When planning to visit Glendale, then you are in for a treat. This city is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful ones in Arizona filled with history, culture, and today’s attractions. Certainly those who like shopping, nature or art there is something for everyone in Glendale. So, here I present to you the glanced list of the ten places that are unmissable while visiting Glendale.
1. The Americana at Brand
Shopping at The Americana at Brand is always a nice experience filled with food trips and leisurely enjoyment. Alternatively, it is a glamorously-scenic open-air mall that caters well for the shopping and recreational constituencies. It is always energized and the appearance is sleek, much like the brand’s logo which is iconic.
You will also come across stores opened by famous global and indigenous labels catering to all classes or types. The essence of shopping is underlined with opening of specialty shops that provide customers with specificity of choice: something that cannot be found anywhere else. Ranging from design to jeans wear, and everything in between, the selection is pretty huge.
The dining services are equally as varied, with everything from fine dining restaurants to grab-and-go food. Restaurants are plenty to guarantee the clients will find something to accommodate each taste. Want Japanese food, Italian food or American food and you can point yourself to restaurants which will more than satisfy your palate.
It is a shopping mall, but in addition, it contains a theater, concert hall, art exhibitions and, it often hosts performances. These events help make a simple trip to the store a special one. The concerts that are given outdoors establish ambience, which is enjoyable for residents and excites the spirit of tourism.
Families will appreciate the children’s attractions such as the famous tram that moves around the territory and music fountains. The tram ride is a delightful one that takes one round the shopping center while the fountains are another masterpiece that sway people of all ages.
This makes The Americana at Brand to be suitable for people of all ages because of its exquisite view. Whether shopping, grabbing a bite to eat or just relaxing in the atmosphere of the place it is a place of shopping that includes it all.
2. Glendale Galleria
Another shopping hearth is Glendale Galleria which is rather worth seeing. This is a large mall with different shops ranging from luxury brands and other medium and cheap brands. People always find something to look for here, and that’s why many people who are local and tourist like to shop here.
There are often fashions shows, kids activities, celebrities and other special occasions which are held in the Galleria hence the events make up a major part of this essential facility. They complement the tour by giving you a feel of the culture and more so the entertainment sector. Often, attending one of these events can give the perspective of the Glendale community and how people in the community gather together.
There are several restaurants and cafes to be found at the Galleria and eating at the mall is quite a delight. Both fast food and table-service restaurants are available so that you could grab a bite between classes, grab a more detailed meal at your convenience. The food court entails retail businesses that sell fast foods while the restaurants are a bit more formal, giving the customers a relaxed dining experience.
The added advantage of the site is that of accessibility allowing visitors to continue with other sightseeing activities in the region after a shopping bonanza. Hence, it is easily visited because everything is easily accessed without having to move from one location to another. , you can begin your day shopping, you can grab a bite of lunch, and then you can continue moving around and discovering Glendale.
This also applies to parking where there is enough of it and it is easy to park your car without much tearing and clutching. It has a sort of multi-leveled parking system to make sure that you will not be unable to secure a place to park your car or trucks possibly during festive seasons. The working of the elevators also contributes to enhancing the fun factor of having shopping at the Glendale Galleria.
Visiting the Glendale Galleria makes the tour in Glendale very productive and entertaining. This is not a trip to the supermarket; it is a cultural experience that offers the customer a feel of the local culture of the country.
3. Forest Lawn Memorial Park
Contrary to what most people consider a cemetery, Forest Lawn Memorial Park is quite different. People go there as a form of art and entertainment as it is a burial ground to many famous personalities. Stunning artwork, gorgeous landscape and, finally, breathtaking view of LA make the park quite popular and pastoral among people.
Here you can pay your respect to famous personalities of the world like Walt Disney, Elizabeth Taylor, and Michael Jackson. Many lovers’ gravesites are visited by tourists from different parts of the world, which contributes both to history and culture of travelling. Every visit is like paying a homage to such legends whose have imparted into the society so much entertainment.
However, apart from being more than just a burial ground, Forest Lawn is also an outdoor museum with replicas of Michel Angelo and other great valuable sculpture works. This placed the art pieces in various areas in the park where they became surprising and marvelous to behold. Despite being made of marble replicas of the renowned sculptures such as Michelangelo’s David may also be considered useful due to the rather close-to-life depiction.
Painters will like stained glass and the contain of park that offer the tourists to follow for the history and people buried there. The stained glass display is very fascinating since it captures the light in a manner that is appropriate for the park environment.
Lush lawns and beautiful architectures add to the beauty and allows for great souvenir and photo moments. The whole park environment is scenic to the extent that clients will find many points or areas to take photos in any corner of the park.
4. Brand Library and Art Center
This became a part of the estate owned by tycoon Leslie C. Brand and is an excellent place that can provide a moment of peace and contemplate stunning history. The Brand Library building is a Moorish-style structure but comprises of more than a library as it operates as an arts and a music facility. It also is a library with books, arts and programme, and musicals.
It goes without saying that this library is a true paradise for all lovers of books and literature, and it contains an impressive number of works on general and special literature, references and artbooks. The arts are varied from painting to music and stretch across all classes from, elementary education to secondary school. That is why the Brand Library can be considered as cultural reference point in Glendale.
There’s area around the structure that can be useful for a quiet walk or for a picnic. There is a well-tended garden for people who want to sit in the fresh air and breathe in the calmness of the world. One can just relax with a book under the shades or have some quality time with friends and family and picnic.
History lovers will find the Doctor’s House, a Victorian-style restored house that gives an ambiance to the park. The house used is Victorian and fully furnished and decorated in the respective style. It is so enclosed and somewhat runs like a time machine as it gives one a feel of the way people used to live.
Recreation facilities within the park include; Softball field, picnic area among others since it is a perfect place for family and friends. Large area and well illuminated playing fields are available making it suitable for lovers of outdoors and sporting activities.
Visiting the nearby mountain for a hiking trip provides you with good views on Glendale making your trip all the more interesting. It has sparkling trails, and despite the one which challenges anyone physically, they will design it in such a way that you will get to view some of the beautiful sceneries.
The Brand Library & Art Center is used for art showing, musical performances, and various art classes. It is more culturally sensitive if you were to check their schedule before your visit. Such event is a perfect occasion to meet people from the sphere of art in the country and get the broad exposure to the culture.
5. Glendale Centre Theatre
Glendale Centre Theatre is one of the significant theaters in Southern California and thrived in Glendale as one of the attractions since 1947 and the only oldest continuously operating theater in the round in the USA.
The theater hosts all types of shows from musicals to contemporary plays in a bid to suit everyone’s taste. Even though the variety makes it impossible for at least a portion of the proposed performances to attract the audience, the constant presence of something to the taste of everyone makes the theatre a favourite among the lovers of the drama.
This is due to the fact that there is obviously a very close interaction between the audience and the stage hence the theatre. The ambience created by the round structure and the direct interaction with the performers excites people’s expectations.
Besides performance, the theater offers acting lessons along with training sessions that help improve the arts in the community. These classes are inclusive; children, adults, the young and fresh talents are embraced in order to promote the culture of theater among them. This is a rather conducive ground for young talents who would want to pursue acting careers and also an excellent hub for people in the society to interact with each other through the various performances.
You can use theatres’ timetable to visit a theatre during your trip and have a wonderful time. A show backed by the presence of an excellent meal at a restaurant in Glendale can be an excellent evening out. The restaurants are not hard to come by and can be considered ranging from the informal dining kind to rather formal ones as well.
Apart from enabling you to have a cultural feel through watching a play at the Glendale Centre Theatre, supporting the does assist in sustaining local arts and theatre. This is a very constructive process that further enhances the tourist experience as well as the societal feel.
6. Montrose Shopping Park
Montrose Shopping Park describes a unique open air shopping center. It’s a very small town like area that is give the feel of being a town within a large city. Thus, the atmosphere of the park is rather calm, and it will be appropriate to spend a day there.
Sure, there are department stores and malls in Montrose but for the more unique and distinctive stores such as specialty shops, small bookstores, and antique stores, there is a nice old-town feel to it. The independent shops usually provide goods that are not available in other large chain stores which makes it a shopper’s haven.
Food choices range from avenues to eateries though much more diverse and elaborate than the term eateries suggest. Some of the café have section outside to sit and drink coffee or eat, which offer a view of the people passing by. The restaurants which are here cater to all the types of foods ranging from the Italian, Chinese etc.
Segmented by day of the week, the farmers market that takes place every Sunday will give you a glimpse of the local’s way of living with fresh produce and homemade delicacies. People go there buying almost anything ranging from fresh meat and food stuff, fruits and vegetables and handmade items. This is a good market area where one can purchase local products and learn or converse with the community.
Such features of a park as playgrounds, barbecue area, lights, benches, and security boost the attractiveness of community events such as festivals and parades conducted at the park. These occurrence attract people from all parts of the country and they contribute to festivities. Finding the time table of events to view before coming is a useful way of avoiding these lively occasions.
Shopping place such as Montrose Shopping Park serves more than just being a place to shop, but as a social hub for the people. Due to its friendly environment, the series of shops to visit when in Glendale cannot be missed.
7.Museum of Neon Art the official acronym, abbreviated as MONA
In particular, the key focus is the Museum of Neon Art or MONA that is devoted to the display of neon art works; the exterior and interior designs of MONA have neon elements incorporated into the very structure of the building based on the modern architectural approach and lighting conditions. Even the outer building envelope that houses a museum is already artwork that pulls in customers.
MONA has an assortment of neon signs and artworks that are historical and newly made ones. The exhibits are quite interesting in terms of revealing the development of neon art from its origins to contemporary perceptiveness. Thus, each piece has a story behind it and emphasizes the artistic and historical value of neon.
Temporary exhibitions are also a part of the displays in the museum focusing on different aspects of neon art and culture. These exhibitions include the works of talented artists, and sometimes, prospects and new talents could be showcased. It is agreed that, through the thematic change of exhibits, there is always something interesting to view in the museum.
It is thus easy to involve groups of people in neon making through demonstrations that occur during events such as; workshops. These activities are informative and entertaining and enable a viewer to become more enlightened in neon art.
Due to MONA’s late opening, one gets to see the neon at its best, at night. Bright color of the neon signs looks excellent at night and makes streets look magical. A visitor can check the schedule online to get the most appropriate time to visit the location.
The museum is situated in downtown Glendale so it is convenient to visit and there are many other pertinent cultural points of interest which you could include in your schedule. As suggested by its name, MONA is a very interesting place that is worth a visit from the artistic and the cerebral point of view.
8. Historic Downtown Glendale
Glendale is one of the oldest parts of Phoenix that today maintains aspects of history and culture as well as a variety of fun. Its avenue of inter-locking stones with the elegance of the old world architecture makes it a place of interest. The district proved that Glendale heritage and social active life is a vivid one.
Located near the shops, there are a lot of antique shops, specialty shops, art galleries and other stores for shopping lovers and cultural outfitters. The specialty stores stock second-hand items while the store provides trendy and in most occasions, artisan merchandise. Most of the art galleries display art works of artists based in the region, thus giving one a feel on the artistic prowess of the region.
There are restaurants that have American food as well as continental food and the like. There are many wonderful restaurants and depending on one’s mood one can get a fast food, or sit down in an exquisite restaurant and have a delicious dinner. The cafes and eateries give visitors the opportunity to get a cup of coffee and a meal in comfort and quiet after a tiring day.
Glendale Historic District is one of them with many preserved structures such as the Glendale Police Museum and the Beet Sugar Factory Building. Glendale’s museum provide an insight into the pre- and post-history of the city with the exhibits and artifacts in the sites.
Special occasions and events are also used at the historical downtown to promote the culture of the society. However, there are events through the year that come close to defining the Glendale experience right from the modest seasonal flee markets to farmers markets. Such events are even better when it comes to social interaction and creating awareness of cultural activities in the societies.
A popular lime light of Mar de Plata is Murphy Park situated in the city’s culture capital or normally known as the historic quarter. It is actually a park that provides a good camping ground for a relaxation area in the middle of rather noisy downtown. It is ideal for a relaxing afternoon and taking in the general atmosphere of the wonderful town of Glendale.
9. Deukmejian Wilderness Park
Deukmejian Wilderness Park is a good place to go for nature near the urban area. This is a mountainous park situated in the northern part of Glendale stretching to 709 acres with numerous view sights and pathways. It is a favoured destination for anyone with an interest in wildlife or the great out doors.
Activities that you can engage in include bird watching, nature, a nature trail hike, bbq, and phototscape. Such is the list of species in the park, it serves the purpose of wildlife observation and photography in the best way. Length, height, steepness and ruggedness range from easy to difficult levels as a means of bridging social discount rates.
Expert trekkers may attempt Mount Lukens which has good views of the San Fernando Valley, and of the Los Angeles Basin. It is considered as a strenuous trail but the beauty of the top is classic and perfect for the experienced hiker.
To go for a casual picnic then the Le Mesnager Barn picnic area is the most appropriate. A historic barn is situated in the actual picnic area which gives the place a natural and appealing feel for a day out. The picnic area is also well prepared with tables and benches to accommodate the visitors most of whom come with picnic items.
It can be described as a day-trip park since the facilities within the park are clean and well-developed. Common areas such as rest rooms and the areas where people engage in picnicking are often cleaned hence making the environment comfortable to be in. The serenity found at the park makes it the best place to be when you are looking for a quiet place.
Do check the park timings before you go; they do change with the season. It is open to the public and there are no charges to be paid thus accommodating all the tourists. The good thing here is that you need water, Better sun protection wear and appropriate shoes to get the best of this beautiful Glendale place.
10. Verdugo Mountains Park
Another natural reserve that can be recommended is Verdugo Mountains Park. It is a local park with goods within the city that has the benefits of outdoor activities and beautiful sceneries. In fact, this island is well suited for hiking, nature walk, and taking of beautiful photographs.
The range :of the hiking trails provided enable any individuals to engage in the activity due to the differentiated levels of challenges provided by the different trails. This trail known as Vital Link Trail has amazing views from the mountain top . This trail provides the hiker with moderate slope that gives excellent view making it a popular site in Yosemite for locals and tourists.
The park seems almost designed for photographers, especially if you are visiting during the time of the sunset as the view of the oranges and reds of the sky compliment the grey photo of the skyline of Los Angeles. When taking pictures during the golden hour must be admitted that the luminosity of the light produces is quite magical. Do not leave your camera at home if you plan on getting those beautiful pictures.
The park is open all year around and is not restricted to a fee of any kind for visitors. The trails are utterly availed and conspicuous, making it easy and safe to go hiking within the trails. The park features natural environment and it is fairly quiet, so one can enjoy a break from the noise of the city.
Take water, hat, and appropriate shoes for walking because ninety percent of the tour is walking. The trails can be steep in places so adequate foot ware should be worn. It can be suggested that the park is a quiet area that can free from noise and relax from the bustle of the city.
Verdugo Mountains Park is one of the crown jewel’s of Glendale which provides a panoramic and isolated zone. No matter if you go there for the hiking, for having a picnic or just for a simple walk and breathtaking view it is a location which offers a wonderful escape from the concrete jungle.
Conclusion:
All in all, Glendale is a city that offers a rich historic and culture background along with modern entertainment facilities. It ranges from the modern-day shopping malls and the historical city centers with strips of platonic beauty to the peaceful parks and vibrant cultural centers. These are the top 10 places of interest that are recommended to both the residents and the tourists for them to have wonderful experience. So come and go pack your bags today and be prepared to explore everything that is in Glendale!
