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.

Fantastic museum! Many interesting exhibits and helpful staff. Couldn't believe this museum was…read morefree. One of the best parts of my trip! Some of the kids' art was incredible. It's great to see such talent showcased.

I loved my visit! I love that it was FREE! I didn't notice any donation box or anything but I…read morewould've left something if I saw one.. I had a great experience. I love that they change exhibits every so often. I really enjoyed learning about Chandler. But was most meaningful to me during my visit was the 4th Grade Project Exhibit. "Judy Gelles mission to foster empathy and curiosity". She had been working on this project since 2008 and asked 4th graders all around the world 3 questions. Who do you live with, who do you live with and what do you worry about? Heartfelt. You never stop to think how much worries young people. Some worried about death, being shot, getting their only shoes dirty, etc. shows how much factors at home and impact them. It was deep to see and read!! Worth a visit I will return to see what the next exhibit might be!

I grew up in an old victorian house and thought it would be fun to bring my dad here for a tour…read morewhen he was in town visiting. We ended up being the only ones on the tour which was nice. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and funny. The entire house has been restored to represent how the original owners would have it set up as closely as possible. The inside details are gorgeous and intricate. Our tour ended up being more like 45 minutes because it was just us and we didn't ask questions. It was a great way to spend a little bit of time before our next activity.

Was in the area from out of town and I wanted to see this beautiful house in person. I wasn't able…read moreto go inside but the outside is so pretty Love all the details. It's truly breathtaking

We quickly became members of this museum because our 2 year old loved everything about it. Close up…read moreof airplanes, military jeeps and some of the most incredibly well kept WW2 planes. You can even fly in some of the old ones, although we never did. It's a unique spot and now that we moved, one of our most missed places in the area. Oh and every volunteer was incredible. Super helpful, very kind and always accommodating. Best of the best.

A hidden gem! Small but excellent aviation museum. Docents are knowledgeable and friendly. Very…read moregood collection for a museum this size. Veterans and history buffs will appreciate it.

You are never too old, (or too young) to check out a Railroad Museum. This one has real moving…read morestock, from many different lines. The Pullman display is a walk through history of the way Train travel "use to be." There are (5?) cars coupled together in fully restored shape. . . several historically famous For Locomotive fans there is a cab you can climb into and learn what all the valves and levers do, plus "Ring the Bell!". Larger Kid groups might want to rent the "Party Caboose". Rental $ also covers the cost of admission. There will be knowledgable Docents to answer any ??'s, plus a gift shop. If you are lucky you might run into Steve, and get the 5 Star tour. The only down side, is that they are only open on Saturdays, and Sundays.

We visited with our kids and were blown away by how much we enjoyed this place. The trains are…read moreincredibly well preserved and beautifully restored--you can tell a lot of care and pride goes into maintaining them. It was way better than we expected. This is a fantastic winter activity, especially for families. There's plenty to see, lots of opportunities to walk through the trains, and it kept our kids engaged the whole time.

My husband and I took our three month old daughter here and it was great! A sweet man named Owen…read moreOse told us fun stories and let our daughter hold a little clothing iron that he had inherited from his aunt. We visited in April, so there weren't many people here. The vibes were calm and peaceful. Museum tickets were reasonably priced. We're new to the area so it was a great experience to learn the history of our new home.

To be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect, but my son and I are on spring break and I have to keep…read morethis 4 year old busy! I learned several things here... 1) it's a bit of a hike, which I wasn't prepared for 2) Always carry water in your purse (I didn't) 3) carry tweezers and bandaids (splinters happened) 4) these volunteers were the most knowledgeable and friendliest people I have ever met 5) Elvis Presley spent time in AJ. I think it is definitely worth the trip out and it was interesting enough, until my son strayed from the path and a cholla stung him. I took several photos. It was a gorgeous day in March.

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.

Amazing place for toddlers and school aged children to learn about science in a fun way, explore…read moretheir imagination and interact with others. There are soft blocks for building or balancing on, a play kitchen, play vet, barn, magnet wall, Lego station, gear powered musical windmill, lots of art stations to create, a backlight wall, even and outdoor area.

Great place to visit. Parking is hard since it can get pretty full really quickly. Lots of options…read moreto choose from for the family and friends. Different stores. New stores added and some moved. Some upgrades made. A new Ferris wheel was added.

This is a cool, though touristy, entertainment destination in Scottsdale. Lots of positives about…read morethe place. A nice variety of family-friendly activities along with several shops and eateries on site, free parking, and great deals with the purchase of a combo ticket to experience different attractions at a discount. I did the "pick 2" combo for access to Butterfly Wonderland and the UFO Experience, and though the former was far more interesting and enjoyable, I'm glad I was able to check out both during my recent visit. Service was great as I interacted with staff at the arizona boardwalk, and the place wasn't overly crowded on a Sunday, which I appreciated.

The Tour the Universe with Pink Floyd" Planetarium Show with James was absolutely spectacular. An…read moreamazing value with tickets under $10. I can't wait for the next one.

A very subdued environment that's an eclectic mix of area history, vegetation, animals, and…read moreobservatory. The staff was very friendly, but it appeared to be a "one-man-band" while we were there.

It is so fun to visit and has good historical significance and brings good educational experiencesread more