Most people think of Phoenix as a winter escape — warm weather, golf, spa resorts in Scottsdale. All of that is real and worth every bit of the reputation. But the Phoenix metro is also one of the most concentrated sports cities in America, and the access available here — standing in the dugout at Chase Field, walking the same tunnel the Cardinals run through on game day, watching 15 MLB teams prepare for a new season during Cactus League — is the kind of experience that serious sports fans rarely know is possible. We've built these experiences for groups and watched it change the way people think about what a sports trip can be.
Behind-the-scenes VIP tour at Chase Field
Chase Field is one of the more interesting ballparks in baseball — retractable roof, a swimming pool in right-center. The private group tour takes you through the visitor's clubhouse, down the tunnel to the field, into the dugout, out onto the warning track close enough to smell the grass. We arrange access that standard tours don't get: press box, batting cage, pre-game field time. For anyone who grew up wanting to stand on a big-league field, this is where you do it.
State Farm Stadium — where the Super Bowl comes to town
State Farm Stadium in Glendale has hosted multiple Super Bowls, the College Football Playoff Championship, and some of the biggest concerts in the country. Retractable roof, natural grass. A VIP tour gets you to field level, suite access, press box — the full backstage that fans at the actual game don't see. We work directly with the Cardinals' group sales team to get premium seating and club access that's a long way from general admission.
Cactus League Spring Training — 15 MLB teams, one metro area
Every February and March, 15 MLB teams hold Spring Training in the Phoenix metro area. The stadiums are intimate — most seat 10,000 to 15,000 — so you're close to players in a way that flat-out doesn't exist during the regular season. Players sign autographs, games are loose, tickets are cheap. We build itineraries that move between two or three ballparks across a weekend, mixing in Scottsdale's restaurant scene and resort afternoons. And the February weather — mid-70s, sunny — is its own selling point.
Combine the sports with Old Town Scottsdale and the resort corridor
Phoenix works for mixed groups partly because Scottsdale is right there and it's a complete trip in itself — Old Town restaurants, rooftop bars, the resort corridor along Scottsdale Road. The McDowell Sonoran Preserve has hiking with saguaro cactus and mountain views that look like nothing else in the country. Structure the trip with the stadium as the anchor and the resort afternoons as the reset, and the non-sports people in the group are just as happy as the ones who are there for the games.
Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center — the most accessible NBA arena in the league
Footprint Center is in the middle of downtown Phoenix, walking distance from the best restaurants and bars in the city. Compact arena design — not a bad seat in the place. We book lower bowl or premium club seating depending on the group, and can set up pre-game access to the practice facility and player tunnel. After the game, you walk right out into the downtown bar and restaurant scene. As single-evening sports experiences go, it's hard to top.
October through April is the window — Suns in full season, Cardinals wrapping up, Spring Training on the horizon. If your group includes people who've always wanted real behind-the-scenes stadium access and never gotten it, this is where that happens. We handle the venue coordination, group ticketing, and resort booking. Show up ready to enjoy it.
From the Trip
Written by
Jenn
Founder of Memorable Travel & Adventures. Jenn has personally traveled to every destination in this journal. She plans trips to all of them.