Chandler is named for Dr. Alexander John Chandler, who counted ostrich farming among his many pursuits. The city still celebrates its heritage through an annual Ostrich Festival. Chandler has grown from its rural roots in cotton farming into a city where high technology is a major industry.
The city is also home to the Chandler Fashion Center, a 1.3 million-square-foot shopping mall and outdoor village, and the Chandler Center for the Arts with three performing spaces and a 2,000-square-foot exhibition hall.
Chandler Historical Museum spotlights the history of the town and its founder. Chandler’s Arizona Railway Museum is a non-profit organization dedicated to Arizona’s railroading history.
