309
US Airways Center	201 East Jefferson Street	150 px	A sports and entertainment arena and home to the Phoenix Suns and the Phoenix Mercury basketball teams
Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza	1700 West Washington Street		A two-block plaza on the grounds of the Arizona State Capitol featuring 29 memorials
Wrigley Mansion	2501 East Telawa Trail	150 px	A 1931 mansion currently offering a restaurant and meeting space in a private club setting NRHP Reference: 89001045

See also

• List of historic properties in Phoenix, Arizona

External links

• City of Phoenix website: Phoenix Points of Pride