Phoenix is a hip and trendy metropolitan area with so many wonderful things to do for families with children. There are entertainment places for family fun, breathtaking spots to admire nature, a wide array of restaurants, and more. Alongside regular attractions, there are also amazing museums worth exploring.
These awesome spots for educational fun will become your child’s next favorite destination in the city. From learning about what life was like before technology to exploring new worlds through science fiction, each museum will surely become your child’s next favorite spot.
So, check out our top museums for kids in Phoenix and find the best ones for your children!
Top Museums for Kids around Phoenix
1
600 E Washington St, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
Arizona Science Center
Explore over 200,000 square feet of science in one of the best museums for kids! The Arizona Science Center featuring hands-on exhibits, live demonstrations, traveling exhibitions, and exciting science programs for people of all ages!2
215 N 7th St, Phoenix, AZ 85034, USA
Children's Museum of Phoenix
The Children's Museum of Phoenix is one of the most popular museums for kids in Phoenix among families as it's the perfect place for little ones to learn and have a good time! This place of imagination, inspiration, and creativity is designed for children ages birth to 10.3
150 W Pepper Pl, Mesa, AZ 85201, USA
IDEA Museum
This is one of the most fun museums for kids and adults! Kids love visiting the IDEA Museum, and so do adults, since it inspires all ages of kids to experience the world through art, science, creativity, technology, and imagination. There are many art and hands-on activities that aim to support early learning, creative thinking, and engage families.4
4725 E Mayo Blvd, Phoenix, AZ 85050, USA
MIM
This is one of the favorite museums for kids among families! The Musical Instrument Museum displays more than 7,000 instruments from around 200 countries and territories. Your family will be able to see and hear the instruments in their original contexts-performances and even be able to play them in the Experience Gallery. You and your kids will explore instruments from music icons such as Elvis Presley! Besides, The Musical Instrument Museum presents various concerts in an awesome acoustical 300-seat theater. Without any doubt, this is a fantastic museum for kids and adults!5
53 N Macdonald, Mesa, AZ 85201, USA
Arizona Museum of Natural History
The Arizona Museum of Natural History is the perfect place to have fun and learn at the same time! The entire family will learn everything related to natural and cultural history of the Southwest.6
1300 N College Ave, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
AZ Heritage Center
The entire family will have an excellent time at this interactive museum with permanent and changing exhibits! At the AZ Heritage Center, you and your kids will learn about more than 100 years of Central Arizona history, giving you a glimpse into the life and work of the past and present of Arizonans.7
9500 East VÃa de Ventura, Scottsdale, AZ 85250, USA
Butterfly Wonderland
Prepare to have a magical and unique experience at the largest indoor butterfly conservatory in America, one of the best museums for kids who love nature.8
6101 E Van Buren St, Phoenix, AZ 85008, USA
Hall of Flame
At the Hall of Flame Museum and the National Firefighting Hall of Heroes, the whole family will enjoy an acre of fire history exhibits, over a 100 fully restored pieces of fire apparatus on display, which date from 1725 to 2004.9
9500 East VÃa de Ventura, Scottsdale, AZ 85250, USA
Pangaea
If you’re looking for museums for kids who love dinosaurs, Pangea is your top choice! Pangaea Land of the Dinosaurs is an amazing indoor interactive exhibit and educational center that features more than 80 lifelike animatronic dinosaurs that roam through exhibits and amazing recreations of prehistoric habitats.10
17 S 2nd Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85003, USA
Phoenix Police Museum
The Phoenix Police Museum is one of the free museums for kids and adults that are very worthwhile to visit. There, your kids can explore old police cars and motorcycles! It highlights the history of the Phoenix Police Department from 1881 when Henry Garfias was elected the first city marshal to the present.11
1202 N 3rd St, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
Phoenix Center for the Arts
At the Phoenix Center for the Arts, you will not only find amazing performances and events, but also a wide range of exhibitions and classes including Fine Arts, Photography, Jewelry, Dance, Performance, Ceramics, Glass, Printmaking, Music, and more!12
1700 W Washington St, Phoenix, AZ 85007, USA
Arizona Capitol Museum
The Arizona Capitol Museum is a treasure trove of political, cultural, and social history, offering a plethora of hands-on activities, historical artifacts, and engaging public programs. If you want to visit museums for kids that you can find utterly interesting as well, this is the place.13
1201 N Galvin Pkwy, Phoenix, AZ 85008, USA
Desert Botanical Garden
See over 50,000 desert plants nestled amid the red rocks of the Papago Buttes. The Desert Botanical Garden teaches and inspires everyone who visits with its exhibits and it helps visitors understand, protect, and preserve the desert's natural beauty.14
2301 N Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
Heard Museum
If you want to spend time with the family learning about American Indian history, the Heard Museum is a great choice! Enjoy with your family American Indian Art, collections, exhibitions, educational programming, and festivals. The Heard Museum is dedicated to buying and selling only authentic native-made artwork.15
12901 N La Montana Dr, Fountain Hills, AZ 85268, USA
River of Time Museum
Located in Fountain Hills, Arizona, River of Time Museum is an interactive, family-friendly museum that explores the rich history of the Lower Verde River valley and the people who settled in this region through the centuries.16
4619 E Washington St, Phoenix, AZ 85034, USA
Pueblo Grande Museum
Pueblo Grande Museum, located on a 1,500 year old archaeological site that was once inhabited by the Ancestral Sonoran Desert People, is the perfect place to visit and learn about the site of Pueblo Grande and the Greater Southwest. Your family can discover cultural materials about the region in the largest preserved archaeological site within Phoenix!17
W Pioneer Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85086, USA
Pioneer Arizona Living History Museum
This fantastic open-air museum gives you a glimpse of an old 1800's town. The whole family will be educated about 19th century Arizona at this village full of historical buildings.18
4087 E Apache Trail, Apache Junction, AZ 85119, USA
Superstition Mountain Museum
The Superstition Mountain Museum will teach you and the family everything you need to know about the history and folklore of the Superstition Mountains, Apache Junction, and the surrounding region.19
1 E Main St, Mesa, AZ 85201, USA
Mesa Arts Center
Looking for an art museum for kids in Phoenix and surrounding areas? Mesa Arts Center is an international award-winning facility where you will not only be amazed by its unique architecture, but also by the many things you can do to spend a great time. Mesa Arts Center is the largest art center in Arizona and it features four theaters, five art galleries, and 14 art studios.
We hope you and your little ones enjoy visiting these great museums with the help of this guide.
Your children can continue learning by reading interesting books. Check out our guide to The Best Kid-Friendly Libraries in and around Phoenix!
