Things to Do | Kids | Visit Tucson Blog

You’ve made your way to Tucson, it’s time to convince the kids to put away the phones for a bit and experience what’s around them. Here’s a list of some potential options to give the younger set what they want for a bit - something new, something interactive and something fun. If this doesn’t work, there’s always ice cream. Kids always love ice cream, right?

Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures

4455 E. Camp Lowell Dr.

(520) 881-0606

It’s a museum full of tiny houses and cities. It’s a museum with a giant tree inside. There’s a “find the fairy” game. There is likely someone in your family who will find this exciting and when they get to the Mini Time Machine, that initial excitement will be multiplied by thousands.

Flandrau Science Center and Planetarium

1601 E. University Blvd.

(520) 621-4516

As you might have heard - or merely noticed by looking up to the star-filled night sky - Tucson is a great city for astronomy. Heading out to Kitt Peak or up Mt. Lemmon to the SkyCenter are great activities, but if you have less time (or just want to stay closer to town), Flandrau is in the center of the University of Arizona campus and full of science-related activities for the whole family. Plus, the state-of-the-art planetarium provides fully-immersive science programming (or laser shows...and who doesn’t love laser shows?).

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

2021 N. Kinney Rd.

(520) 883-1380

The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is one of the best zoos in the country and a spectacular opportunity to explore and experience the Sonoran Desert, plant life, minerals, animals and all. Honestly, this is a must-see attraction for anyone, but it’s definitely perfect for families.

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Big Horn Sheep

Museo del Desierto Sonora- Arizona

Pima Air & Space Museum

6000 E. Valencia Rd.

(520) 574-0462

If anyone in your family loves planes or space, you cannot miss this museum, generally considered one of the world’s largest aviation collections. Where else can you stand next to bombers from World War II, the fastest planes ever made and a giant 787? If it has wings and is made of metal, it’s likely somewhere among Pima Air & Space’s over 300 historical aircraft.

Children’s Museum Tucson

200 S. 6^th Ave.

(520) 792-9985

Children’s Museum Oro Valley

11015 N. Oracle Rd.

(520) 297-8004

It doesn’t take long to realize how kid-oriented the Children’s Museum Tucson, conveniently located in the heart of downtown, actually is. Sure, the name should have tipped you off, but once you see a giant nose on the wall in the Bodyology exhibit, ready to be “picked,” it’s apparent that someone who really knows kids designed this place. With areas for the junior artist, architect, farmer, scientist and more, the Children’s Museum Tucson (or its Oro Valley satellite location) is a perfect spot to let kids explore the world around them.

Summerhaven, Arizona

It takes less than an hour and a half (from most parts of Tucson) to drive up Mt. Lemmon to Summerhaven, a tiny village of cottages and cabins, but in those 90 minutes, you’ll feel transported to another world far away from the floor of the Sonoran Desert. You can ride the ski lift to get an amazing view of the valley below, you can go for a hike or you can enjoy a giant cookie and vastly cooler temperatures. Mt. Lemmon is Tucson’s escape from the heat or opportunity to experience snow based on the season...why not take advantage of the same opportunity as a visitor?

Reid Park Zoo

3400 E. Zoo Ct.

(520) 791-4022

Tucson’s zoo in the center of town, the 24 acres of the Reid Park Zoo offer an opportunity to see a bit of the world’s animal kingdom, from the most adorable hedgehog to the sort-of-weird-looking-but-still-special tapir. Feed a giraffe! Hang out in Expedition Tanzania with the elephants, including Nandi, the two-year-old super adorable pachyderm. Plus, there’s a great park surrounding the zoo, so it makes for a great day all around.

D&D Pinball

331 E. 7th St. location is currently closed, looking forward to opening a new Tucson location soon.

(520) 777-4969

Right off Fourth Avenue and its quirky collection of shops and restaurants, D&D Pinball is exactly as advertised. They’ve got lots of pinball machines, brand new ones (if they have the AC/DC game, play it), classics (Addams Family, Terminator 2) and some strange ones (remember the Keanu Reeves film Johnny Mnemonic? Neither do we, but there’s a pinball version here). In the PlayStation and Xbox age, the mechanical nature of pinball is almost a shock to the system that your family will love.