Arizona Science Center Review

4 levels of hands on exhibits for children. Parking is in a nearby garage and is $2 an hour with validation. Tickets are fairly pricey for something kids are done with in a couple hours. Only reason I couldn't give 5 stars is that this place is entirely for kids with very little depth. Teachers get in free.

We had such a great time. Didn't even notice we were here for 4 hours.

We bought tickets online to see a traveling exhibit. We get here and they are apparently closed?? My ticket has a specific time on it and they are somehow closed before then?!
They wouldn t pay for parking or the gas it took to get here. This place is terrible.

Great for kids to learn. It's a center, not a museum. Stuff is hands-on. Paid limited time exhibits on third floor rarely worth the extra admission.

This should be labeled as a children's museum. Most of the interactive exhibits did not work. The "technology" center had a few playstation 4s and apple computers...

Took my 11 year old daughter here. It should be renamed the Phoenix Children s Science center.

It was not for older kids. It was for ages 3-9 not for kids. If you are over the age of 10 do not go. It s a waste of 100$ or more

They advertise there is a mummy exhibit but after paying 60.00 for a family of 4 you find out to see the mummies(the reason you came in the first place) you pay an additional fee

The children's 'water' play area in the outdoor section near the ticket table is completely neglected. I don't think there was one exhibit there working. Get a repair crew in there ASAP - where is the maintenance, upkeep, and care for your exhibits? Kids go to the science center for hands on learning - won't go again for a long time, nor would I renew my membership due to the negligence in quality. Review will be updated once you fix your poor exhibits.

First of all, the entrance line was extremely slow moving for no apparent reason. To begin with there was 3 people at the cashier's, and 1 left even though the line was long, which slowed the process even longer. My girlfriend and I stood in line for over an hour and we weren't even far in the line. During this hour, with nothing else to do, I spent time watching the cashier's to notice they were very slow moving and had no care for those in the line. Secondly, the cafe that they have available I would never recommend to my worst enemy. The food is disgusting and of course, they are also extremely slow paced. They get your order wrong even after clearly it's written down for them and they throw together your order without any care. There was also a guy dragging large trash bags full of trash through the centre of everyone who was eating - very unhygienic for their cafe as well as awful for those sitting there TRYING to eat. Eat before you go and/or pack your own lunch if you go. The Science Centre itself was crappy. Very boring, didn't have much interesting, knowledge based stuff. Not worth my time or money. The IMAX wasn't too bad I suppose, but that's about it. A waste of time and money, do not recommend going there at all!!!

Not much to see. But still 1 time watch. Get the pass from the library. Not worth buying the tickets.

the Arizona Science Center is an awesome place. If you have a kid or kids they would love it there they have so many cool things for your kids to play with an to do. I would recommend any and every family to come here also the public library will give you free admission if you can go to the Phoenix Library and check it out they only have so many at each Library but find out when they will be returns and you get to admissions free for a week you can go anytime once for each pass you get.. My family and I had a wonderful time.. We only had 1 hour so I would come at 10 a.m. when they open because there is plenty to do for many hours of fun.

#FamilyFun

Just visited the science center on 7/8/2009. I haven't been there for many years and thought it would be nice to take my 3 year old. It cost $22 entry for one adult and a child. I was surprised to fine the first exhibit I wanted to show my girl was not working (the water feature near the entrance), bummer because I remembered it being kinda cool. We spent around 3 to 4 hours going through the place and I discovered some more of the exhibits that were either not working or being maintained. I was very surprised considering the steep price of entry. While the day was fun for the most part I didn't feel like it was worth the entry fee. There are extra costs involved with many aspects of the place which I feel should be included such as the planetarium and imax shows. They even charge to ride a "sky" bicycle, come on now really. Another let down was the validated parking is only a "discount" on the parking and $2 at that, wow.

I wish to have seen some better exhibits and to have found them a little more improved since my last visit so many years ago. The fact the some of the exhibits didn't even work was really disappointing.

In the end I think a visit to the library or public swimming pool would be just as much fun at a fraction of the price.

I loved this museum. Needed a lot more time. I was with a large group so we rushed through a lot of it. Watched one is the science shows. Kids loved it. We even rode the bike across the tight rope. Wish they had a museum like this where I live.

Our visit today was something of a disappointment. We paid full price to find that about 25% of exhibits are closed off. What s more is that their mask mandate is over the top enforced with signs everywhere and security officers prowling and actively enforcing. Masks as a protective measure against the corona virus can be easily challenged from a scientific perspective and inconclusive at best. The compulsory mask requirement is a disappointment in an establishment devoted to science. It also made us feel somewhat unwelcome.

Great place for kids 5+ be prepared to spend a good amount of time there. Get parking validated when entering.

IF I COULD GIVE SIX STARS I WOULD. I've been coming here for 20 years on and off and this place never ceases to amaze me. There are SO many interactive exhibits, which is my number one favorite thing about coming here. So much fun. I learn something new every time I come here and I always end up spending way more time than expected.

Go here! You won't be disappointed! And you might even learn something!

Horrible entrance for a wheelchair/stroller!!! I came with an 8yr old & small child in stroller. After we paid entrance fee we were instructed to go back outside, up and around a ramp and wait for someone to open a door. We did as instructed and no one was there we walked in circles, down additional ramps and to the other side of the building . We finally had to go all the way back to the entrance and ask again. They said someone should be at the door but no one was called/or never showed. There is no sign on the door, in fact its all cement like the building and looks like a secret door (or an unmarked employee entrance). I feel sorry for anyone in a wheelchair who has to go so much farther and around in circles trying to enter. This is the downtown science museum in a huge city, how has no one changed this entrance? Making disabled people and family's with small children have to go through an obstacle to enter is ridiculous & frustrating. (Also in between level 2-3 there is a music exhibit that is only accessible by stairs). I am so confused and outraged by the lack of accessibility for wheelchairs/strollers. Very unprofessional...

*Also they charge additional prices for some of the exhibits...$5 to ride a "sky bike" which is a little bicycle that rides over a cable...bring your own food too! a small bag of chips was $2! Lots of broken/out-of-order exhibits as well. Most of the exhibits were hands on and great, aimed mostly toward children but still interesting. I'm just so turned off by the pricing and accessibility. I used to love this museum but now its starting to feel more like overpriced carnival. Save your money and go to the childrens museum/zoo/aquarium.

I really enjoyed the science center, but I feel like they've skewed their presentation a little too young. The bright colors and "fun" designs sometimes got in the way of the science. I will say that I definitely enjoyed the special Pompeii exhibit. It seems like they do a really nice job putting these together.

This science museum is located in the heart of city very close to the Phoenix convention center and was a walking distance from there just a couple of blocks away. I visited all free pavilions while the paid ones were out of my budget for the day. If you want view some large size - 12 feet cactus they are on the outside periphery on the streets.
Accessibility Features:
Yes=Ramp access.
Yes=A wheelchair-accessible Entrance.
Yes=A wheelchair-accessible Restroom/Toilet.
Yes=A wheelchair-accessible Seating.
Yes=A wheelchair-accessible Parking.

Not that great of place for adults. Definitely designed for young children. Not a ton of exhibits. Pricey, $35 for 2 adults, $12 for parking in the garage across the street. If I had brought a 9 year old they would have had a blast!

It was just so-so, but not worth what they charge to see everything. Price of admission is $18.00 which would be reasonable, except that does not really get you into anything. That just lets you walk around and look at the displays, which are not that great. If you want to go to the Planetarium or any of the other exhibits, they charge for every single one. So, if you want to see everything, expect to drop about $50.00 or more per person.

I went during the Mirror Maze exhibition. Let me save you some money. If you have ever been to the house of mirrors at a carnival, you have seen it, so don't waste your money. The fact that they charge extra for this is a ripoff.

Be sure to validate your parking if you do go or expect to pay even more on your way out. This is an over-priced experience that will leave you feeling like you were ripped off in my opinion.

This place has gone down hill. Many of the exhibits were broken or outdated. Payed $40+ for 1 adult and 2 kids and still didn't have access to most of the museum.

2 adults and a 3 year old = $50 which grants you access to only some of the exibits unless you want to pay more. This place is a compleate disappointment, at least for a 3 year old. Not enough hands on activities and 50% of the ones they had were not functioning.

Too many screaming kids running around, actually bus loads and bus loads. The kids made so much noise we asked for refund. We no longer wanted kids running into us, barging in front of use at exhibits so we got a refund and left quickly. The decibel level was intolerable.

Went to see Victoria, the T. Rex!!! Nice display! Very informative!

Great and fun place to carry the kids. Robert upfront made it a wonderful visit.

We are just visiting and had a couple hours to kill. I thought the science center was great for what we came to do but if we lived here I wouldn t waste the money on a membership. They Charge extra for multiple exhibits and many of the activities didn t work. I just don t think the costs of admission matches up to quality.

this place is really cool. lots of fun things to do and learn with all sorts of interesting hands on exhibits. be wary of random unsupervised children climbing on exhibits, if you see this happening you are allowed to gently but extremely forcefully push them off. my favorite part is the part with the water stuff and things.

Brought my daughter here for the Mummies exhibit and had a fabulous experience! Loved that there was an after hours option just for the special event, so please keep those coming!

The science center has different hands science project you can do with your children to help learn about the human body and the weather around them as well as real insects you can sometimes touch.

The Arizona Science Center is fun for the young and the young at heart! I enjoyed having the opportunity to learn and explore.

Wow..!!!
There are activities for all ages.

~ A great place to beat the heat & learn some REALLY cool things!!

I love the Arizona Science Center. It is a great place to get inspired about the world around us. They always have interesting exhibits, my two favorites have been Bodyworld and the Rising of the Titanic.

Awesome place awesome displays /exhibits great place for children

Such a great value if you get a membership! During the summer there is often a living social or Groupon for a family pass for 4 for about $40 to give unlimited general admission from memorial day to labor day. This year when we turned in our Groupon they gave us the option to upgrade to a year long membership for an additional $40, which is still much less than their typical $145 family membership!

Cool place to checkout in downtown phoenix. They even have adult nights.

I took my classroom to this location last year and expected great things, having gone to the science center many times as a young child myself. Upon arrival the cashier at the front desk told us there was no entry fee. Every student brought money to pay but none ended up paying. Several months later my school received an invoice with copious amounts of fees of exhibits which we have no recollection of attending. Never again will I visit this location.

The Best! Kids loved the water exhibit as always. Parents got splashed as always. Will keep coming back for new exhibits.

Make sure your bring an extra $100 dollars on top of admission prices if you're a family of 5 or so. We were astonished that we had to pay for the exhibits and then admission to the museum on top of it. Felt nickled and dimed to death while we were there.

That and the dated, broken displays and material about drug addiction and a meditation room made us wonder where the science was for children.

Our daughter was disappointed about the dinosaur movie as she expected to learn more about them and less about nonsense theories.

Won't be back.

Go to the Phoenix Zoo! Better investment and experience.

Always a great family time! The science demos are great, come around Halloween, they blow up pumpkins. Also see our friends over at create!!

Bought 50 dollars worth of will call tickets for a friend and her daughter, scheduled for June 9th. Arizona Science Center claimed that there were no tickets at will call. I emailed them a snapshot of the purchase, which I made online. I also have a bank statement showing the purchase .They still would not give the tickets. It is now July 26th. I have not been sent a refund.

Loved it. Very intellectually stimulating and fun for any age. Adult night refreshments are awesome

We had a family membership for 6 at the Minnesota science meuseum, we were told it was good for many other locations across the country however when we got here they said it was only good for 4 of us. So we paid for two children. Then we decided to go through their mirror maze. They did not recognize that we were members to get a discount because we weren't members through the AZ one. We paid full price to walk through a maze that had finger prints all over the mirrors and streaks. The last mirror maze I went through you had to wear white gloves to not leave finger prints, and it was 10 times better then this one for a 3rd of the price. Very pathetic science meuseum dont waste the money.

Never stop wondering! This is the message of Arizona Science Center which echoed through the period of my visit. The galleries, the featured exhibitions, the attractions and the planetary presentations are unique and extremely interesting. One could have tears of joy when watching the journey through space called "Space Next" which was shown on a Giant-Screen. There were school children of all ages in groups or with their parents exploring the place and enjoying themselves. There are dining facilities and all which is required for the convenience of the visitors. A valuable and memorable experience indeed.

The rest of the museum was good with a lot of hands on stuff to do.

To other reviewers and possible future visitors, the Arizona Science Center is NOT a museum, I repeat, NOT a museum. It is a CENTER, it says it right in the name. Yes, it's mainly for children or anyone who is childish (such as myself). I went here when I was a child and went as an adult, I still love going here. If you can't handle that "it's not appropriate for adults" Then maybe you shouldn't go.

Always fun to come here and have my children explore and have fun while learning great things

Went on 5/10 to see the Pompeii exhibit (very good) but when I went to purchase my tickets, I asked about my veteran discount. Young woman said I would need my veteran ID to get that. I asked if my veteran medical ID would suffice as it had my pic, branch of service symbol and percentage on it. She said No. The man in front was not required to shoe veteran ID nor proof of age for his discount....neither did the man behind me. I guess it is only if you are a female veteran. So disappointed in this issue that I will not be back. Women served too, you know.

My wife and I visited to see the Pompeii exhibit.

With so much to see we actually spent about 5 hours at the center.

Pricing can get step, so visit your library for free tickets (if available). We watched the 3D movies for Africa and the ocean and I highly recommend you do the same. The experience was wonderful and both movies were informative and exciting.

For is pricey, but supports the center so budget for it or bring food to enjoy on the 4th floor terrace.

Visit the website to see what new and amazing exhibits they have...Pompeii was very cool and had so many exhibits. We can't wait to see what is next!

Lots of fun! General admission isn t too expensive but you have to pay entra for some super cool stuff once inside. Lots of hands on activities, some is definitely aimed toward kids but my girlfriend and I (both college aged) had a good time.

This place is great but has no customer service for phone requests. They don't answer the phones, when they do, they transfer you to leave a message. If you need immediate information or help do not count on them even if you are a member.

This museum is fantastic! Sure, it's a bit pricey, but well worth it! The 3D theater is large, and has good 3D effects. The planetarium was okay, I wouldn't recommend the "Super Volcanoes" show, they only show C.G.I volcanoes and it's narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch. Other then that, I 100% recommend this place! Make sure to check out their special exhibition. As of right now it is Pompeii, which was completely amazing to see all the bodies that the ash and rock covered. The 4D eruption theater in Pompeii if fantastic as well.

We actually went for the planetarium, because my daughter really likes the planets. But, of course, u can't just get into the planetarium, they make u buy a general admission ticket, which was $36 for wife & I. Then the planetarium runs u another $18. Plus $12 for parking (apparently they validate and u get 50% off, unfortunately no one bothered to tell me about this). Add a $40 stop in the gift shop and it's a $100 afternoon. And the planetarium show we saw, Ice Worlds, was really disappointing. After listening to Jason, or Steve, or Cooper blather on for 15 minutes, they finally got to the show. You only see a glimpse of the planets for a few minutes and the movie itself was only about 15-20 minutes and then another 10 minutes of some roller coaster effects. And I was surprised how poor quality the video was. I was expecting alot more, especially for the $$$ admission cost.

There were a couple of decent kids displays and my daughter enjoyed moving from room to room to play. But for toddlers there was only a couple of age appropriate exhibits. It's really geared more towards older kids. Also a little surprised for a science center there was no dinosaur exhibit. In fact, there isn't a planetary exhibit either, also strange given that they have the planetarium in there.

Overall, we were unimpressed and for the amount of $$$ spent, definitely aren't planning to return.

Nice experience - beautiful location.
All the attractions are so close to each other.
Heritage Garage parking is really close - only the exits aren't marked in it. so one has to hit and try to exit. Maybe that's one reason people complain how insanely long it takes to get out of this lot.

Food option (Bean Sprouts restaurant) is average in taste and expensive.

The Planetarium show is okayish. Not that great. It feels long at 45 minutes or so.

The FLINN IMAX theater is good but the movies we saw - The Great bear Rainforest and Dinosaurs of Antarctica(though it doesn't say that in description) were both 3D. While the 3D experience was good, but the picture quality(or glass quality) wasn't that great. For people like me who prefer non 3D, it can be a not-so-good experience.

The SkyCycle - they were closing at 4:30 itself, much before the 4 PM closing time.

Many places, the hand sanitizers were out of stock.

The staff were very helpful - even when we got late in the shows (which is quite possible given how long one may spend getting INTO this area and the parking garage), they let us in just fine.

We went Wed afternoon - so it wasn't crazy crowded.
Do check out their special offers/promotions online. we were able to get B1G1 on general admission that saved us $18.

Very family orientated!! Highly suggested thing to do in Phoenix!

Pompeii exhibit was great... A little short but other than that excellent...

Good for the whole family. Interesting exhibits! Lots of hands on exhibits too.

Had a great time with my daughters class the imax movie was very good. This was my 3rd time going with my daughter and every time we have a great time.

Took our 6 year old for the first time, I was concerned it would be a little too adult for her, just alot of reading, but with her friends she had a ball. I am so excited to come back for a date night with my husband that sounds like so much fun. Year passes are cheap and totally worth it!!

This place is awesome! Some of my earliest memories come from here, such as the time I freaked out in the planetarium about black holes (seriously. If you have kids that are afraid of big black holes that suck up everything within a thirty light-year radius of them, DO NOT WATCH THE FILM ON THEM) to my millions of class field trips. True, it is a little dirty there, but you can still see a lot. They have cool exhibits all over the place, and the only thing I don't like is their lack of animal exhibits. I highly suggest coming here. Also, watch out for the stairs. They're made of concrete and are easy to trip on.

Good, but the Pompeii exhibit was kinda expensive. Not much. Apparently chose the exact day that an Alhambra school came. It was spacious enough to accomodate all of us.

It was really peaceful and I like how they required masks for the place

You need more than one Harry Potter Science with a Twist events. A LOT of us got left out that wanted the experience. The ASC could benefit from a two night event, I'm sure.

Science Center that the kids had been to before and love. I was completely amazed at how much hands-on activities they have throughout the center. What is your interest? They probably have a room for that!

The Arizona Science Center is a gem in the heart of downtown Phoenix. Filled with many different areas to explore, this is not a place to only come to once. You could spend the entire day there and still not see everything. For that I suggest buying a membership so that you can enjoy this place of wonder and discovery. Don't forget to check out the planetarium, theater, and traveling exhibits. The Arizona Science Center is sure to capture the minds of all who enter.

General admission, which is pretty steep only gets you a few kids toys that are free in LA s science center.

Fun place with interactive stuff for the kids. Take lots of pictures .

We did the solar system show in the big dome and it was a guy talking the whole time looking at pictures. $9 for adults and had to pay for my 4 year old. Bored out of my mind. We assumed it was a video but wrong. Also the cosmic playground charges parents access just to sit there babysitting our kids. Shouldn't this be free as we already paid a hefty price to get into the science center?

We had a great time here looking at the different science models and descriptions. Lots of great hands-on science activites. Could be a bit bigger but we had a great time!

I thought it was just ok, It was smaller than I had expected. We went on one of the free weekends and there were so many people, it was kind of hard to enjoy. The exhibits were somewhat interesting and there were a lot of hands on activities but my kids never really got super excited about it. We didn't see any of the shows which probably would have made it better (they are not free, that weekend they were discounted but there were super long lines) and honestly I would have been disappointed if I had paid the full price for the tickets. We had gone to the California Science Center and it was amazing and so big we didn't have time to see everything so this was just kind of a let down after that one.

Went with my kids school, kids and I had a great time.

Many of the interactive displays were out of order. The picnic area on the 4th floor was disgusting. Full of bird feices and pigeons everywhere.

On the good side, it has a lot of information and the interactive exhibits are clever. On the bad side... it's a museum geared towards children, and really should be marketed as such. Came here looking for somewhere to wander and learn and instead found myself crowded by 1st graders. A pity. I wish I kept my receipt.

Very cool place and lots of stuff for kids to explore.

The Arizona Science Center is a wonderful place for someone of any age. You can bring your whole family here, including grandma! The thing that really stuck out for me was the water play station out in a courtyard. So many cool things to look at are right in here and so many exhibits.

Very fun, very informative. A good place for older kids that have had some science exposure. Not bad for littles, there just isn't as much for them. If you can get a good deal on a family membership (like through Groupon) it's a great deal, and the reciprocal agreement with other places is amazing! We used it a lot on trips to California and Utah.

Went for a special event for adults and had a blast! Love how much there is to do

Customer service is absolutely pathetic. It has been over a week since I emailed all my contact info inquiring about fee's related to my employers discount. I left all my contact info with a clear message as well as leaving a friendly voicemail . I won't set foot in this business in the future as they've ruined my plans to take my grand kids.