The Navajo Nation Zoo is the only Native American owned-and-operated Zoo in the U.S., and is deemed “A Sanctuary for Nature and the Spirit.” They offer a home for injured or orphaned wildlife, a quiet place for visitors to reflect and a unique opportunity to connect with native Southwest animals that are culturally-important to the Navajo People. The Navajo Zoo has over 100 animals of 50 different species.

lmagine a world where one of a kind, hand-painted 3D art looks so real playing black light mini golf that you'll feel like you're trapped in a world of fantasy while encountering dragon caves, sunken pirate ships and unicorns! Try 3D Mini Golf with 3D glasses to see the hand-painted art murals come to life and for your depth perception to be challenged in a fun way.

Explore the prehistoric world at Pangaea Land of the Dinosaurs, located at the Arizona Boardwalk in Scottsdale. The lifelike dinosaur exhibits provide an immersive, educational and fun experience for all ages. Engage with interactive displays, join guided tours and learn from fossil talks presented by knowledgeable staff.

Photo Credit: Pangaea Land of the Dinosaurs
(Located within the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community)

Get up close and personal with an 8-foot tall ostrich, or get a goat kiss from the Hole in the Wall Gang. Or hand-feed other critters including fallow deer, miniature donkeys, parakeets, ostriches, miniature goats and more. Check out the Picacho Peak Monster Truck Tour offered on weekends and holidays! This 45-minute guided tour takes you around the property where you will learn about ostrich raising, the Sonoran Desert, rattlesnake safety and more!

Photo Credit: An Pham

AZ Ice is a great way to cool down while having some fun with the whole family! At the Peoria location, you can enjoy one of their two rinks, figure skating, hockey, a pro shop, a restaurant, bar and exciting events. AZ Ice facilities have a wide range of rental skates to fit almost any sized foot from toddlers to adults. Check ahead of time for available public skating sessions or visit one of their other locations across the Valley.

Stroll around this lush oasis in the heart of Tucson offering mature trees and expertly cultivated foliage, specialty gardens such as the Cactus & Succulent Garden, Barrio Garden and Herb Garden highlight the diversity of native plants. Enjoy 20 curated gardens, seasonal art exhibits and the only tropical butterfly pavilion in Southwest Tucson. Pick up a children’s activity guide on your visit, or download one of the activities on the Garden's website.

Photo credit: Tucson Botanical Garden / Dominic Bonuccelli

Re-opening for summer activities Memorial Day Weekend (May 23).

Experience thrilling drops, heart-pounding turns and breathtaking views with this mountain thrill ride! Owned and operated by the White Mountain Apache Tribe, the Sunrise Apache Alpine Coaster is one of only two alpine coasters in Arizona and is the only tribal coaster in the country!

Photo credit: Sunrise Park Resort

Explore indoor galleries filled with exhibits that encourage discovery, imagination and learning. Wander through the courtyard and learn about native plants and pollinators, try your hand at some poetry or blow giant bubbles in the Bubble Garden. Play is an essential part of learning for children and through exhibits including an investigation station, butterfly garden, bodyolgogy and more the Children's Museum Tucson provides the space for fun, play-based and hands-on learning experiences.

Discover the rich and vibrant world of American Indian art, from traditional artworks to contemporary creations and live events. Swing by the Heardlings Art Cart to grab a Family Map and Kids Activity Guide. Explore the family activity room and immerse yourself in stories at the Story Circle. Don’t forget to flex your imagination with Word Play, a fun writing activity.

Photo Credit: Heard Museum

The Hall of Flame Museum of Firefighting features galleries and exhibits relating to the history of firefighting, fire safety education and the recognition of firefighters who have died in the line of duty or who have been recognized for acts of heroism. The museum offers special tours, educational programs, events, community outreach and more.

Photo Credit: An Pham

The Great Wolf Lodge features 350 suites, an expansive indoor water park, an array of family activities and dining options. Explore the multi-level water treehouse outfitted with suspension bridges, treetop slides, swinging cargo nets and spray stations, and the tipping bucket that dumps an astonishing one thousand gallons of water--and a 27,000-square foot family entertainment center.

Photo Credit: Great Wolf Resorts

The Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures is dedicated to preserving and advancing the art of miniatures for all. The museum's permanent collection includes more than 500 dollhouses and room boxes, with each one containing hundreds of miniature objects. For the kids, don't miss Tiny Tales for Tots, as well as regularly scheduled hands-on STEM focused summer camps and classes.

Photo credit: An Pham

The O.K. Corral Historic Complex includes the actual site where the famous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral took place involving Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday began. The complex includes daily reenactments of the infamous gunfight, as well as historic exhibits such as a photographic gallery and boarding house and a mining sluice where you can try your hand at gemstone mining. Kids 5 years old and younger are free.

Pima Air and Space Museum opened in 1976 and is one of the largest air and space museums in the world — and the largest self-supporting aerospace museum. The museum features more than 400 historic aircraft, from a Wright Flyer to a 787 Dreamliner, and encompasses six indoor exhibit hangars (three dedicated to World War II) and 90 acres of outdoor displays.

Photo credit: Pedro J. Berrueco

Located across a 3-acre research facility, Biosphere 2 recreates five of earth's biomes: the ocean, wetlands, tropical rainforest, Savanna grassland and fog desert — enclosed under glass domes. Included in admission is access to the Under the Glass guided tour of Biosphere 2, which is offered throughout the day on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Photo Credit: An Pham

Verde Canyon Railroad offers a wilderness adventure into an area of extreme natural beauty, following the curves of the Verde River, 20 miles up through a red rock canyon full of unusual geology, abundant wildlife, lush greenery and Native American ruins, aboard well-appointed vintage train cars traveling historic rails. Every season offers a different reason to ride; the climate-controlled train runs year-round.

located inside Scottsdale Fashion Square, Wonderspaces presents an evolving lineup of extraordinary art installations and signature cocktails to enjoy with friends and family. Open year-round with regularly changing artwork.

Art Credit: Rules by Paola Ibarra Llano. Photo by Yadira-Villarreal, credit Experience Scottsdale.

Discover the people who built one of the largest and most sophisticated canal systems in the New World prior to the coming of Europeans. This National Historic Landmark and museum highlights how these engineers and farmers thrived in the Sonoran Desert for millennia. The museum will be closed for summer renovations starting May 19, 2025.

Photo credit: City of Phoenix

With over 150 acres, Mesa Riverview Park has endless areas to enjoy and explore with the fam! This park features playgrounds, a 50-foot tall climbing tower, urban fishing, shaded picnic areas, splash pads and water play areas, accessible sidewalks and walking paths, reservable ramadas and more.

Photo credit: Visit Mesa / Dan Rose

Considered the largest art museum in the southwestern United States, the Phoenix Art Museum is home to a collection of more than 20,000 objects. Make the most of your Phoenix Art Museum visit with guests of all ages through interactive and meaningful art experiences. Don't miss Creative Saturdays, which feature art-making, games, story time and hands-on activities for visitors of every age.

Since 1972, Organ Stop Pizza has been a favorite locally-owned, family-focused destination for pizza and fun. Here, you can enjoy dinner and a show each night in Mesa, where the largest theater pipe organ ever created rises above the audience on an 8,000-pound rotating hydraulic elevator to sit 10 feet above the 700-seat dining room. The organ has 1,074 keys, buttons, and switches linked to a series of xylophones, glockenspiels, gongs and cymbals to create the sound of a full orchestra. Nightly shows also include dancing marionette cats, disco balls and spectacular light shows.

OdySea Aquarium, located in Scottsdale, is one of America's largest aquariums and is home to more than 6,000 animals from sharks, sea turtles and penguins to otters and rays. Explore educational, interactive and entertaining experiences for guests of all ages.

(Located within the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community)

Explore the world through music at the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM). This unique museum, which displays instruments and objects from every country in the world, schedules family focused events to engage all generations. Programs provide exciting opportunities for the whole family to celebrate music, instruments and cultures from around the world. Each themed Family Weekend features music by and for children, fun and educational programs for all ages and unique hands-on activities.

The McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park is a 30 acre park, located in the heart of Scottsdale, that features the Paradise & Pacific Railroad and the 1950-vintage Allan Herschell carousel. Explore the variety of shops and museums, play on one-of-a-kind playgrounds or play areas, or just relax in the grass.

Photo Credit: An Pham

Legoland Discovery Center Arizona is a 40,000 square-foot indoor attraction featuring more than one million LEGO bricks, LEGO themed rides, a 4D cinema and themed build-and-play areas providing a world of creativity and learning for young children. Families with young children can explore their imagination, color and build in the ultimate indoor playground.

In search of a stroller friendly day with the family or a nature-based activity day with the kids? The Desert Botanical Garden features 140 acres of beautiful desert landscapes featuring 4,818 species in their living collection. Don't miss their year-round family-friendly programming including bi-weekly storytime, Cactus Clubhouse, summer camps, nature activities and more.

Located in downtown Phoenix, the Arizona Science Center provides attendees numerous interactive experiences, along with daily demonstrations throughout the Center. Aside from the permanent exhibitions, Arizona Science Center features a number of nationally traveling exhibitions. Also providing shows in the Dorrance Planetarium and their IMAX Theater.

The Arizona Museum of Natural History is the premier natural history museum in Mesa dedicated to inspire wonder, respect and understanding for the natural and cultural history of the Southwest. Experience a real territorial jail, pan for gold in the History Courtyard or wend your way through the Lost Dutchman's Mine. Have fun with history, and explore the Spanish Southwest, Territorial Arizona, and Arizona's historic 5 Cs in the History Courtyard.

Sharlot Hall Museum is an educational and cultural center, which fosters public and community understanding and appreciation of historical, social and natural aspects of Arizona, with emphasis on the Central Highlands. Check out the history-based youth camps, scavenger hunt or experience all-ages pop up programming that is hosted monthly. Stroll through the Territorial Women’s Memorial Rose Garden or take in nature at this four-acre arboretum featuring 89 species of trees and woody plants.

Located in Flagstaff at the base of the beautiful San Francisco Peaks, the The Museum of Northern Arizona is a regional center of learning with collections, exhibits, educational programs, publications and research projects that serve thousands of people each year. Explore Arizona history, culture and art through a variety of engaging exhibitions and events.

Founded in 1894 and one of the oldest observatories in the U.S., Lowell Observatory continues to be a research facility and instrumental in major discoveries. The observatory visitor center offers interactive, hands-on exhibits. Guided daytime tours that take visitors to the 24-inch Clark Telescope, built in 1896, the historic Rotunda library museum and the original 13-inch Pluto Discovery Telescope. Don't miss the newly opened state-of-the-art Astronomy Discovery Center, which features the Orbits Curiosity Zone children’s exhibit hall, the Stardust Lab Astronomy Gallery for all ages, the rooftop Dark Sky Planetarium, the Giovale Open Deck Observatory and more.

Photo Credit: Abe Snider & Lowell Observatory

According to the U.S. Forest Service, this mile-long lava tube cave was formed 700,000 years ago by molten rock that erupted from a volcanic vent in nearby Hart Prairie. The top, sides and bottom of the flow cooled and solidified first, after which the insides of the lava river continued to flow emptying out the present cave. It's recommended to wear warm clothes and sturdy shoes as the cave is as cool as 42° even in summer, and you may even find some ice inside.

Image credit: Coleman Becker

The Grand Canyon Railway offers daily train travel from Williams, Arizona to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon aboard five unique, fully-restored classes of service. Enhance your Grand Canyon experience with an entertaining train ride featuring western musicians and cowboy characters on vintage rail cars. Don't miss fun kid-friendly seasonal events offered throughout the year including the fan-favorite Polar Express.

Butterfly Wonderland is the largest indoor butterfly conservatory in America. Guests of all ages are transported to the rainforest by immersing them in the world of butterflies and other rainforest animals. Learn about Monarch migration in a captivating 3D movie, observe live chrysalis as they emerge naturally into beautiful butterflies, spend ample time strolling through the conservatory with the butterflies, get up close to unique reptiles that inhabit rainforests across the world and even indulge in edible insects!

The Flagstaff Extreme Kids Course is an active, fun way for kids to challenge themselves while completing obstacles, ziplines and ladders! Their imaginations run wild as they pass through each challenge! Parents and guardians can interact from the ground through encouragement, obstacle shaking and maybe even some pine cone throwing.

The i.d.e.a. Museum offers hands-on activities and art exhibitions for kids of all ages. Programs are developed not only for children but also for the whole family. The museum inspires visitors to experience their world differently. Therefore – in addition to art, creativity and imagination – the museum focuses on supporting early learning, nurturing creative thinking and engaging families in quality experiences.

Drive through the Arizona wilderness viewing animals of North America from the comfort of your own vehicle. Get up-close to these impressive animals during our three-mile drive at your own pace. Drive three miles through untamed Arizona wilderness witnessing North American Wildlife in natural environments. View animals ranging from rugged mountain goats and stealthy wolves to majestic bison and comical black bears.