Went to see James Hood's "Astronomica" at the Dome - what an experience!…read more We had VIP tickets and sat in the reclining chairs, the whole dome ceiling covered in twinkling stars before the actual show itself. The music was performed by an orchestra, I believe it was the Hungary Philharmonic in the credits, and the narration was about how we are all part of the Universe, stardust over millennia becoming bodies. This is a visual performance without astronomy as a lesson; the graphics are fantastic and all around you as you lie back - just like gazing at the sky at night. I couldn't help smiling during the entire hour! The seats were great, I'm so glad we sat in the recliners and not upright for the display. Parking - we found out later - is at the Heritage building and they will validate your ticket; we parked in the other garage and it wasn't cheap due to the game nearby. It is wheelchair accessible, but in the Ladies restroom there was only one stall for disabled. In the atrium there's a gift shop as in all museums, and a cafeteria still open when we left the Dome. The ongoing Julia Child exhibit was right near the Astronomica show, so I went and took a walk around the exhibit: big fan of Julia so it was an extra bonus :) I enjoyed the experience very much, I hope you will too!

Jen & I wanted to take our granddaughter Op somewhere before she started school so we headed to the…read moreArizona Science Center, we had a great time seeing everything and being in side an air conditioned building. We got there early before it really started to get busy so was able to see everything without bumping elbows with other people. We had a good time and sure you would as well so plan a date and enjoy a trip to the Arizona Science Building.

"The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple…read morepies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of starstuff." ― Carl Sagan, American astronomer and astrophysicist Come view the stars. The Gilbert Rotary Centennial Observatory is open on Fridays and Saturdays, from sunset - 9:30PM, weather permitting. The cost is free but there is a suggested donation of $5/family or $3/adult. Donations are gratefully accepted for the maintenance of the equipment. See the moon, planets, double stars, open clusters, and other wonders of the night sky. Join them on the second Friday of each month for their Public Star Party. An astronomy talk is presented in the adjoining public library at 7:30PM and is hosted by the East Valley Astronomy Club (www.evaconline.org). Visit their website (www.grcoonline.org) for special events, solar viewing, and to book private group bookings.

Although they have public viewing sessions, we reserved a private session for $40 for our family of…read morefive. It was over an hour looking at the sky, learning about astronomy, and getting a crazy view of the moon and several stars. I never realized how awesome the stars were going to look thru a powerful telescope. Claude and Gordon led our session and their passion for astronomy really came through. Our kids 8-18 yrs were all engaged and thought it was really wonderful.

We visited the museum on a weekday morning. We enjoyed the displays of rocks from various parts of…read morethe earth, the Arizona-Mexican artifacts, and of course the dinosaurs, especially the aquatic dinosaurs. This museum has an active dinosaur fossil dig - you can watch and even talk to the paleontologist working on it! There's lots to see and enjoy here, including real elements from a jail that held prisoners from the 1830s to the 1970s!! The gift shop is reasonably priced and you can even purchase a "memory bag" filled with pencil, notebook eraser, etc, for only $2.50 each.

Paid $14 and only stayed about 40 minutes. There were multiple groups of school children that were…read morerunning around, screaming, jumping and bumping into everything. I expect that behavior to be tolerated at a children's museum, not a public museum where a basic level of respect and decorum is expected for EVERYONE inside. Wish I could say I enjoyed it but the hundreds of screaming children ruined any experience I could have had and left with a migraine. **Would appreciate museums to have specific days for "field trips" or hours for school days. Unfortunately many museum experiences are ruined due to the behavior of unruly children, and I'm still the one paying full price.

This museum is hard to find but it's in an old elementary school building…read more I was very underwhelmed. The best part was the portable planetarium show.

This museum exceeded my expectations! First, it was larger than I expected. Next, the collections…read morewere more comprehensive and interesting. I LOVED getting to a "tour" of the Space Station! Great for adults as well as kids. My only suggestion is to have much better signage on the outside. People driving by don't realize you are there.

We love the i.d.e.a. Museum and have been going for years. It's been really fun watching how the…read moreexperience changes as my kids get older. They've aged out of the soft play areas, but now they can spend hours at the stop motion video station and exploring the newer exhibits. The recycling area is also one of their favorites. It's such a quaint little space and incredibly affordable for what you get. I also love seeing downtown Mesa continue to grow, and the museum feels like a big part of that energy. From a parent perspective, it's really easy to visit. There's ample parking, it's very stroller and diaper bag friendly, and it's a perfect place for a playdate. You can actually have conversations while the kids explore and move between activities. The mural in the courtyard is gorgeous and the puppets are always a hit with my kids. It's one of those places we keep coming back to.

IDEA museum is such a great little play museum for little kiddos. My son has gone here at age 3 and…read more4. He loves it every time. They have a bunch of different rooms for older kids to explore- music, crafts, and the middle room always changes with different displays they can play, the other big room has the scarf and air toss, building, crafts, puppet show, ball drop and more. The baby-small toddler room my son still enjoys, it has a big soft middle area, play kitchen, play vet, play theater, a very small enclosed area for babies to crawl around which is great. And another area with magna tiles and other toys like that. I also saw the reading story time area in the back of that. They have a room for eating and also an outside patio which is huge for play and eating. Would recommend to anyone. Very affordable!

Big fan of their Facebook page. Went when they had a bicycle exhibit and Mexican exhibit going…read more Wish there was more core Tempe history there so I could reflect more on my childhood though.

This small museum is currently exhibiting Tempe's Old West history, and I found it very interesting…read moreto read about how quickly the town changed and spread. Included in the exhibit are pieces of clothing, tools, and toys from this boomtown era. The rest of the museum has displays from an ethnic standpoint to the movie industry to sustainability in the desert to ASU history. One corner has a truck, books, and costumes so that kids can get hands-on. Admission is free, and the museum shop has lots of unique gift items. Bonus: the Tempe Public Library is right next door

My family and I recently visited the Museum of Illusions, and we had a great time! We purchased our…read moretickets online, and if you sign up for their email list, you can receive 10% off. We visited on July 24, and there was plenty of parking available. The museum was easy to find, very clean, and the staff was incredibly friendly. They were happy to answer questions and even offered to take pictures for guests, which made the experience even more enjoyable. There are also several other attractions nearby, so it's easy to make a day of it. One thing to keep in mind is that it gets extremely hot during the summer. It would be nice if there were sprinklers, misting stations, or cooling areas outside to help guests stay comfortable. The only downside was the ticket price. While the experience was fun and memorable, I would love to see family package deals or discounted pricing for families of three or more to make it more affordable for everyone. Overall, we had a wonderful experience and would definitely recommend visiting if you're looking for a unique and interactive activity for the whole family!

Went here with my kids (6, 8) and unfortunately they have the attention span of a gnat. They just…read morewanted to rush through so I didnt get to see everything. But what I did get to see/experience was pretty cool. The place is not that big but they pack a lot of stuff in. Most things are interactive in some way. Went here on a Go Pass and I'm not sure if I would go on my own if I didn't have the pass (especially since my kids zoomed through).

What an amazing museum. The kids had a blast exploring all the different stations throughout the…read moremuseum, I may have participated as well! This is such a little gem in the year of Phoenix. A great place to escape the heat and screen time with the kids! Activities (5/5): From art stations to interactive exhibits, there is a little bit of everything to engage your kids. Even our older child had a great time. Parking (5/5): There is ample parking and overflow parking available. The be best part is that there are about 50 covered parking spots! Price (5:5): You are going to get your best bang for your buck if you buy a membership. Which can pay for itself after just a few visits. Events (5/5): check out their website for the various events at the museum. The day we were there, they had a bubble fest activity to cool off the kids. Definitely worth a visit!

You really can't go wrong here! It's great family fun, but the kids absolutely love it which is…read morewhat matters most. I love seeing them so excited while learning, exploring, and expanding their minds. It's engaging, interactive, and keeps them entertained in the best way possible. I also love all seasonal activities 10/10 recommend for families looking for something fun, educational, and memorable!