Beyond Campus: A Sun Devils Guide to Downtown Tempe

You’re here. You made it to ASU — home of the Sun Devils, game-day spirit, and endless sunshine. First of all, welcome to Arizona and specifically, Downtown Tempe! Just a mere steps from your campus is district buzzing with life and happenings to shape your college experience in unforgettable ways. For decades, Downtown Tempe has been the place to escape between classes, enjoy late-night bites, and the official post-finals celebration spot! Whether you are looking to hang out with friends, fuel up on new food, experience AZ desert living or just explore, this guide will help make the most of your experience. 

Places to Eat

No matter your mood or interest, chances are that you can find it downtown. But, we want to point you in the right direction on where to find all the cool spots and also some of the long-standing favorites of locals, students and alumni.

First, check out our Food + Drink Directory for a complete listing of places to eat. You will find the location, links to menus and hours (very important for those late night cravings). Make sure to follow businesses that you like on social to get the inside scoop on all happenings. 

New Places: If you are looking for new places, we recommend checking out our Inside Scoops or following us on Tiktok or Instagram for new content. 

Pizza: Need we say more? Here is a Pizza Tour you can check out for all the best spots downtown. 

Brunch/Breakfast: The best meal of the day and in Tempe, it does not disappoint. Here is where you can see all of the brunch spots. 

Mexican: Authentic tacos and Mexican cuisine is an abundance, and we have some places that should be on your list. Find all the taco spots in our directory

A Tempe Bucket List of Things to Do

Tempe Beach Park

Tempe Beach Park is a must for your places to check out. A mere 5 minutes from campus and you're at one of the top destinations in Arizona. Take a walk, go for a run, rent a kayak or paddleboad, cruise the lake on a donut boat, pedal boat or swan boat, or cruise the bike path around the entire lake. As a bonus, over 40 events happen at Tempe Beach Park throughout the year, so there's always something new to check out. Check out this Guide to Tempe Beach Park & Lakeside Activities.

"A" Mountain

Iconic "A" Mountain, also known as Hayden Butte, offers a short but rewarding hike with panoramic views of the Valley. The paved trail has several rest areas, making it an accessible yet invigorating adventure. Reach the summit and take in the 360-degree vistas—a perfect way to kick off your day. For other outdoor things to do, check out this helpful guide. 

Check out the local public art and get some photos

Tempe Tourism, our amazing partner and another great resource for all things Tempe, created a fabulous list of public art and cool spots to get some photos. Definitely check out this list of public art spots in Tempe to get started. 

Events & Happenings

If you are always looking for something to do, the Downtown Tempe Events Calendar is GOLD. We curate a list of happenings that occur all throughout the year. You can always find something happening downtown- from trivia nights and paint nights, to rooftop parties, ASU celebrations and even Downtown Tempe's signature festivals and events. Bookmark this events calendar for future! 

Shopping on Mill Ave

Mill Ave has been a longstanding hot spot for things to do. As you find yourself entering school in 2025, you will notice that it is under construction. The good news is that the businesses are open and the sidewalks are clear! Check out our shopping directory for places you can check out. Our retail shops are locally owned and operated. You can pick up birkenstocks or trendy footwear at Shoe Mill, deck out your dorm or apartment in plans and greenery from The Plant Mill, pick up your official ASU gear from Cactus Sports, find the latest trendy apparel at Urban Outfitters, Pitaya or Knee Deep Denim, make your own scented candle at Candle Chemistry, create your own potion at Lotions & Potions, find amazing jewelry at Dazey Aesthetic or Brio, and more! 

Finally- as it comes to getting around, you will find that it's a breeze! Downtown Tempe has the Tempe Streetcar, the Valley Metro Light Rail, rentable scooters, the Flash Orbit Bus, and an abundance of parking. It's also easy to plan your visit with Tempe TRiP, a web application that gives you real time parking availability and transportation options. Go to www.tempetrip.com

💡 Pro Tips for New Sun Devils

• Bookmark  Tempe TRIP to find the best parking and transportation around downtown.
• Find things to do on the Downtown Tempe events calendar
• Ride the Tempe Streetcar — it’s free, and it’s an easy way to cruise around downtown and campus.
• Don’t skip brunch. It’s basically a weekend sport here.
• Follow @DowntownTempe on Instagram for events, giveaways, and what’s happening now.
• Say yes to the random stuff. Silent disco, improv night, 2nd Sunday markets — these are the moments you’ll remember.