Top 20 Places to Take Kids In and Around Phoenix - 2021
Phoenix's favorite places to take kids for 2021
There are literally hundreds of wonderful places to take your kids in the Phoenix area! Each year, we survey Phoenix parents to find out where they love to take their kids. Below are the Top 20 places plus winners in categories. While you're visiting KidsOutAndAbout, be sure to visit our Everything That's Free page, check out our packed daily calendar, and sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter.
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1. Phoenix Zoo
The Phoenix Zoo is one of the largest non-profit zoos in the United States, caring for more than 3,000 animals, with nearly 400 species represented, including many threatened or endangered species.
2. Children's Museum of Phoenix
The Children’s Museum of Phoenix is a wondrous place of imagination, inspiration, creativity and just plain fun! With three floors of hands-on, interactive exhibits designed for children ages birth to 10, the Museum focuses on learning through play, with emphasis on early childhood education and school-readiness.
3. Party Jungle
Party Jungle is one of the only indoor amusement parks in Phoenix, AZ to offer unlimited all-day use of the attractions for one low price....no time limits. Party Jungle, we strive to create an environment where our guests can feel assured that their Li’l Explorers will have a great time in a completely clean and safe facility. Cleanliness and safety are always our priorities.
4. Arizona Science Center
Arizona Science Center's mission is to inspire, educate and engage curious minds through science. With over 300 hands-on exhibits, a state-of-the-art planetarium and a five-story giant screen theater, there’s something for everyone in the family!
5. Valley Youth Theatre
We inspire young people to be the best they can be through a wide variety of performing arts opportunities. For 33 years, we've been a safe place where young people from all backgrounds learn and grow as individuals, perfomers and leaders through our education programs, community outreach initiatives and on-stage experiences.
6. Bearizona Wildlife Park
Bearizona Wildlife Park allows visitors to drive into "the wilderness" and witness herd and pack life from the safety and comfort of a private vehicle.
7. My Local Library
Of course, the libraries in the Phoenix area are not really ONE place, but MANY places... but it's important to emphasize how valuable libraries are for family learning and fun. The libraries in our area are wonderful about posting their events to the KidsOutAndAbout calendar so you always can get ideas for free things to do with your kids that celebrate education and imagination. KidsOutAndAbout.com takes this opportunity to salute the wonderful children's librarians who serve our community with such dedication. They're proud that locals voted them #7 in best places to take kids this year!
8. McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park
Scottsdale’s McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park is the most unique park of its kind in the country. The 30 acre park’s centerpiece is the Paradise & Pacific Railroad, a fully functional 15 gauge railroad with scale steam and diesel locomotives and riding stock. No trip to the park is complete without a ride on the 1950-vintage Allan Hershell carousel or a visit to the Scottsdale Railroad Museum.
9. Uptown Jungle Fun Park
Urban Jungle is unlike anything you have ever seen before. Our Urban City metropolis is filled with adrenaline inducing, high adventure activities designed for kids of all ages. Come experience the ultimate in family friendly entertainment where participating URBANITES move from one activity to another. Urban Jungle features a huge variety of action oriented activities that give our guests the ultimate one-stop and non-stop place to JUMP, CLIMB, RACE, SLIDE, CRAWL, FLY and CHILL.
10. OdySea Aquarium
OdySea Aquarium offers an entertaining, interactive, and educational experience for guests of all ages by combining theme-park-style amusement with highly engaging presentations of aquatic life like no other in the industry. The facility includes a 3D theater, SeaTREK™ underwater ocean walking, and a one-of-a-kind voyage through the “Living Sea.”
11. Schnepf Farms
Schnepf Farms is excited to be one of the top 20 places to take your kids. It's a 4th generation family owned farm with a country store, bakery and some fun family festivals in October, December and February. Schnepf Farms is also known for being the largest peach grower in Arizona and also provides a wonderful organic garden open for a Pick-your-own experience. Train rides, tours, petting zoo, wedding venues and even Glamping round out the reasons to make a visit to Schnepf Farms.
12. Wildlife World Zoo
Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium is home to Arizona's largest collection of exotic animals with more than 600 species. The Aquarium features over 75 indoor exhibits including stingrays you can feed, penguins, otters, and sharks plus rides & a petting zoo.
13. SEA LIFE Arizona Aquarium
SEA LIFE is the world’s largest family of aquariums and includes SEA LIFE Aquariums in North America including SEA LIFE Arizona, Carlsbad, Charlotte-Concord, Dallas/Fort Worth, Kansas City, Mall of America, Michigan, New Jersey (opening soon), Orlando, and San Antonio (opening soon). From its origins in 1979 in Oban, Scotland, SEA LIFE now provides immersive marine experiences in nearly 50 locations in 17 countries around the world. We aim share our passion for the creatures of the oceans and to make our guests fall in love with them.
14. LEGOLAND Discovery Center Arizona
LEGOLAND® Discovery Center Arizona - it's like you’ve just jumped into the biggest box of LEGO® bricks ever! See your city come to life in mini-land... it's made entirely ofLEGO® bricks! Climb abord and ride Kindom Quest to rescue the princess! Then, build a LEGO® race car with your friends and send it zooming down the test ramp! Get closer to the action in the amazing 4D LEGO® cinema. You'll be amazed at what you'll find at the LEGOLAND® discovery center!
15. Sky Zone
Sky Zone is the world’s first indoor trampoline park. We are the inventors of “fun fitness” and the makers of trampolines as far as the eye can see. We give you one of the greatest workouts ever combined with awesome, healthy fun. We are always working to invent epic new ways to play, gather, and compete. Even though we are the originators of wall-to-wall aerial action, we never stand still. The only way to understand it is to come experience it. So, rally your crew and let’s go!
16. Six Flags Hurricane Harbor (formerly Wet 'n' Wild)
Hurricane Harbor Phoenix is Arizona’s biggest ‘n’ best water park. Located on Pinnacle Peak Road, off I-17, the park is the largest in the state featuring more than 30 exhilarating attractions for families and thrill seekers alike. Adrenaline addicts can enjoy slides like Bahama Blaster – Dueling H2O Coasters – which is the first of its kind in the world, and races guests down two, gravity-defying, tandem slides; or Tornado, which catapults guests through a swirling 45-foot funnel into the eye of the storm and into calmer waters below. The park also features tamer attractions like Splash Island, a multi-level children’s area that full of dumping buckets, kid friendly slides and interactive water cannons; or Hurricane Bay, a 700,000-gallon wave pool that generates 4-foot swells.
17. Big Surf Waterpark (closed permanently as of 2022)
Built in 1969, Big Surf Waterpark is America’s Original Waterpark boasting one of the largest wave pools in the world, Waikiki Beach. Nestled on 20 acres in Arizona on the northern tip of Tempe and just south of Scottsdale, Big Surf has remained an Arizona icon for over 40 years and features dozens of other thrilling water features all in a safe and family friendly atmosphere.
18. Butterfly Wonderland
Butterfly Wonderland is the largest butterfly conservatory in America. It features a magnificent indoor conservatory that brings a tropical rainforest environment to the Arizona desert where thousands of butterflies fly freely. In addition, there are interactive exhibits, a Butterfly Emergence Gallery, 3D movie theater, Spineless Giants exhibit, Butterfly Café, Butterfly Treasures Gift Shop, a Rainforest Reptile exhibit, Rainforest Birds and a “bug vending machine” known as the “Edible Insect Station” that teaches visitors about entomophagy – the practice of eating insects. Butterfly Wonderland is open daily at 9 a.m. Cameras are welcome.
19. Castles N Coasters
Arizona's Finest Family Fun and Thrill Park! From the thrilling sky–high roller coasters and exciting water rides, to the exotic countries of the world class miniature golf course and enchantment of an old fashioned carousel, there’s magic and new adventures waiting for you and your family at Castles N' Coasters.
20. Lowell Observatory
The mission of Lowell Observatory is to pursue the study of astronomy, especially the study of our solar system and its evolution; to conduct pure research in astronomical phenomena; and to maintain quality public education and outreach programs to bring the results of astronomical research to the general public.
Winners in Special Categories
In the second part of our survey, we asked readers to select their favorites in several categories. Here were their choices.Top Arts Educator
Valley Youth TheatreWe inspire young people to be the best they can be through a wide variety of performing arts opportunities. For 32 years, we've been a safe place where young people from all backgrounds learn and grow as individuals, perfomers and leaders through our education programs, community outreach initiatives and on-stage experiences.
Top Sports Educator
Hubbard Family Swim SchoolWe build smiles, confidence and success in the water! Come visit one of our four Arizona Valley locations in Phoenix, Peoria, Goodyear and Mesa, AZ. See why Hubbard Family Swim School has an international reputation for our teaching techniques. Classes for students 8 weeks through 12 years.
Top STEM Educator
Arizona Science CenterArizona Science Center's mission is to inspire, educate and engage curious minds through science. With over 300 hands-on exhibits, a state-of-the-art planetarium and a five-story giant screen theater, there’s something for everyone in the family!
