Overview
Arcosanti is a planned community in Arizona, most notable for its crafts. The project has the goals of combining the social interaction and accessibility of an urban environment with sound environmental principles, such as minimal resource use and access to the natural environment.
1 sights
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Arcosanti
Tour
A 1– to 1½-hour tour.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Nov–Apr. Summer highs reach about 106°F; winter lows dip to about 45°F. Very hot (May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep) — plan outdoor time for mornings. Wettest: Jan and Feb. (climate data from nearby Arizona)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- PRC Prescott Regional Airport - Ernest A. Love Field, Prescott — 28 mi away. Directions
- FLG Flagstaff Pulliam Airport, Flagstaff — 60 mi away. Directions
- PHX Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Phoenix — 63 mi away (major hub). Directions
The community is near Spring Valley and Cordes Lakes, both of which are on the Arizona Veterans' Highway.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Food for you
Although there is a nice cafeteria in Arcosanti, the nearby towns of Cordes Lakes and Spring Valley are better bets when it comes to food and drink.
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Understand
Arcosanti is a planned community, built in the style of arcology, combining modern architecture with ecology.
In 1970, construction began on the site and continued until 1989. The population has tended to vary between 50 and 150 people, many of them students and volunteers. The goal was for Arcosanti to house a population of 5,000 people. Thirteen major structures were built on the site, some several stories tall.
Existing structures at Arcosanti are meant to begin to provide for the complete needs of a community. They include: a five-story visitors' center, cafe and gift shop; a bronze-casting apse; a ceramics apse; two large barrel vaults; a ring of apartment residences and quasi-public spaces around an outdoor amphitheater; a community swimming pool; an office complex. A two-bedroom "Sky Suite" occupies the highest point in the complex; it, as well as a set of rooms below the pool, is available for overnight guests. Most of the buildings have accessible roofs.
Arcosanti has a Camp area, built by and for the original construction crew. It is used today as housing for approximately one quarter of the Arcosanti population.
The Cosanti Foundation runs Arcosanti and manages its activities.
Get in
The community is near Spring Valley and Cordes Lakes, both of which are on the Arizona Veterans' Highway.
It lies 70 mi (110 km) north of Phoenix.
Get around
The town has few paved roads. Walking is the best way to get around.
See
- The oasis surrounding Arcosanti is stunningly beautiful for such a remote location in the Arizona desert.
- The FORM Ampitheatre hosts live shows. It's built in a combined brutalist-modern style.
Do
- Art workshops are available by reservation.
- There is a large swimming pool, though it's probably not open to just anyone.
Buy
Arts and crafts are the main thing to buy in Arcosanti, mostly bells.
Eat and drink
Although there is a nice cafeteria in Arcosanti, the nearby towns of Cordes Lakes and Spring Valley are better bets when it comes to food and drink.
Sleep
Accommodations are readily available in Arcosanti, so long as the condos aren't too full of undergrad students.
A 5-day Experience Week allows you to live in the community while participating in workshops $900 per person in 2021).
Go next
Arcosanti is just north of Phoenix, Arizona.
Nearby
Agua Fria National Monument
Park · 2 listings · 13 mi away
Walker
City / town · 18 mi away
Camp Verde
City / town · 9 listings · 21 mi away
Prescott
City / town · 36 listings · 26 mi away
Jerome
City / town · 26 listings · 28 mi away
Cottonwood
City / town · 7 listings · 29 mi away
Anthem
City / town · 5 listings · 33 mi away
Cave Creek
City / town · 35 listings · 36 mi away
My experience
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