Arizona Science Center: Your Guide for Family Fun
Our family took a trip to Phoenix, Arizona, to visit my mom and brother. We didn’t want to sit at their house all day, so I did some research and planned a day at the Arizona Science Center. We even found a deal on Groupon so we could get the whole family in for a lot less.
If you’re looking for fun, family activities to do in Phoenix, plan a day at the Arizona Science Center. It’s full of engaging and educational activities.
Permanent Exhibits to Light Up Your Mind
From the moment you enter the Arizona Science Center, there is one interactive exhibit after another. We began at the outside pavilion and played in some water power exhibits. There were fountains using water to move plastic balls around. It was a fun (shaded) exhibit on a hot Arizona day.
The All About Me exhibit and the W.O.N.D.E.R. Center were the spots we spent most of our time. They are on the first floor on the opposite end of the museum from the entrance. We learned about the human body, brain waves, eyes, medical imaging, arteries, flexibility and more. The kids even took a stab at a wheelchair race – it’s just as hard as it sounds.
There’s also a little theater near the Brain Waves competition booth where you can see an electric light show with a Tesla Coil. Those are always fun. And as a person diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (an abnormal heart rhythm), the bass drum that would beat to your heart beat was pretty cool. And luckily, my heart was in rhythm at the time.
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The kids really enjoyed making paper airplanes in the American Airlines Flight Zone. The launcher had to be positioned just right to get the airplane through the hoops. The kids could also make paper helicopters and use a wind tunnel to test them out.
Test Your Fear of Heights on the SkyCycle
Stretched across the long hallway, 15 feet above the ground, is a thick cable. It’s an opportunity for you or your kids to test their fear of heights on the Evans Family SkyCycle.
There is an additional fee ($5 for adults and children) to ride the SkyCycle. So you be the judge of whether it’s worth the extra fee.
Once you get strapped into the bike, the gate opens and the bike rides along the cable roughly 60-80 feet – depending on how much backward momentum you get coming out of the gate. When the bike comes to a stop, you then pedal back to the starting gate. Don’t rush it – because then your ride is over. I was able to rock the SkyCycle about 25 degrees side to side without falling off.
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I had a little more fun with it than my son. He’s afraid of heights, but kudos to him for giving the SkyCycle a ride. He was going for completion while I was trying to get my money’s worth. 😉
Get Charged up on the Upper Floors
Although we spent a large portion of our time on the first floor, we loved the exhibits on the upper floors. They were interactive, interesting and educational. After all, who wouldn’t want to rest on a bed of stainless-steel nails.
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The Get Charged Up exhibit is full of hands-on learning opportunities. It makes sense that you can play with electromagnets, but you can also learn about pulleys and weight distribution. It was fun to see how the kids tested science by making adjustments to spinning wheels or balancing plastic balls on air currents.
There’s even more to experience on the third floor of the museum. Forces of Nature teaches you about earth science – from earthquakes and volcanoes to the wind and rain or tornadoes and hurricanes.
For the computer mind, swing in to My Digital World. From computer programming to augmented reality, the tech-savvy kids will enjoy getting in front of electronics. My oldest son enjoyed building a satellite and putting it through some tests to explore it’s durability.
If you make your way up to the fourth floor, you can learn about sustainability, alternative sources of electricity and more. Solarville is a long hallway of ways we can be more friendly to the environment. Step out onto the balcony and enjoy some downtime in a spinning chair while enjoying the views around downtown Phoenix.
Catch a Show in the Theater or Planetarium
The Arizona Science Center has both a movie screen and a planetarium. They are often filled in the mornings with school field trips, so they recommend looking for show times after 1 p.m. if you want a quieter experience.
The Irene P. Flinn Theater runs two movies daily on their five-story screen. The movies rotate, so you’ll want to check the schedule beforehand to see what movies you’re interested in checking out – and their show times. There is an additional fee to watch the movies.
If you love learning about space, you’ll want to visit the Dorrance Planetarium. There are shows about our solar system, the stars, or even laser light shows that are sure to entertain. Check the schedule for show times. There is an additional fee to experience a show in the planetarium.
The Details
Address: 600 E. Washington St, Phoenix, AZ 85004
Cost: Walk-up ticket prices are $19.95 for adults and $14.95 for children (3-17). Purchase tickets online to save 10% – $18 for adults and $13 for children. Children 2 and under are free. Featured exhibits (like Mummies of the World), shows, and the SkyCycle are additional.
Hours: Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas day.
Website: https://www.azscience.org/
Phone: (602) 716-2000
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