With kids · Phoenix · United States
Phoenix with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Jedijoe82, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Phoenix works well for families in the cooler months, with easy desert trails in Papago Park, the zoo, the Desert Botanical Garden and resort pools. In summer, the Arizona Science Center, OdySea Aquarium and the Musical Instrument Museum keep children busy indoors. Top picks: Phoenix Zoo, Arizona Science Center and OdySea Aquarium. Families usually base themselves in Downtown Phoenix.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 6
- Best area for families
- Downtown Phoenix
- Rainy-day options
- 3
- Busiest months
- February–March
Best things to do with kids
Zoo · Papago Park
1.Phoenix Zoo
A large, non-profit zoo in Papago Park with an Arizona Trail of native wildlife, an African savanna, orangutans and a children's area. Shaded walkways and misters help, but mornings are best in warm months.
Go at opening outside winter; in December the evening ZooLights display is a family favourite.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Nature
Museum · Downtown Phoenix
2.Arizona Science Center
Hands-on galleries on the human body, forces, energy and the Sonoran Desert climate, plus a planetarium and a giant-screen theatre, in a building beside Heritage Square downtown.
Use it as a midday escape from the heat with children, then picnic in the shade of Heritage Square.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
Aquarium · Scottsdale
3.OdySea Aquarium
A large aquarium on Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community land in east Scottsdale, with sharks, sea lions, penguins and a rotating theatre that moves visitors between tanks.
Combine it with Butterfly Wonderland next door for a full indoor day in hot weather.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Kids
- Rainy day
Park · Papago Park
4.Papago Park and Hole-in-the-Rock
Red sandstone buttes, fishing ponds and easy trails between Phoenix and Tempe. A short scramble up Hole-in-the-Rock leads to a natural opening framing the city, a favourite spot for sunset photos.
Combine an early-evening climb to Hole-in-the-Rock with dinner nearby after a day at the zoo or Desert Botanical Garden.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Views
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
Museum · North Phoenix
5.Musical Instrument Museum
The MIM displays thousands of instruments from around the world, arranged by country, with wireless headphones that play performance videos automatically as you approach each display. There are galleries on famous musicians and a room where visitors can play instruments.
Plan at least half a day; most visitors underestimate how long the geographic galleries take.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Rainy day
- Kids
- Art
Garden · Papago Park
6.Desert Botanical Garden
Set among Papago Park's red buttes, the garden displays tens of thousands of desert plants, from towering saguaros and boojum trees to agaves and wildflowers, along trails that explain how people of the Sonoran Desert used them. Spring brings cactus blooms and a butterfly pavilion.
Visit at opening or in the evening in warmer months; in December, the luminaria nights light the paths with thousands of candle bags.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Timed tickets are needed for busy periods and the December luminaria evenings sell out early.
- Iconic
- Outdoors
- Nature
- Photo spot
- Couples
Rainy-day ideas
- Musical Instrument Museum — Plan at least half a day; most visitors underestimate how long the geographic galleries take.
- Arizona Science Center — Use it as a midday escape from the heat with children, then picnic in the shade of Heritage Square.
- OdySea Aquarium — Combine it with Butterfly Wonderland next door for a full indoor day in hot weather.
Where families should stay
$$ · Best for first-timers, budget and families
Downtown Phoenix
Downtown has the Arizona Science Center, Heritage Square with the 1895 Rosson House, Chase Field and the arena, plus convention hotels and the Arizona State University downtown campus. Valley Metro Rail runs through it to Tempe and the airport's Sky Train connection, making it the most practical car-free base.
- Good
- Light rail to the airport and Tempe; Walk to museums and stadiums; Good-value hotels
- Watch out
- Hot, shadeless streets in summer; Quiet evenings without events
- Nearby
- Heritage Square, Arizona Science Center, Chase Field, Roosevelt Row
Family travel tips
- Plan outdoor activities for early morning from May to September and carry plenty of water for everyone.
- Choose a resort with a lazy river or water slides for an easy pool day between sights.
- Papago Park's Hole-in-the-Rock is a short climb that children enjoy; Camelback's trails are not suitable for young children.
- The Musical Instrument Museum's experience gallery lets children play drums, gongs and other instruments.
- Spring-training games are relaxed and family-friendly, with lawn seating.
Day trips for families
- Grand Canyon South Rim (About 3 hours 45 minutes each way by car) — The South Rim's viewpoints, such as Mather Point and Yavapai Point, look into the canyon's layered walls.
- Tucson (About 1 hour 45 minutes by car) — Tucson combines Saguaro National Park's cactus forests, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum's outdoor zoo and garden, and the white 18th-century Mission San Xavier del Bac.
- Lost Dutchman State Park (About 50 minutes by car) — At the foot of the jagged Superstition Mountains, the park has desert trails through saguaros and wildflowers, including the steep Siphon Draw route, and views of the cliffs glowing at sunset.
- Montezuma Castle National Monument (About 1 hour 30 minutes by car) — A five-storey cliff dwelling built by the Sinagua people more than 800 years ago, set in a limestone cliff above Beaver Creek.
When to go with children
The best months overall are November–April. February–March are the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Phoenix good for kids?
Phoenix works well for families in the cooler months, with easy desert trails in Papago Park, the zoo, the Desert Botanical Garden and resort pools. In summer, the Arizona Science Center, OdySea Aquarium and the Musical Instrument Museum keep children busy indoors.
+What can kids do in Phoenix?
Phoenix Zoo, Arizona Science Center, OdySea Aquarium, Papago Park and Hole-in-the-Rock and Musical Instrument Museum.
+Where should families stay in Phoenix?
Downtown Phoenix: Museums, sports arenas, Heritage Square and the light rail hub.