When our 4 grandchildren were young, my job as Grandpa was weekly field trips. I would scout out venues that were educational, but also interesting to young people. We ranged all over Southern California taking in the zoos, railroad parks, natural history museums, including the La Brea Tar Pits, historic forts, old movie sets, Griffith Park Observatory, and so much more. I looked for places where they could learn about the world, but also burn off some of their natural exuberance.
But I don’t recall anything like Tucson’s Children’s Museum. If you have young children, say toddler to age 10, and you’ve never taken them downtown to what was the old Public Library, you really owe it to your young ones & yourself to go.
If you have visited the Children’s Museum, but not lately, return now. An extensive renovation & expansion with a ton of new interactive exhibits, arts & crafts space, & special events have made it a new & richer experience.
Recently, while on tour of the new facilities, I watched toddlers developing their motor skills in a safe environment, 4, 5, & 6-year-olds developing their artistic skills & imagination, and 8 & 9-year-olds figuring out how some of the elements of our physical world work, such as gravity, light, & electricity.
With innovative programs, the staff of the Children’s Museum emphasizes reading & creativity, as well as plenty of fun.
To me as an adult, one of the most interesting, & clever permanent exhibits was the Mini Nano Exhibit: how very, very tiny materials act and interact differently than large objects. There are several other new science exhibits included in “Investigation Station” that feature hands-on activities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.
They have imaginative exhibits that teach young children about nutrition, grocery shopping, pet care, and body parts, such as mouth, nose, and heart.
The Museum also has a great space for birthday parties. Their courtyard is perfect for picnics. Or if you wish, you can call ahead to one of our local pizza parlors and have lunch delivered to the Museum.
Special events are common at the Children’s Museum, many tied to holiday themes and often feature music. Be sure to check the Museum’s Events Calendar.
Admission is $6 for children; $8 for adults, but senior adults are only $6. This may sound pricy, but if you purchase an annual membership you can save a bunch. For example, membership for one adult & two children is only $60 for a year of unlimited admissions.
On the second Saturday of each month, admission is $2. Saturday November 23rd is El Tour de Tucson downtown, which is a FREE day at the Museum, as is Sunday December 1st.
They didn’t have anything like Tucson Children’s Museum when I was growing up. In fact, they didn’t have anything like it when I was helping to raise our grandkids. Parents today sure have it easy.
Take your young kids or grandkids to the Children’s Museum. They will enjoy it and so will you.
For other ideas about activities for children, go to Adventures Things To Do In Tucson With Kids article.
Children’s Museum of Tucson
200 S 6th Ave., Tucson, AZ 85701
To learn about more worthwhile museums in Tucson, whether art, history, science, or just fun, see our list of the Best Museums here.
This article has been KID APPROVED. For more interesting ideas of Things to do with kids, some of the not very expensive, please see our page, “Things to do in Tucson with KIDS“
