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.

A free museum with neat exhibits, perfect to cool down in AC on a hot Arizona day... and learn…read moresomething along the way! The museum rotates through 6-8 exhibits a year, mixing local Chandler history with traveling exhibits on art, history and culture. Right now (August 2026) you can learn about Eddie Basha (a genuinely fascinating individual whose story runs way deeper than the grocery stores bearing his name), take a spin through Arizona radio history in Radio That Rocked the Valley, and stare into the ever-changing face of Abraham Lincoln. All three exhibits are actually really good!

Small site, great ode to the late Mr. Eddie Basha…read more What a phenomenal person he was - his accomplishments and CONTRIBUTIONS to and love of the Navajo Nation will live on in Chandler's history forever.

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

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.

Five glowing stars…read more My late father was a Decorated WW2 Veteran for HM AF and I always enjoy visiting airplane museums. This facility is entirely staffed by volunteers including Korean War Veterans! They offer rides in vintage planes including vintage bombers, cargo planes, etc. Very expensive so we passed on that. It would have been a lot of fun. There is so much to see here. The hangar is full and they have a few restored beauties outside. I so appreciate the folks who Remember ALL Veterans of the Alliance.

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.

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.

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.

The Superstition Mountain Lost Dutchman Museum, is set on a 15-acre parcel in the shadow of the…read morebeautiful Superstition Mountains. The museum, itself, showcases the Apache origins of the land while the outbuildings include what remains of the Apacheland Movie Ranch (it largely suffered in a fire in 2004), a working 20-stamp gold mill, the chapel Elvis filmed "Charro!" in, the Apacheland barn, a historical model railroad, Western storefronts, a gift shop/bookstore, and a labeled nature trail. Things of note The Apacheland Barn houses a number of horse-drawn buggies and carts used in 17 television series, 29 full-length feature films, and hundreds of commercials filmed on the site. The buildings scattered around the land include a few Old West scenes and full-size dioramas, complete with plenty of mannequins depicting the scenes. The "crown jewel" is the "Elvis Chapel" - a mini-museum and wedding chapel dedicated to "the King" and his unique western movie, "Charro!" also filmed on site. It is a GREAT way to spend a couple of hours!

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.

Very mixed reviews by bias adults acting like children (hey. My b) just take your kid here and let…read morethem explore. Stand idly by while they "figure out a way" on their own. They can do it. Just have to have more faith/hope. With that being said, I've been to this museum a couple times. It always seems to bring new wonder to me as an adult just trying to learn and grow. Very much worth your time. Please don't hesitate to take your time and share your experiences with your kiddos. They just want a little attention. They're KIDS. (:

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.

Such a fun place to visit! There are so many restaurants and activities all in one area, plus…read moreparking is easy. Not too fun during the summer though because it's open parking! It's also a great spot to entertain and tire out the kids! Lol There's even a Ferris wheel, but it was way too hot for us to ride. We also found a photo booth near the restrooms ($8), which was a fun little bonus. It's conveniently located near OdySea, Topgolf, and Talking Stick, and it's super easy to get to from the freeway. If you're visiting during the summer, I'd recommend saving the outdoor walking for the cooler months and spending the hotter afternoons indoors at OdySea.

1 Star - Dangerous and disappointing experience on the Big Wheel…read more I rode the Boardwalk Big Wheel at Arizona Boardwalk today with my two young boys, ages 2 and 4. The experience was honestly terrible and, more importantly, felt unsafe. It was 105°F outside, and we were placed in the orange #15 gondola. The gondolas are primarily enclosed by glass and have no effective air conditioning. The AC in ours was clearly broken and was blowing hot air instead of cooling the cabin. Within minutes, all three of us were drenched in sweat and the heat inside was becoming extremely uncomfortable. The biggest issue was that the attendant locked us inside the gondola despite the extreme heat. We waved at her to let us out, but she didn't. We went around the entire wheel and, when we came back around, we waved again. She saw us, but still didn't open the door. I ultimately had to yell and knock on the glass to get her attention before she finally let us out after the second trip around. When we got off, I explained what had happened to the attendant. Her response was essentially an unenthusiastic, unapologetic "sorry." There was no concern about whether my children or I were okay, no offer to move us to a functioning gondola, and no refund or other attempt to make the situation right. I paid $22.71 for the ride, but the money isn't really the issue. What concerns me is putting young children into an enclosed, extremely hot gondola with a malfunctioning cooling system and then failing to respond when the passengers are clearly asking to get out. I would strongly recommend that Arizona Boardwalk inspect and properly maintain these gondolas and, more importantly, make sure attendants respond immediately when passengers are signaling that they need to exit. I would not recommend riding the Boardwalk Big Wheel, particularly with young children in extreme heat.

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