I grew up with a family that regularly went to museums. We slowly walked through every exhibit and ready everything, saw every show, and participated in anything that was on the schedule. At the time, as a kid, I hated it as it was boring and far less than hearing about my friends spending their vacations on the beach. But looking back on it I learned a lot and I'm grateful for my parents pulling me through those museums. Now I'm a parent and taking my kids to museums. However, I am a much different parent than my parents were. My kids are there to have fun and so that is what we do. So there is no slow trudging through reading every placard or watching every scheduled demonstration. It is whoosh, off to the next thing. With that said, there is plenty of fun things to do. And admittedly, there were a few times I was reading a placard and my kids Houdini'd on me. No learning for you, Dad! The line to get in was... pretty atrocious. We had the Go pass, but still cost a lot to get in. I almost bought a season pass just so I could come back alone. Maybe later in the future. I would have loved to sit and watch all the shows and presentations... but I don't know if my kids would have had the patience/interest. Park in the Heritage garage and get your ticket validated. read more

You know, this is a place for children, hahaha. If you've ever been to the Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana, California, you'll see a lot of the same kind of thing. There's a lot of exhibits on geology, the human anatomy, solar, and others. I feel like I was walking through a children's playplace, but not in a bad way. I'm super appreciative the kids in Phoenix have a place they can find fun and also learn something about the world around them! I love supporting this kind of outreach for the younger generation. Now, onto the real reason I actually came here today. I heard about the Julia Child exhibit. She's one of the biggest influences in food media ever, and I would be remiss to skip it while I was in town. The exhibit catalogued her life, from birth, to her time in the OSS and budding romance, and her formative years in France, after which she started her food show. What an incredible woman. If you have the chance, please come visit, and learn about the mother of American and western food media. read more

This is my second time attending. I'll preface by saying I don't really remember my first visit enough to compare. I do remember the outside water/air activity that was so much fun and they no longer have available. So here is my fresh new take: 1) It's definitely has great content for youth. Your toddlers won't understand what's really going on. 2) Extremely educational and informative for those who can read and take the time to understand. This isn't a look and feel, you must engage to get the full experience. 3) Parking was not far and they give you a discount to park, so parking wasn't an outrageous price. 4) Plenty of hands on activities! The downsides for me: 1) The price is a bit steep for a family of 3 or more. They also do not offer a law enforcement discount nor one for tribal members (No land acknowledgment either) The Children's Museum does both! 2) There are way too many activities inactive or not maintained to use. I wish there was a discount or at least a notice that they were experiencing so many problems, that way an attendee can make the decision to pay or not. 3) The water/sand area didn't have enough sand, not enough shovels, and no signs or instructions on how to clean up. 4) The best features are accessible for an additional costs. So on top of the general admission, you're paying $7 pp for the dome show, the special exhibit is $$, and the sky bike also costs. So, they really get you coming and going. Overall, I was underwhelmed by the experience as a whole. The content and purpose is still relevant and can be super valuable for young learners. I've experienced it once and I'm not sure anything would change if I came again. It's a take it or leave it decision. read more

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Bought Friday night tickets to the Bad Bunny Visual "A Love Letter to Puerto Rico." We arrived a few minutes before it was to start and they had not yet opened the theater. Once 7pm rolled around, they opened the doors and we were let in in a single file line. We sat towards the front and the view was still great. The employee greeted and welcomed us all and he gave us a quick rundown of what we were about to see. The show started and only lasted about 40 minutes. The music was good only because it was Bad Bunny playing but the visuals were boring. It was literally just a PR themed screen saver and random collages put together. Seats were comfy though and the huge screen itself is pretty cool. I would love to see a movie here! For the price of $25 per person though, I expected a little bit more from the show. read more

Arizona Science Center - Children's Museums Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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This place feels like my 5th grade science book came to life and we went on a field trip to enjoy hands-on experiences. It's definitely geared toward children, so keep that in mind. There will almost always be a group of kids running around-sometimes they are appreciating the exhibits, other times they are just running up and down the stairs. I appreciate that they have different genres and categories in various areas of the museum. One section is dedicated to the human body while another one is all about weather. There's a lot of cool stuff to learn and they display it in a way that makes it fun and interactive for kids. read more

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We came for the Pompeii exhibit and really enjoyed it but the rest of the museum was a little underwhelming. For example an area labeled "critter corner" was dead (but beautiful) butterflies and random items you could look at through a telescope such as cow hair or honeybee wings. The exhibit on the brain was neat but nothing that blew us out of the water. If visiting the area I think there are other better attractions unless there is a special exhibit you might be interested in. read more

Arizona Science Center - Pompeii exhibit - Children's Museums Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Spectacular venue - we're here for the LNY celebrations! Erhu performance, drummers, Chinese Opera singer, dragons, tai-chi performance, tae kwon do performance and good vibes. Tons of great food, merchandise and artifacts. KUNG HAI FAT CHOY! SAE HAE BOHK MAHNEE PADU SEYO! read more

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Love this museum! You can definitely spend a full day here as there are multiple floors and kids love all the interactive exhibits and activities. I've been here about five times over the years and my kids never get sick of it. From exploring a giant human body and sliding down a digestive track to experiencing hurricane winds with fake water bursts, this museum is pretty awesome. They also offer various season exhibits that cost extra as well as free science demonstrations throughout the day that are interactive, educational and pretty cool. While pricy, it's totally worth it in my opinion - especially if you plan to spend the whole day here! read more

We went for the Pompeii exhibit, but stuck around for a while to check out the science museum. The quality is 5-star, but I thought it was over-priced. The Pompeii exhibit is really spectacular. I expected the cinder bodies at the end, but did not expect the high quality artwork. The statues were magnificent, the wall paintings impressive, and the everyday utensils, tools, etc. Truly worth seeing. We spent most of our time afterwards in the Bio area - very entertaining and well done! read more

Arizona Science Center - Aphrodite - Children's Museums Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Definitely not worth the price. Many of the exhibits are showing their age. Whether the technology is old or the exhibits just don't work, this place needs a refresh. I was excited at first to take my son here, as we are huge science fans but this place left us wanting more. I'd pass on it if I were you. read more

There's something truly special about enjoying elite parties with friends--the kind where the energy is effortless, the drinks are flowing, and every moment feels a little more elevated. It's never just about the venue or the vibe, but the laughter, the shared glances, and the memories created together. Surrounded by great company, even the most glamorous night feels warm and personal. In the end, it's those connections that make every celebration unforgettable. read more

Arizona Science Center - Children's Museums Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

We keep coming back to this place every weekend, our kids love this place and they always excited to come. The It's a Great place for kids to learn and explore all about the science. The workshops is a great stop that you may want your kids to do a hand-on project. They can pick their own projects as they like. To find the parking around this area might be challenging, however; you can park your car in the car parking garage and make sure bring your parking ticket to waive the parking expenses for you. If you kids love the science or looking for places to go or to take them to experimenting different, I highly recommend this place for anyone who interests in learning and exploring new things. Come and check it out! read more

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This review is for the Dome experience - we went for Star Wars day to watch A New Hope in the Dorrance DOME at Arizona Science Center as a 1st time event it was entertaining and interesting to view and a good proof of concept. I think they can and will improve over time with similar experiences. We did not visit the rest of the exhibits that day but enjoyed the food court snacks and viewing in the dome and would recommend attending these sort of events in the future. read more

Arizona Science Center - Dorrance DOME at Arizona Science Center Star Wars A New Hope 2026 - Children's Museums Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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My husband and I came here for a date day. We had a lot of fun and wish we had planned for more time. I think we were there about 3 hours. We started on the bottom floor and worked our way up. I wish we had started with the poison exhibit because in my opinion that was the most intriguing. Unfortunately, we didn't make it up there until almost closing time so we had to rush through. My husband enjoyed all the hands on exhibits (he definitely was channeling his inner child). There's a little shop selling pre-packaged foods and snacks. Come prepared for not many food options of substance. I saw there will be a restaurant opening which will be a very nice add on! Minus one star because a handful of exhibits were broken. Also to note- we came here in June and it was FREEZING in here. Uncomfortably cold. If you are cold sensitive dress appropriately. Don't forget to validate your parking! read more

Arizona Science Center - The Power of Poison exhibit - Children's Museums Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Filthy facility, about 60% of the museum is broken. The phrase "exit through the gift shop" does not apply, as per our experience...your kid walks in for tickets, sees toys, knows to wait until after touring museum.. but it's packed up completely "for an event tomorrow" so close up a gift shop 45 mins prior to close, because "tomorrow"? We paid full price to experience 40% (or less) of the museum. The website shows a skeleton of a dinosaur: it's no longer there! Staff was hit or miss some were amazingly knowledgeable & kind (2 out of 7). It's just very frustrating to pay$$, for a crap experience. I recommend Phoenix children's museum or literally any place else, over AZ science center. read more

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First floor we were on was not the best part. Many of the items were not functional, missing parts and at this point I'm thinking "did I waste my money?" Additional floors were better and more informative. There are things for adults and children but I believe it needs a serious upgrade and the temperature in the mission area needs to be increased. It was freezing in there! We were there a couple of hours and while my granddaughter didn't complain she was bored, in my opinion it was just okay. read more

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So disappointing in their "602" day. Arrived around 1130 and the garage they validate for a discounted rate was full so the guy directed us to another garage where you had to prepay $20. Once we got to the science center, the line was probably more than 200 people long, went down to the asu building. It was 100 degrees out, really no shade besides a few pop up canopies, no way to keep cool. It was HOT and after moving only a few feet in 30 min we decided to leave so our toddler and baby wouldn't have to suffer in the heat. Sucks that you can purchase tickets in advance but then still have to wait in the line so your tickets ultimately go to waste. They told us if we purchased season passes then we could go to the front, however we just didn't know if there would be enough age appropriate things to justify the price. But what a let down, I hope that come up with a better system next year. read more

Spent about 1.5 hours here. Has 4 levels with many interactive games, activities and shows you can pay extra for. Sadly. Many buttons and interactive items were either broken or not responding. Kind of disappointed especially with a family of 5, the cost was on the higher end. Looking at about $23 a person. read more

I should have read the one star reviews before we spent $80 for general admission and the Pompeii exhibit. As most have said, half the stations didn't work and/or there was zero context about... what the point of it was? So disheartening. This would be expected in a small town but in PHOENIX?! The Pompeii exhibit was okay. Not enough to redeem the poor experience other wise. At the end there's a grand finale video, unfortunately there were technical difficulties and it would t play. I really felt for the gal who was acting as host of that section. People were pretty grumpy and couldn't hear her. The music was too loud and overpowered her mic. I'll be reaching out for a refund. I likely won't get it. But I can't believe we spent just shy of $100 and it was such a WASTE of time and money. read more

Great time for my family! My almost 5 year old really enjoyed our time here the other day. There are three levels of exhibits ranging from the human body, physics, and a special temporary exhibit on poison. My daughter enjoyed engaging with the different exhibits and looking at everything. She was super excited! The exhibits are really good at helping kiddos understand the different concepts in a more hands-on way. I will say that some exhibits seemed to have seen better days. I hope they freshen these exhibits up soon to create a better experience for the kids in the future. The planetarium is temporarily closed until October -- they renovated and reimagined it so we will absolutely be back for it! read more

The science center has 4 floors of fun and hands on activities for all ages. You can tell some items need to be replace or update cause seem very old and out of date. The power of poison was the latest exhibition that they had going when we went. It was very cool and informative. Check their website for upcoming exhibition. Parking is $5. read more

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Let me preface this and say that everyone that works here seems to love their job and they were terrific. But this place is in dire dire need of an update. Easily half of the displays don't even function. And the displays themselves are overwhelmingly uninteresting. This place could be truly amazing. read more

My friends and I visited the Arizona Science Center through an event where our admission was covered. Normally, it is about $23 per adult and about $17 per child. I hadn't been to these exhibits in years, so I was curious how much had changed. It looks like they still had a few activities that remained the same - so nostalgic! Most of the exhibits were new though, and I actually enjoyed them, as they were interesting and informative. The exhibits are primarily geared towards children, but they are also interesting enough for adults too. I would recommend going earlier in the day - by the time it got to the early afternoon, a lot of the exhibits had filled up with people. And with that, you may need to wait your turn for some of the more popular activities. Some of the older activities were showing their age, like computer screens not responding and others showing wear and tear. That's not surprising though since children can be pretty rough when interacting with some of these activities. This seems like a good place to take the kids to tire them out and hopefully have them learn some cool facts about our world! Note: Park at the Heritage garage and get your ticket validated when you enter the science center. It comes out to about $1/hour. When we went, there was a sign at the garage that said event parking, so it would've been $30 for the day otherwise! read more

I love the fun events the Arizona Science Center plans for the Phoenix Community! My boyfriend and I attended the large free event they had for the total solar eclipse on April 8th. They were giving away free solar eclipse glasses, had fun activities for kids, solar telescopes and super telescopes with filters for a close look at the eclipse and a ton of super nice employees giving lots of info. They had so many fun and educational activities to teach people of all ages about the eclipse and other science things. I thought it was lovely. Not only that, but they validated parking so that was free as well! I was so happy we got to see the eclipse thanks to this event. It was an incredible experience. read more

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First the bad news. 1. It takes a LONG time (30+ minutes) to get to the ticketing counter even if you have purchased tickets online. There has to be a faster way! Nobody needs all those paper tickets for the extra experiences. 2. The exhibits on the first floor are so old, many of them do not work, the first floor is basically a waste of time. 3. Sitting in the movie theater waiting for an 11:15 movie to start. Still sitting in the theater at 11:30, no movie. How about coming in and letting people know the projector is having issues? Little kids are getting restless! Everyone finally just walks out. 4. The sky bicycle. You cannot wear crocs, even closed -toe in sport mode. This is not mentioned anywhere on the website when purchasing the additional ticket at an additional cost. Now the good news. 1. Matthew, the manager that day, was very kind and tried his best to make it up to us after I talked to him about our experience thus far. 2. The planetarium show was great. The host was informative and even after the show, my 6 year old grandson asked to see Saturn and he made Saturn appear. I appreciate that! 3. Floors 2-4 are fun. Everything worked the way it should. 4. In the end we were there all day and had to basically drag my grandson out of there when it was closing time. I feel like a little more customer service is in order, a faster ticketing system in place, and fix everything broken on the first floor, and then it would be worth it. read more

#ScienceWithATWIST @UrbanDesertFlora @YELPPHOENIX For a geek like me, this was a dream event. My guest and I got to dress-up, walk through science, make some "magic" and relive a bit of yester year. This was my first time at the AZ Science Center. Just being in the multilevel Science dome would have been enough, but getting a chance to play, create, dance, and donate to the center was awesome. Besides the DJ and ample dance floor, my favorite thing was listening to the various sounds the stomach makes! There were so many beautiful people dressed in their prom finest and most medieval. I didn't get to see the winners of the costume contest but I can't imagine that picking a winner was an easy task. I hope this same theme happens again next year. I've already started creating the perfect costume in my mind. read more

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Took our grandson here for the day. I must say, it's not what it used to be many years ago. Seemed like lots of exhibits were dirty, missing parts or just plain broken. We did have fun and the grandson enjoyed it. The movies were also good, but not great. I little deep for my 8 year old grandson. read more

My husband and I attended the Prom: A Science Soirée at the Arizona Science Center as I won the tickets via the Yelp Elite Ticket Giveaway. At arrival we could hear the music and noticed there were several attendees dressed in full prom attire. We were able to walk around and enjoy the Science center as it was closed for the event! Overall a fun experience! read more

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Granted it was the 4th of July when we went, so we basically had the place to ourselves and we were loving it. My husband is active duty military so my family of four got in for free! The only thing we had to pay for was parking at the parking garage that was on site and they validate the first two hours so we only paid $5. If you want, there is a valet service there that charges $20 to park your car for you, which I found unnecessary for the day we went but can see it being a small expense for not having the headache of looking for parking on a busier day. We walked in, and it was one of the hottest days of the summer so the cool AC inside was so much appreciated. We enjoyed all the exhibits on every floor and didn't feel rushed to view and experience them either. There were a handful of worker around each major exhibit and they were so helpful and knowledgeable. My kids enjoyed the teaching moments each of them were given by the staff, especially in the physics section. They had interactive activities that kids and adults could do, so it made it fun for me too. The ocean experience was so thought out and well done with each kid getting to register their name and get their own wrist band and choose their adventure with the sea animal of their choice. It was a little difficult and finicky to use the wristbands and they didn't read well or quickly so you had to just carry it around and be patient at each station, no biggy. Everyone was so nice and the place was so clean and cool inside that we forgot it was 120 degrees outside. Take your kids here for a great and fun learning experience and you'll enjoy seeing them fall in love over science. read more

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I waited a few days to process my visit with my two young kids before writing this. After much thought, the Arizona Science Center was quite a disappointment from what I recall it being prior to Covid. We arrived on a Monday just before noon. They weren't terribly busy, so I figured it would be a pleasant visit for the little ones. We spent about 3 hours there visiting each floor. There were a good amount of exhibits either not working or under construction. Even though it was at the beginning, both children enjoyed the American Airlines area where you can build and test fly your very own paper airplane. There weren't very many volunteers or workers to ask about the exhibits that weren't working, so we did what as could and moved through. Like someone else stated in the reviews, things are dated and could use a remodel. I first visited in 2012 and the exhibits and displays that were there then are still there. On the most recent visit my eldest asked as we walked through why so much didn't work. No idea buddy, no idea, but for $50 everything should be going! I asked my eldest if he would be interested in returning and it was a no. They do validate parking for Heritage Parking garage, however I believe it only covers two hours because I still paid $5 when I exited. read more

Arizona Science Center - Children's Museums Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

I loved how interactive and informative this place was. I definitely decided to come here solely for the bubble exhibit and I was a bit disappointed that there wasn't really any learning from it. Just a bunch of different toys to make different sized bubbles. I really expected more from it since it's called "The Science of Bubbles." There was a lot of interactive exhibits inside. While they are more catered towards children, I still had fun with them. However. there was multiple exhibits that didn't work properly or was missing props so you couldn't actually interact with it. This place has a great starting idea on what to do, but the execution is missing its mark. read more

Arizona Science Center - Children's Museums Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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It's a great place to keep cool in the summer. The girls and I had a good time here. We went during the week, and it was nice and quiet. Our favorite things were: the telescope when you first walk in, the bubbles outdoors, the making airplane area with a launcher, the tooting digestive slide, the second floor in the room that had the bed of nails, blowing balls, pulling systems, a stand and spin thing, third floor AI room with Legos and other hands on creative play. The girls got to decorate a postcard that will be adding much needed weight to a space shuttle heading into space next summer, and then it will be mailed to them. The gals working in that room were so engaging with our girls while they educated them at the same time. They really enjoyed hanging out with them. They also had a fun science show. We passed on the squid dissection. The girls weren't drawn in too much over all. A lot of displays weren't working. They had areas you could make thing with, but the supplies weren't replenished from the days prior to participate. The two movies they were playing didn't grasp them at all. They really need to repair a lot of things. Over all a good experience. Just need to repair and update some things. read more

Arizona Science Center - Children's Museums Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

I'd like to begin with saying, we were guests of a group. So, I did not have to pay for my passes. That being said, even as an adult without munchkins I spent 90 minutes walking around and being educated. There were several interactions that seemed to not be working, but for me, I just kept moving. I found the poisons exhibit to be very interesting. It was easily understood and filled with ways to connect with young minds (and my old one too). We caught the last presentation of "mimicry" for the day. This was actually my favorite part. The presentation was geared towards 6-8yr olds but moved at a pace that didn't make me as an adult bored. Once again, even with the information being presented in a way that young minds could absorb, I as an adult gained information. The facility was clean and the team members worked diligently to keep the trash removed. I did not use the restroom but was told the bathrooms were also well maintained. read more

Six-year-old has been going to the museum for several years something always sparks his interest each time that is new and exciting this time it was playing basketball among other things. This is truly an amazing science center for children of all ages read more

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Half the exhibits don't even work, the cafe has minimal options for food and most of what they offer on their menu they're out of before noon. What they do still have in stock is wildly over priced. Got a pre packaged sandwich, uncrustable sandwich, popcorn and three gatorades for $36. Then when trying to pay it auto selected a $7 tip and the girl says she can't refund it. Why would I tip anything for you to just ring it up?? Big disappointment overall if I'm honest. Wouldn't come again and wouldn't recommend anyone spending the money to come here. read more

Most every exhibit did not work. Kids running wild while parents just sat and chit chat. It felt more like a public park than anything. Dont waste your money on this. They do not honor the city passes. read more

An a-okay place to bring young children on a hot day. Three floors of exhibits which are mostly geared towards young kids or tweens. There are plenty of hands on exhibits and plenty of hand sanitizers around as well ;) If you're an adult without kids I can't imagine this place is going to be very enjoyable for you. Park in the science center garage and validate your ticket inside and parking is $1. read more

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Thought they would have more things here. We did see a space show, it was interesting. It has 4 floors to explore. read more

Our group of 6 came here on a weekday and it was not crowded, and parking validation was appreciated. However, I was disappointed in the lack of quality control when it came to overseeing some of the exhibits. Many of them didn't work or were missing components to them (balls for sneezing nose, paper for paper airplane display, switch board, etc.) and building displays using blocks and legos were a mess. Bathroom had urine everywhere too- gross. I'm sure the planetarium was cool, however the additional $14/person deterred us from viewing it, when we already spent $120 on admission. All in all, it was ok, but likely won't return. read more

What's not to like? So much fun running around seeing the exhibits and the Poison one was so interesting. Easy to get to and easy to park. They validate SOME of the parking so that your ticket. read more