The Arizona Science Center – Downtown Phoenix, Arizona

While in the wonderful state of Arizona for some spring training games in March 2019, (check out my post on Tempe Diablo Stadium), I was lucky enough to tour a couple of museums and attractions, like the Heard Museum.  One such place was the exciting Arizona Science Center which opened in 1984. They are located in Downtown Phoenix and have been a hub for science and discovery for the community and visitors. The Arizona Science Center features more than 300 hands-on exhibits, live demonstrations, a state-of-the-art Dorrance Planetarium, a five-story IMAX theater.

I really like science centers, thus was so looking forward to visiting and checking out all of their exhibits. I have a few friends in the Phoenix area, so I asked one of them to join me in exploring. We decided to meet up early and get there as soon as they opened, hoping to beat the crowds. Sadly many others had the same idea, lol. However, once everyone got inside, we all went different ways and it wasn’t too busy for the first hour or so.

Level 4

Since everyone was mostly heading for exhibits on the 1st lever, we decided to head up to the 4th level. This is where the Solarville Exhibit is located. This exhibit explores renewable energy from around the world. I enjoyed seeing the exhibit which explains how to harness and distribute sustainable green energy from algae, alternative fuels, and poop. I also enjoyed the display about wind engine turbines.

Level 3

This was the floor that sounded the most interesting to me when reading the map. It includes the Forces of Nature and My Digital World displays. The Forces of Nature was quite informative, and we both really enjoyed the Immersion Theater. It is a show that puts you in the middle of a hurricane, tornado, wildfire, volcanic eruption, monsoon, and earthquake. You actually feel the wind, heat, rain, and shaking. My friend and I were both impressed at how real it all felt. It is a great presentation, and a must-see while at the Arizona Science Center.

This section also contains the Magic Planet and Stardust Faces of Science exhibits. The Magic Planet is where you can see the last six weeks of weather patterns around the planet. We were able to explore the cloud and air patterns that create major storms around the world. While scientists explain what they do and what their work means to the rest of the world. They also share some of the real-life tools they use in their fields of expertise.

In the My Digital World area we found some really amazing displays, the Virtual Sand, Warp Your Image, and Harkins Ham Shack. In the Virtual Sand area, you get to discover how the digital world and physics intermingle with Virtual Sand. You get to use your whole body to interact with dynamic media to learn and play with digital sand! It was fun and my friend had a blast making different shapes in the sand. Warp Your Image uses pixels to create digital art! Coordinate with buttons to explore just how pixels can alter your world! The Ham Shack is where, with the help of experts, you learn how to use the most reliable line of communication, the Ham radio. It was interesting and we played with a little Morris Code. The sounds must be maddening while trying to learn, lol.

Level 2

One of the main attractions on the second level at the Arizona Science Center is the Evans Family SkyCycle. Learn about the principles of counterbalance and center of gravity, while taking a ride on the 90-foot cable while being suspended nearly 15 feet in the air. We didn’t do this, but it sounded like a lot of fun. FYI, additional fees apply for this attraction.

Also on this level are several displays together labeled Get Charged Up. It concludes:

• Bed of Nails – Lie down on a bed of nails. With more than 1,000 nails, each nail supports only a fraction of your weight so the nails won’t hurt you.
• Giant Lever – Learn how levers give us a mechanical advantage in this giant game of tug-of-war. It’s not about how hard you pull the rope, but where.
• Pulley Power – Go for a ride in one of our three pulley chairs.
• Color Mixing – Experiment with a prism to split white light into its different wavelengths and combine them to form different colors.
• Electromagnetic Workbench – Experience the invisible forces of electromagnetism as objects move before your very eyes.
• Electric Circuits – Build your own circuit and explore the science behind basic electrical components, voltage, current, polarity and Ohm’s Law.

Level 1

Slowly we made our way back down to the first level and checked out some of their exhibits. There are many displays on this level including, All About Me, Flight Zone, Making Sense of Your Dollars and Cents, and the W.O.N.D.E.R Center. I have to say the All About Me section was the most interesting. This area shares information about how your body works and functions, from the inside out! It was cool playing with all the different displays and then seeing this HUGE stomach display kids could walkthrough. They also had a table that shared the muscular system. Quite interesting.

We had an amazing time running around the Arizona Science Center and checking out all the incredible exhibits. Again, we both really enjoyed The Forces of Nature exhibit. If you are visiting the center, make sure to see this on level 3. We actually went through it twice, lol. Hope you enjoyed my post on my visit to the Arizona Science Center and wanted to share some important information before visiting. Here is a link to their website if you need more information.

Arizona Science Center
Visitor Information

Address:

600 E Washington St, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA

Phone:

602-716-2000

Hours:

Open daily
10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Prices:

Adults $18
Youth (3-17) $13
Children (Under 2) Free

Current Exhibition:

Mummies of the World

• Adults $11.95
• Youth (3-17) $9.95
• Children (Under 2) Free

Dorrance Planetarium

• Adults $9
• Youth (3-17) $8
• Children (Under 2) Free

Irene P. Flinn Giant Screen Theater

• Adults $7.95
• Youth (3-17) $6.95
• Children (Under 2) Free

Parking at the Arizona Science Center:

Parking is located between 5th and 7th Street on Washington Street in Heritage Square. The entrance is accessible from Heritage Square, facing Monroe Street. Please park in the Heritage and Science Park Garage on 5th Street and Monroe Street. Arizona Science Center offers parking validation which discounts the cost of parking. Parking validation is available at the Information Zone, General Admission, and the Membership Zone.

My friend and I had an amazing time walking through the Arizona Science Center. I enjoy science centers and I really looked forward to my visit. The Arizona Science Center was gracious to host my visit while in Phoenix. As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you for a great time exploring your wonderful center.