One of the Phoenix Points of Pride, it is the site of various memorials honoring prominent figures, wars, and events in Arizona history.

The plaza's location in front of the state capitol has made it a meeting place and a focal point for protests and demonstrations.

Among the memorials is one dedicated to the 158th Infantry Regiment, the state's oldest National Guard unit; it is based on a captured Japanese monument in the Philippines.

Despite the controversy surrounding the memorial, no changes to the monument had ever been publicly declared and today remains a permanent fixture in the plaza.

On June 19, 2020, Sean Brennan doused the stone "Memorial to Confederate Soldiers" with red paint before a protest in support of Black Lives Matter.