Top Things to do in Arizona
The 9 Best Natural History Museums in Arizona, United States
The state of Arizona is one that features a fantastic diversity of landscapes and areas of geological interest. North Arizona is famous for the Grand Canyon, a colorful chasm with steep rocky walls more than a mile deep and stretching some 277 miles alongside the Colorado River. Other notable destinations in North Arizona include Flagstaff set alongside the San Francisco Peaks which has the largest ponderosa pine forest, Museum of Northern Arizona, and is close to a number of national parks and monuments. On the south side of Arizona lies the city of Phoenix, the largest in Arizona. Notable day trips in Phoenix include the Heard Museum which is one of America's largest collections of Native American art, Phoenix Museum of History, as well as the Desert Botanical garden which has a great collection of desert plants.
Restaurants in Arizona
1. Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 8,558 reviews
The renowned Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is everything you could want in a Sonoran Desert adventure! Mostly outdoors and comprised of an AZA-accredited zoo, extensive botanical garden, two art galleries, and a natural history museum, the Desert Museum sits on 98 acres of pristine desert landscape. The Museum showcases the diverse flora and fauna of the Sonoran Desert region, featuring wildlife such as coyotes, javelinas, mountain lions, and bighorn sheep in their natural settings. Bird lovers delight in visiting the Museum's two aviaries, one dedicated to hummingbirds! Kids love the interactive Packrat Playhouse and Stingray Touch exhibits, learning to appreciate our unique environment from a young age. The Museum's gift shops offer an incredible bounty of books, jewelry, crafts, and more. This family-friendly establishment offers something for everyone!
Reviewed By Eiregirl
The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is one of the few "must-see" things that we consistently recommend to *everyone* who visits the area. Young kids, teens, enthusiastic adults, tired/jaded adults, older folks who aren't as spry as they used to be - it's really a place for everyone. The Museum is accessible, welcoming, and it always receives rave reviews across the board from our visitors. Key highlights - --The "Museum" is really a combination of things. It does have indoor exhibits and the hands-on demonstrations that you'll find in other national museums, but that's just a fraction of what it offers. The Desert Museum is also a zoo with over 230 native animals - and it's one of the top-ranked public gardens in the U.S - and there is an aquarium - and a cool raptor area where trainers fly native birds of prey - and outdoor trails, etc. --The Museum setting is gorgeous. It's a short drive west of Tucson over Gate's Pass, and it sits smack in the middle of the Sonoran Desert. Every inch of the place takes advantage of this unique setting, and it's the best place in town to learn more about the surrounding flora & fauna. --The Desert Museum has a team of top-notch scientists on their staff. In addition to their work with public visitors, many of them are also actively engaged in their field's specialty research and/or education. There is always someone out on the museum pathway with an interesting animal, native plant display, or other engaging story/tidbit of new information. (My kids' top memory - a 'scorpion wall' search around dusk.) You know what you see/hear in the Museum is coming from people who know their stuff. Be sure to carve out at least half a day to visit the Desert Museum while you're in the area. It's well worth your time.
2. Arizona State Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 185 reviews
The oldest anthropological museum in the region, the Arizona State Museum has been collecting and interpreting the cultures of the Southwest since 1893.
Reviewed By 251wesleyc - Tucson, United States
Located on the University of Arizona Campus near the Main Gate. A large section of the Museum (Paths of Life) traces the history of 10 indigenous peoples who lived in Arizona and Sonora, Mexico including the Tohono O'odham and Pascua Yaqui tribes which are still present in Pima County. The highlight of the Museum for me was the outstanding collections of Native American pottery & baskets. ASM has over 20,000 baskets and over 20,000 pottery items. Only a small fraction are on display -- the rest are in climate controlled vaults. Non-flash photography is allowed. There is no snack bar/cafe, but there is a very nice gift shop where you can buy authentic Native American art & crafts. Definitely worth a visit!
3. International Wildlife Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 317 reviews
The International Wildlife Museum is dedicated to increasing knowledge of and appreciation for the diverse wildlife of the world, as well as explaining the role of wildlife management in conservation. Founded in 1988, the museum has over 400 kinds of insects, mammals and birds from all over the globe. Some of the collections are more than 100 years old and all the species found at the museum were donated by various government agencies, wildlife rehabilitation centers, captive breeding programs, zoos and individuals. The museum features a collection of animals from all over the world, along with dioramas re-creating the natural environment in which these animals live. Your visit is an excellent opportunity to see animals up close and gain a better understanding of their size and adaptive characteristics. The museum has many touchable specimens on display. All exhibits are indoors and the facility is wheelchair accessible and air-conditioned.
Reviewed By BobKathy - New Orleans, United States
You couldn't ask for a better museum to learn about animals, birds and insects from around the world. The museum has 400 donated specimens that teach you about their color, diet and habitat. People of all ages will enjoy seeing them and learning about them. The dioramas make everything come to life.
4. Verde Valley Archaeology Center
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 56 reviews
Open for Self-Tours. Masks Required. The Verde Valley Archaeology Center is an archaeological research facility located in Camp Verde, Arizona. Our knowledgeable staff and volunteers can provide information on the prehistoric cultures of the area as well as the Native American history of the Verde Valley. We offer guided hiking tours of exclusive historical sites in Sedona and Camp Verde. Visit Montezuma Castle & Well, or Tuzigoot National Monument, with trained archaeology experts. Transportation is provided to and from The Collective on Hwy 179 in the Village of Oak Creek, south of Sedona. Go to our website for more information and to book a tour. Our museum has a wonderful exhibit and display area. On Thursdays and Fridays, the Coconino National Forest Artifact Identification Project Team meets. Docents can give a tour re: Provide interesting history on the artifacts you will see. The Museum and Gift Shop are open 10:00 am to 4:00 pm (closed Sundays, Mondays and Major Holidays).
Reviewed By joannep346 - Sechelt, Canada
We were so happy to find this museum away from the hubbub of a Sedona and the national monuments. Our guide explained all the exhibits, the history and we were so gratful for all the hard work and dedication the museum has put into the exhibit. This would be a wonderful place for kids with the historical society right behind it.
5. Rainbow Forest Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 58 reviews
Reviewed By Susan47421 - Bedford, United States
This is the place to learn more about Petrified Forest National Park from informative displays & helpful employees. Highlights include full size skeletal displays of prehistoric animals, petrified wood & a well stocked gift shop. I was glad our tour included this stop.
6. Meteor Crater & Barringer Space Museum
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 3,737 reviews
Visit the world’s first proven, best preserved meteorite impact site just minutes from Interstate 40 in Northern Arizona near Winslow. Meteor Crater is the breath-taking result of a collision between a piece of an asteroid traveling at 26,000 miles per hour and planet Earth approximately 50,000 years ago. What scientists have learned here has helped them unlock secrets of the formation of our solar system and the universe! New 4D Adventure now open at Meteor Crater! Journey into space on the STS Barringer! Meteor Crater invites young and old on a space flight mission to save the Earth. Join Commander Perseus and First Officer Jackie, as they fly down into the Crater, and then off into space to intersect an asteroid that is on a collision course with Earth. By combining HD film with special effects and full motion seats, guests enjoy a one-of-a-kind 4D experience on an epic journey through space. Located in the Meteor Crater Discovery Center.
Reviewed By LynneA695 - Kansas City, United States
Don’t pay attention to any negative reviews. This Visitor Center is very nice and there is a nice short movie and several hallways with nice displays and history of meteor facts from around the globe and our vast universe. Yes..it is a giant crater in the ground...it is an amazing thing to see when you put humanity and the universe in perspective. We were not able to walk the rim during our visit due to 60-80mph winds, but the outdoor observation area was good enough and proof that we didn’t want to risk being blown off the rim on our visit.
7. Gila Bend Visitor's Center and Museum
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 17 reviews
Reviewed By robbygc - Toronto, Canada
We were lucky. There was a museum and we learned a lot. The Indians first encountered by whites. In the 1850's stock abandoned by emigrants. Early farming in the Gila: Gila is now is now a major agricultural. On September 30,1877, the first locomotive steamed into the Arizona. Gailsen Purchase:The spoils of the victory over Mexicans in 1848. I really liked that museum. Mormon batalion reached California.gold was discovered. Even back then most folks were hurying and chose the risks. There were Rodeos and stagecoaches. There were many vases. In the museum there were many pictures. Oatman Tragedy:Two years were sold to the Mohave and Mary Ann died. At one time there was a drought. Tha Papago were farmers In this city there are petroglyphs. P.S. The visitor Center helped us a lot and he was friendly.
8. Pangaea Land of the Dinosaurs
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 41 reviews
Reviewed By JmR-Marin - Orlando, United States
We were visiting Phoenix and found this place on Tripadvisor it looked fun and was reasonably priced. We found a Groupon and went on a Friday afternoon. the place was very busy but it's a huge place with many obstacle courses and trampoline games. If your in town I definitely recommend visiting this indoor playground, kids from 3 and up will love it.
9. Pinal Geology and Mineral Museum
An educational museum with exhibits about the geology, paleontology, and minerals of Arizona, Pinal County, and beyond.
