Exploring Chandler, Mesa, & Gilbert, AZ
Time Needed in this town: 4-5 nights
The tri-fecta of the suburbs, Chandler, Mesa, and Gilbert offer just about everything one would need to get a little bit of western history, a little bit of entertainment, and a whole lot of good eats. In the last ten years, these three areas (just 20 minutes apart) have exploded in not just growth, but in sophistication as well as they have become hot spots to live, work, and play relying less and less on Scottsdale and the other northern areas than ever before.
The below information is a complete guide of the best places to stay, the top rated places to dine and drink, and all there is to see and do. We’ve also included a summary of the history of this (insert adjectives and kind of place here).
Jump To:
Where to Stay
Chandler
Gilbert
Mesa
Where to Dine & Drink
Chandler
OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS:
Avec Amoore - Gluten free, with Love
Comfortable bakery featuring gluten-free goods such as scones, cupcakes and pies.
Relaxed yet elegant eatery for perfectly cooked steaks, seafood and baked treats in spacious surrounds.
Modern pizzeria boasting sourdough-crust pies, pasta, and other dishes.
Find a fantastic selection of wines from all over the world and local Arizona craft beers at this Downtown Chandler bottle shop. Experience a shopping experience like no other by attending a tasting or other unique event and discover a world full of libations you have yet to explore.
Spirit House Kitchen & Cocktails
Creative mixed drinks made with locally distilled whisky, gin & vodka featured in a hip atmosphere.
Spitz Mediterranean Street Food
Each dish is handcrafted with the freshest ingredients, made from scratch.
Casual, kid-friendly spot, filled with movie props and costumes featuring baked goods, plus gluten-free options.
Italian dishes & cocktails served in a relaxed chain outlet with a terrace & happy-hour specials.
Fine dining in a secluded, country-chic setting, plus an informal bar with live music.
Casual restaurant featuring tacos, steak, and other Mexican favorites.
Gilbert
Relaxed, coastal-themed eatery offering globally sourced seafood dishes, a raw bar and cocktails.
Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant
Chain eatery known for steaks, seafood and American fare, as well as wines, made in-house.
Counter-serve chain serving health-conscious New American cuisine with vegetarian and vegan options.
Fast-food-style spot offering classic American fare in a sleek space set on a working farm.
Gilbert Farmers Market (GFM) is located on Chandler-Gilbert Community College Campus, in the North/West corner of Gilbert Road and Pecos Road. With over 150 vendors year-round, the market features local, chemical-free, organic produce from Arizona farmers, farm-fresh eggs, meat, cheese, bread, sweets, coffee, tea, sauces, seasonings, and many other locally made artisan products. With so many delicious options, its no wonder they call the GFM “The Foodie Market”!
Delicious, authentic Mexican cuisine with fresh, high-quality ingredients and beautiful presentation.
Bakery featuring warm sourdough breads, plus sugar cookies, brownies, glazed cinnamon rolls, scones, croissants and cupcakes. Bakery and cake shop offering breads, cinnamon rolls, cookies, cupcakes, doughnuts and sandwiches. (They do not cater to Gluten-free.)
A walk-up only French pastry shop that often sells out early. Get there at least 10 minutes before opening! NOTE: They do NOT offer gluten-free options.
Burgers, margaritas, and other American and Southwestern fare dished up in a casual bar.
Sweet Impastries Gluten-Free Bakery
A Certified Gluten-free bakery, using European-inspired techniques and premium ingredients.
Sweet Simon | Vegan & Gluten Free Bakery
Freshly baked gluten-free goodies!
Housing over 75,000 pounds of candy and over 4,000 different types from more than 170 manufacturers, visitors can explore the largest and most comprehensive candy store and soda shoppe in the state. This store also houses the largest PEZ selection in the western half of America but also 300+ pure cane sugar, glass-bottled sodas.
Samosas, goat, and other familiar Indian dishes are served in this casual space.
This quaint, family-owned outfit serves diner-style breakfasts & lunches such as omelets & burgers.
Chic cocktail bar with a 1920s speakeasy theme, complete with a hidden entrance & a password.
Mesa
OTher Recommendations
Relaxed eatery offering gluten-free versions of familiar fare, along with a selection of baked goods and grocery items.
Refined eatery with a garden spotlighting cocktails, wine & elevated seasonal offerings.
Laid-back pizza outlet with a beer hall that shares the space, featuring creative toppings, salads and drinks.
Mediterranean plates and sandwiches feature at this basic, upbeat counter-serve in a shopping center.
Laid-back restaurant specializing in gluten-free Mexican cuisine and craft cocktails.
Gus’ World-Famous Fried Chicken
Long-running chain serving spicy fried chicken & comfort sides in a low-key setting.
Casual restaurant serving quesadillas, tacos, and carne asada fries, plus a drive through.
Breakfast and lunch eatery serving omelets and crepes, plus Mexican eats and coffee drinks.
Things to See & Do
Day Trips
Apache Junction (30 minutes from Chandler)
Arcosanti (1.5 hours from Chandler)
Cottonwood (2.5 hours from Chandler)
Florence (40 minutes from Chandler)
Jerome (2.5 hours from Chandler)
Phoenix (20-40 minutes from Chandler, depending on where you are headed)
Queen Creek (25 minutes from Chandler)
Scottsdale (45 minutes from Chandler)
Sedona (2.5 hours from Chandler)
Tempe (20 minutes from Chandler)
Tombstone (2.5 hours from Chandler)
Tucson (1.5 hours from Chandler)
Historical Exploration
Chandler Museum (Chandler)
The Chandler Museum campus features both locally produced and nationally traveling exhibits exploring culture, history, and art. Reopened in December 2018, the museum boasts a 10,000 square foot facility adjacent to the historic McCullough-Price House. The modern building is the centerpiece of the new museum campus and it was designed to complement the historic house, preserving and honoring the past while representing our progress as a community with a bright future.
Commemorative Air Force Museum (Mesa)
The Arizona Wing maintains and flies B-17 Sentimental Journey along with a SNJ, C-45, L-16. Warbird Rides are available on our B-17, SNJ and C-45. Restoration projects include B-25 Mitchell, MiG-15, Grumman Guardian. The Arizona Wing has on display a F4 Phantom, A 26 Invader, P 47 1/2 scale, SE5a, Schweizer TG-3A Glider and Mig 21 plus numerous visiting aircraft.
Gilbert Historical Museum (Gilbert)
Museum housing artifacts & photos from the town's history, plus a gift shop, in a landmark building.
Mesa Historical Museum (MESA)
Built in 1913 as the Lehi Elementary School, the building now houses an extensive collection of artifacts from Mesa and the greater region. The museum offers guided and self-guided tours along with an on-line tour option.
The Arts & Sciences
Arizona Museum of Natural History (Mesa)
The facility is Arizona's premier museum of cultural and natural history. See the largest collection of dinosaur fossils in the state, visit a Spanish mission, search for the Dutchman's lost treasure, pan for gold in the History Courtyard and more.
Chandler Center for the Arts (Chandler)
The Chandler Center for the Arts is a premier cultural resource that focuses on leading, advocating and advancing arts and culture in the greater Chandler area. As a shared facility with the Chandler School District, the Chandler Center for the Arts provides local, national and international performances.
Gilbert Rotary Centennial Observatory (Gilbert)
The observatory houses a 16” Meade LX200R telescope which is mounted on a Paramount ME German equatorial mount controlled by The Sky Professional computer software for accurate tracking and GOTO operation. Also mounted on the main telescope is a 60mm Lunt solar telescope for viewing the sun in the hydrogen alpha spectrum. The rotating aluminum dome is from Observa-DOME Laboratories and measures 5 meters (16’ 4 1/2 “) in diameter. Something that visitors won’t see is the immense 10 foot steel reinforced concrete cube buried below the observatory floor that provides a firm base for the telescope mounting.
Hale Center Theatre (Gilbert)
350-seat theater-in-the-round putting on family-friendly shows throughout the year.
Mesa Arts Center (Mesa)
The Phil Collins Story
Mesa Arts Center is designed to showcase a world of arts and culture – everything from art exhibitions, to world-class performances, to state-of-the-art studios for art education. The campus includes a complex of four theaters, Mesa Contemporary Arts’ galleries and exhibition space, two Art Studios buildings with visual and performing arts studios and classrooms, informal performance areas, administrative support space and a 700-foot Shadow Walk that creates an inviting, shaded outdoor oasis plaza.
Unique Experiences
Andretti Indoor Karting & Games (Chandler)
A 96,000 sq. ft. facility, including high-speed electric Superkarts on a multi-level track, state-of-the-art Arcade, Virtual Reality Experiences, Racing Simulators, a three-story Laser Tag arena, Duckpin Bowling, and a 7D Xperience Motion Theater. The Chandler entertainment facility features a full restaurant featuring a brick pizza oven and slow-smoked classic dishes alongside a full bar serving local, craft beer and specialty cocktails. In addition to the thrilling rides and entertainment.
Arizona goat Yoga (Gilbert)
Per their website, “Arizona Goat Yoga is The Original Goat Yoga, making it the longest running and most entertaining Goat Yoga in history! 10 years of award winning Goats and Alpacas, featured on Americas Got Talent, will interact with you throughout the entire class, as the GOATEST show on earth!”
Firebird Motorsports Park (CHANDLER)
Firebird Motorsports Park sits on 450 acres and is devoted entirely to the thrilling world of motorsports. The facility features: 3 Road Course Circuits, Acres of pavement for Autocross & Skidpad use, 120 Acre Watersports Lake, 1/4 Mile NHRA Drag Strip, Drag Boat Racing and Off-Road Truck Racing, and more!
Mix Cooking School (Chandler)
And at Mix, food is much more than a 3-meal-a-day ritual...we love shopping for local ingredients, planning a seasonal menu, perfecting a brownie recipe, helping a kid crack an egg for the first time, setting a gorgeous table, and, most importantly, sharing our love of the craft of cooking with our Chandler community.
MOX Boarding House (CHANDLER)
Mox Boarding House is a premier board game store and restaurant that combines the love of gaming with a full-service dining experience. Since opening its first location in Seattle in 2011, Mox Boarding House has expanded to Bellevue, WA, and Portland, OR, and now to Chandler, AZ. Each location offers a welcoming environment where friends, families, and gaming enthusiasts can come together to play, dine, and connect. With a vast game library, thousands of games available for purchase, and a full calendar of events, Mox Boarding House is a hub for gamers of all ages and skill levels.
Radford Racing School (Chandler)
Radford Racing School, the Official High Performance Driving School of Dodge//SRT, is a premier performance driving and racing training center offering world-class experiences for individuals and groups. The school offers more than 80 performance vehicles, sedans, SUVs, Ligier JS F4 single seaters, and gas-powered go karts. Radford Racing School includes state-of-the-art facilities and event space for private parties and corporate meetings.
Scheels (Chandler)
SCHEELS Chandler is the ultimate destination sports retailer, bringing family-friendly attractions alongside the best selection of apparel, shoes, camping good, home decor and gear for sports and outdoor recreation. Entertainment attractions include a 45-foot Ferris wheel in the main lobby, a 16,000-gallon saltwater aquarium featuring more than 600 fish, interactive arcade games, sports simulators, a wildlife mountain, restaurant and the Fuzziwig's Candy Factory.
Swingin’ Safari Mini Golf
Swingin’ Safari Mini Golf will offer the ultimate, glow-in the-dark indoor mini-golf adventure for the whole family.
Terror Trader (CHANDLER)
Arizona’s only year-round horror store, dedicated to Halloween costumes, decor, and movie paraphanilia.
Wild Horse Pass (Chandler)
From slot machines, to card tables, great restaurants, and lot of great entertainment acts, there is a lot to do here!
A History Summary
History of Chandler
1891 - Dr. Alexander John Chandler, the first veterinary surgeon for the territory of Arizona, bought 80 acres of land from the federal government south of Mesa in the Salt River Valley.
Very early 1900s - Dr. Chandler owned an 18,000-acre ranch. The charter of the Salt River Project provided that each landowner could obtain enough water to irrigate only 160 acres. Dr. Chandler sought the help of planners and architects in subdividing his ranch and drawing up a townsite map. He then advertised nationally the sale of Chandler Ranch sites.
1912 - Dr. Chandler built three wooden shacks to open the townsite office, a dining hall, and Morrison Grocery. Excursion trains on the newly completed Arizona Eastern Railroad brought 300 speculators who spent $50,000 for land that day. There was also a billboard marking the site of the elegant future Hotel San Marcos. Dr. Chandler had an ambitious plan that was well ahead of his time. He envisioned a landscaped central park that would be surrounded by businesses. The walkways in front of the buildings would be covered by a trellis-like roof, supported by colonnades. Deed restrictions required landowners to build on their land within one year.
1913 - Chandler was beginning to look like an established town. Businesses had been built along the west and south side of the park, including the Bank of Chandler and the Eastern Railroad depot. The grand opening of the Hotel San Marcos took place on this year with 500 guests in attendance. Chandler began to attract the wealthy.
1913 - 1920s - Cotton (which became the most profitable crop in Chandler), grains and alfalfa were the primary crops. Farmers also raised cattle, sheep and, yes, ostriches. Ostrich feathers were used to adorn popular women's fashions. Top-quality feathers sold for as much as $250 a pound.
WWI - Long-staple cotton was in demand to be used for the production of rubber tires and aircraft fabrics. During the war, the Goodyear Tire Company leased 8,000 acres south of town from the Chandler Improvement Company and built the town of Goodyear.
1920 - Chandler had more than 1,000 residents. Automobiles had become the main form of transportation, so the town's roads needed to be paved. The water and sewage systems were also outdated and the utility services were unreliable. Also, Arthur Price, the local Justice of the Peace, drafted the town's first charter - Dr. Chandler became the town’s first Mayor.
Great Depression - Most of Chandler was not impacted during this time, except for the cotton industry, as well as The Bank of Chandler, which had collapsed. Dr. Chandler lost the San Marcos to his creditors, though he was able to retire comfortably, living in a cottage on the grounds of the hotel.
1930s - Drivers of the new, faster cars sometimes didn't realize that Arizona Avenue then ended at the town plaza. Cars often jumped the curb and drove right into the park. And the large diesel trucks that made deliveries to businesses around the park had trouble navigating the narrow roads around the plaza.
1940 - The state proposed to align Route 87 down Arizona Avenue. While the residents weren’t happy, this was a practical need.
1941 - The U.S. Army Air Corps announced its plans for the construction of a fighter pilot training base east of Chandler. The base began operations in October and two months later Japanese bombers attacked Pearl Harbor. It soon became common to see uniformed men in town.
WWII - Chandler's population doubled and reached 3,800 by 1950 -- the year Dr. Chandler passed away. On May 24, 1954, the status of Chandler was upgraded from town to City.
1980 - The population grew to 30,000.
Today - Over 250,000 people call Chandler home and the downtown still blends modern version of the original turn-of-the-century look. The plaza has been redesigned and named after the City's founder. The Center for the Arts, new parks, restaurants and retail centers mark an exciting future for the City.
History of Gilbert
1902 - Gilbert was established by William "Bobby" Gilbert, who provided land to the Arizona Eastern Railway to construct a rail line between Phoenix and Florence, Arizona.
1910 - Ayer's Grocery Store, Gilbert's first store, opened.
1912 - Ayer’s Grocery Store also became the first post office. Also, many Mormons who had fled the Mormon colonies in Mexico, due to the actions of Pancho Villa's forces, settled in Gilbert.
1913 - Gilbert Elementary School was built. Today it houses the Gilbert Historical Museum.
1914 - The Church of Christ was built.
1915 - The Mormons began holding church meetings at the Gilbert Elementary School. Also, the Creed Grocery Store was opened.
1917 - The Bank of Gilbert opened.
1918 - The Mormons were organized into the Gilbert Ward. Also, Gilbert’s first basketball team formed.
1919 - Gilbert High School opened.
1920-1970 - Gilbert was incorporated, though known primarily as the “hay capital of the world”, with a population of 2,000 people.
1933 - Downtown Gilbert flooded.
1938 - Downtown Gilbert flooded again.
1980 - The population grew to 5700.
2010 - There as a population of 208,453.
2020 - There was a population of 267,918.
History of MESA
900s-1450s - The Hohokam tribe lived in this area.
1100 AD - Canals were constructed by the Hohokam tribe so that water could be delivered to over 110,000 acres, transforming the Sonoran Desert into an agricultural oasis.
1450 - The Hohokam had constructed hundreds of miles of canals, many of which are still in use.
1877 - The first pioneers settled in the area. Sent from Utah by Brigham Young, the “Utah Company” was originally sent to establish “stations on the road” supporting the Church’s expansion into Mexico.
1878 - The second group of Mormon settlers, known as the “Mesa Company”, arrived in the area. Also, Mesa City was registered as a 1-square-mile townsite.
1879 - The Second Mesa Company arrived. Also, the first school was built.
Early 1880s - Nearly 300 people had settled in the Mesa area, most living within one square mile of downtown.
1883 - Mesa City was incorporated with a population of 300 people.
Early 1900s - The town saw a major boom in population, from a wide variety of cultures, as construction of nearby Roosevelt Dam brought ample opportunity for work and leisure in town.
Early 1900s - after WWII - Dairy farming and stock-raising were an ever-increasing sector of the agricultural economy. Much of the Mesa workforce was employed in agricultural-related industries.
1917 - The city of Mesa purchased this utility company. The revenues from the company provided enough for capital expenditures until the 1960s.
1940s - Falcon Field and Williams Field opened, respectively, resulting in more military personnel began to move into the Mesa area.
1950s - 1960s - With the advent of air conditioning and the rise of tourism, population growth exploded in Mesa, as well as the rest of the Phoenix area. Industry, especially early aerospace companies, grew.
Late 1960s - Half of the residents of Mesa made a living with agriculture, but that number declined substantially as Mesa's suburban growth continued on track with the rest of the Phoenix metro area.
1967 - The Mesa City Charter of 1967 established a council-manager government consisting of a mayor and six councilmembers who appoint a city manager, city clerk, city attorney, auditor, and magistrates.
1980s - 1990s - The 1980 comedy Used Cars was primarily filmed in Mesa (specifically at a car dealership along Main Street). Other prominent films with scenes shot in the city include Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989), Wayne's World (1992), Raising Arizona (1987), and Vegas Vacation (1997)
2010 - There was a population of 439,041.
