Best Affordable Phoenix Activities with Kids:
1. Ignite Curiosity and Hands-On Learning at the Arizona Science Center
Rating: ★★★★★
Located in downtown Phoenix in the Heritage and Science Park, the Arizona Science Center is a world-renowned center and institution of learning for exploration, innovation, and collaboration of the sciences. Established in 1980, the Center has grown to become one of the city’s most popular attractions, welcoming over half a million guests annually. The Center features a variety of hands-on and interactive exhibits, displays, and exploratory experiences spread over 164,000 square feet of space for visitors of all ages, including a fantastic to-the-moon and beyond presentation in the Dorrance Planetarium. The Center also offers a range of educational and community outreach programs, classes and camps, fields trips and immersive shows in the 5-story state-of-the-art IMAX® Theater.
600 E. Washington St, Phoenix, AZ 85004, Phone: 602-716-2000
2. Spark Creativity and Play at the Children’s Museum of Phoenix
The Children’s Museum of Phoenix is a fun-filled wonderland of imagination, inspiration, creativity for children up to the age of 10. Voted as one of the top 10 children’s museums in the country, the Museum is filled with over 300 immersive, hands-on, touch-and-tell and exploratory exhibits, displays and experiences spread over three floors and 48,000 square feet of space in the historic Monroe School Building in downtown Phoenix. Designed to arouse curiosity, engage minds and muscles and encourage discovery, some of the museum’s exhibits include ‘Art Studio- Creative Expression,’ ‘Book Loft,’ ‘Building Big’ and ‘Desert Delights.’ The museum also offers a diverse range of educational programs and classes – from math and science to yoga, art, and yoga.
215 N. 7th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85034, Phone: 602-253-0501
3. Let Young Imaginations Soar at the i.d.e.a. Museum
The i.d.e.a. Museum is an institution designed to inspire children of all ages to take an interest in the fine arts. Standing for ‘imagination, design, experience, art’ the i.d.e.a. Museum focuses on teaching, interacting and exhibiting the fine arts, along with supporting early learning, nurturing creative thinking and engaging imaginations through design in art, science, and technology. Interactive exhibits include building a new invention on Rigamajig, creating a symphony of music and lights with In Harmony, playing pretend in the ArtVille Vet Clinic, Library, Café, and Garden, building with soft blocks in ArtVille, and acting out stories in ArtVille’s Performing Arts Center, among others.
150 W Pepper Pl, Mesa, AZ 85201, Phone: 480-644-2468
4. Step Back to Dinosaur Days at the Arizona Museum of Natural History
The Arizona Museum of Natural History is dedicated to showcasing the natural and cultural history of the Southwestern United States. Established as a small museum in Mesa City Hall in 1977 with an interesting collection of artifacts from around Arizona, the museum has grown into a 74,000 square feet institution with a selection of about 60,000 objects from various genres, including anthropology, art, history and natural history. Signature exhibits include “Dinosaur Mountain” which features life-size, animated dinosaurs, a Columbian Mammoth and a saber-tooth cat against the backdrop of a continually flowing 50-foot-high indoor waterfall. The museum also features around 10,000 historical photographs and a modern research facility and is the only natural history museum in the greater Phoenix area.
53 N Macdonald Street, Mesa, AZ 85201, Phone: 480-644-2230
5. If You Want to Explore Ancient Cultures, Then Visit the S'edav Va'aki Museum
S'edav Va'aki Museum is an ancient archeological site situated in downtown Phoenix near the Sky Harbor International Airport. Left by the Hohokam culture, the site is the largest preserved archeological site in the city and is a National Historic Landmark and Phoenix Point of Pride. Located on the 1,500-year-old archeological site is S'edav Va'aki Museum, which features a variety of galleries which showcase items and artifacts from the prehistoric Hohokam archeological village site. The museum also houses exhibits on various topics from archeology, southwest cultures, and Arizona history and has an interactive gallery for children to learn about the science of archeology. The site and museum are accessible by the Sky Train and the Light Rail and is open seven days a week October through April.
4619 E. Washington Street, Phoenix, AZ 85034, Phone: 602-495-0901
Cheap Phoenix Attractions to See with Kids:
6. Experience the Magic of Live Performances at Valley Youth Theatre
Nestled behind the residence hall of the Downtown Phoenix camp the Valley Youth Theatre (VYT) is a community theatre that produces six mainstage shows each season. The non-profit institution was established in 1989 by Gary Lamble and Hope Ozer to help young people achieve their full potential through education in the performing arts and has launched the careers of many performers who have gone on to become Academy Award nominees such as Emma Stone. The theatre boasts a 30-foot-wide proscenium stage with an orchestra pit, rehearsal studios, scene and costume shops, and dressing rooms, and produces shows for children of all ages.
525 N. 1st St. Phoenix, AZ 85004, Phone: 602-253-8188
7. Immerse Yourself in World-Class Art at the Phoenix Art Museum
Founded in 1959, the Phoenix Art Museum has been a favorite institution of modern art and learning for over 55 years and is the largest art museum in the Southwestern United States today. The Museum plays hosts to a variety of permanent collections across a variety of genres, including American, Asian, European and Latin American art, as well as traveling fashion and photography exhibitions. The Museums presents a range of vibrant festivals and live performances, educational programs, and art films throughout the year that aims to enlighten, inspire and stimulate an interest in the arts, and is home to an interactive children’s gallery for future artists. Relax in the beautifully landscaped Dorrance Sculpture Garden, dine at the Museum's fine dining restaurant Palette or shop at the Modern Museum Store.
1625 N. Central Avenue Phoenix, AZ 85004, Phone: 602-257-1880
8. Travel the Globe Through Music at the Musical Instrument Museum
The Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) is the world’s only global musical instrument museum, featuring more than 15,000 musical instruments and artifacts from around the world. Instruments are displayed in high-end displays that are enhanced by state-of-the-art audio and video technologies that allow visitors to see, hear and observe the instruments being played in their original contexts. Instruments from iconic musicians such as Elvis Presley, John Lennon, and Carlos Santana be viewed at the Artists Gallery, as well as multiple displays for different types of ethnic, folk, and tribal music. The Museum also features an interactive ‘Experience Gallery,’ where visitors can play a variety of instruments from around the world and experience the magic of music themselves.
4725 East Mayo Boulevard, Phoenix, AZ 85050, Phone: 480-478-6000
9. Wander Among Stunning Desert Plants at the Desert Botanical Garden
Dating back 70 years, the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, Arizona has been conserving and protecting Sonoran Desert Plants, as well as desert plants from around the world. Home to more than 50,000 plant displays showcased in beautiful outdoor exhibits, as well as a range of events and presentations throughout the year. Enjoy ‘Dinner on the Desert’, a unique evening where you can savor sumptuous cuisine under the stars as you as bid on distinctive plants, pots and garden art, and unusual and exciting experiences, while ‘Music in the Garden’ promises wonderful starlit music shows in Spring. The Desert Botanical Garden offers a range of tours and activities with knowledgeable guides introduce you and teach you about the incredible diversity of the landscape, as well as continuing education programs on offer, and there are three lovely restaurants in the garden for light snacks and meals.
1201 N Galvin Pkwy, Phoenix, AZ 85008, Phone: 480-941-1225
10. Step Into a Tropical Paradise of Butterflies at Butterfly Wonderland
Butterfly Wonderland is a fantastic, one-of-a-kind family experience for visitors of all ages. Located in the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community in Scottsdale, Butterfly Wonderland is the largest indoor butterfly pavilion in the United States and offers visitors the opportunity to experience the magical world of butterflies in their natural environment. Butterfly Wonderland features state-of-the-art facilities, including a magnificent glass atrium that provides an ideal tropical rainforest habitat where more than 3,000 butterflies fly freely, interactive nature exhibits for children, a modern 3D movie theater featuring the educational film “Flight of the Butterflies,” a gift shop and a family-friendly café.
9500 E. Via de Ventura Scottsdale, AZ 85256, Phone: 480-800-3000
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