CHECK IT OUT! This museum is on the small side but my kids were still not ready to leave after 3 hours! Its full of active play opportunities, so dont expect to be passively entertained by videos or shows. One side of the building has craft stations (make a paper doll or a cardboard house), giant versions of games like Scrabble and Connect Four, and hands-on activities like building marble mazes (which my 11 year old loved), gears, and wooden book castle building. The craft supplies were well-stocked and staff made the rounds picking up regularly. This side also has clean restrooms and a small cafe area with vending machines. The middle has a small store, then the other side has a large play area that is socks only (so make sure to take some or buy some at their store for $1-$2 a pair) with a soft block building area, pretend store and restaurant, a small stage to put on a performance, a room for painting, a giant light-brite, and a small toddlers-only play area. This area is designed for kids 4 and under, but older kids are allowed. My 7 year old had a lot of fun playing along side the younger kids. Based on other reviews, I expected parking to be a pain, but theres a large free public lot across the street and street parking on the entire block. The staff was excellent! Shout out to Veronica at the front desk for taking the time to explain their reciprocity program (we are members of another science center out of state which earned us 50% off their $9 a person admission) and how becoming a member would save us money at other local museums. We will be back!

What a wonderful place for kids! Also a great place for adults to be kids with their kids. We had so much fun exploring, creating and playing. Even my teenagers got into the fun. A great place to bring the kids again and again.

My kids (6, 4, & 2) had a blast here! We spent almost three hours playing and exploring. We were in the little kids area to begin with for quite sometime. All three ages had fun the both sides of the museum though. We got there about 1pm on a Wednesday and there were not very many people there so parking was easy and we could enjoy all the activities. My kids love making crafts and there was no lack of crafting materials. Everything was done professionally and with kid safety in mind.Pricing was a little high if you’re just going once. We are from out of town so a membership didn’t make sense for us, however, if we lived in the area we certainly would have bought one because membership is worth the price of being able to go back repeatedly. I know we would go back many times if we lived there.There is a dining room that has a couple of vending machines but they do not have a cafe so you’ll want to bring something to eat if you’re going to be there for awhile.

We went to the IDEA museum to see their Junk Yard Jungle exhibit. It was amazing! Artists constructed works out of basically - junk! They were so well done and creative. It was a delight to see each different interpretation of how to utilize throw away items and make them into beautiful works of art. We were enamored by both the creativity and skill of each artist. Well worth the $9 entry fee. We were two adults with art interests so we didnt partake in all of the kid activities. I can see where it would be a great place for families to come and get some hands on interaction with all of the engaging options that they offer. It was relatively clean for a kid friendly place. A fun time!

The other part of the museum, children can make houses out of recycled material, dress up like construction workers (hard hat and tool belts) and build things and become engineers. Every part of this museum allows children to explore and be kids. As a teacher it was wonderful to have my students be allowed to make crafts and use virtual reality technology. When children do not want to leave you know this is an awesome museum.

This place is beyond wonderful! We have seen the locations evolution through various stages over the years, and the IDEA museum is the best yet. Both my children adore both sides of the museum. The right-hand side soft play land and smaller kids area is always clean, well-maintained and so well-curated. The left-hand side with its rotating exhibits and engaging layout is perfect for the older kids, up to a surprisingly big-kid age. The staff are so sweet, friendly and helpful; and the price is absolutely amazing for what you get. The value of a family membership is simply outstanding! Thank you for providing this lovely place for our local community.

I have been here a couple of times and cannot say enough,how wonderful this place is to go for a couple hours. You cant beat the price- there are even discounted days occasionally. Kids can explore and express themselves through play and through art projects here. There is also always a very cool exhibit along with works of art and a lot of thinking outside the box! Make sure to wear socks for the play side of museum. Also, there isnt really any food, drink or vending to speak of. Great for an hour or two to have fun with your kids!

While the museum appears to be geared toward younger children, my kids enjoyed the crafts. It was fairly busy the day we went, but it kept us out of the heat and was free with the pogo pass. The staff was great. This is a 1-2 hour stop. Lastly, I was surprised at how many parents did not clean up after their children in the crafting area. Don’t be one of “those” people.

The children Loved it! Affordable & educational FUN!

Perfect for kids 1-4. The soft blocks were a blast. My two year old and I built huge towers and tipped them over onto eachother. We made lunch in the kitchen and aye our vegetables on the patio of the play house. We wrote a note to mom on the giant light board and turned ALL the gears. Dr. Cam Jam checked the heart rate and x-ray for spot. We also made a cardboard house at the craft table.

Our boys ages 2-8 enjoyed visiting. Good variety of activities for both our art lover and budding engineers. We will be coming back.

Great place for children to enjoy and have fun but some facilities were harmful for children.

This place is great. The kids get to socialize which each other, lots of activities to work on, gets your creative juices flowing and encourages sharing and meeting new friends.

I really like this place and its concept. My one and biggest issue is the baby area. They need to change the requirements for entry to age vs height. Their height requirements allow 3 and 4 yr olds into the baby area when it is supposed to be for babies and early walkers. Yes, part of this is parents not caring/being aware. If your child can run, they are too big for the baby area.

Absolutely TERRIBLE and a waste of time! Everything was runned down and old. They ran out of activity pamphlets, stickers for the weather exhibit and NOTHING WORKED. It was dirty and filthy. I couldn’t even spend 30 min in there before we left. SO SO GROSS. Never going back.

Great spot for creative kids! always something to do and see and learn. i would guess its geared towards the more younger kids, but all ages can find something to do and have a fun time.

My daughter LOVED this place. It has a large area full of different size soft blocks right when you walk in. There is a giant Lite-Brite board, a fake vets office complete with ten different cat and dog stuffed animals to use as patients, an exam table, and a board to put up the pets x-rays. There is a stage area with curtains, seating, costumes, and musical instruments, and an arts and crafts room. And thats just on the little kids (0-4 yo) side! There is also a nice private nursing room with some toys for entertaining an older brother or sister and a nice chair for mom. Lots of activities, including a black light room with a desert camping scene, on the big kids side. We had such a great time, we are getting a membership!

We love the idea museum. I have two children 6 years apart and they both have a blast. I’m really considering getting a membership for them. It’s small but there is so much to do there to keep busy and they sanitize and clean periodically through the day of play. It is geared towards younger kids but it is a great day of sensory play, learning through exploring and imaginative play. Total win!

My 7 and 3 year olds had a lot of fun. Educators get free admission. Well worth the price.

This museum is very small and when one area is closed it’s pretty much a waste of time and money. For another $6 you’re better off heading downtown to the Phoenix Children’s Museum. This place is probably great for younger children and worth the money when every exhibit is open. I would not pay full price if any of the areas are closed.

I love this place. Its great to see kids appreciate art & science.

First time we came our son didnt want to leave so we became annual members that day.. We go almost every Sunday to play and do crafts together.. Love Artville!

Love the annual pass! It pays for itself in just a few visits. I came here with my 16 month old and she loved the young kid section, including the big blocks, kitchen area, the arts station, and the various lights and fun music. This is a wonderful place to come to get out of the heat! REMEMBER YOUR SOCKS! There is a cafeteria area where you can eat your packed lunch or snacks to keep those little ones energized. There are vending machines but no hot food for sale.

This place is Amazing! Great deal on admission for all they offer! All employees are exceptionally friendly! Kids imaginations are definitely important to this place!

This place is fantastic! They have so many activities to inspire children and get their little brains thinking. From crafts, to learning games, engaging technology, to playrooms your kids will be entertained for hours. Some of the details, such as the stamp stations really round out the experience. A 5 Star experience is unfortunately not a possibility. Most times I visit The snack area is so packed it becomes an overwhelming experience. A family restroom would make a lot of sense. Lastly the play area quickly turns into survival of the biggest and rowdiest. Watch your kids closely as many parents don’t watch theirs at all. At best you come during a slower time, but during the summer those times are few and far between. My issues here are small and a bit nit picky. I was tempted to give it a 5, but because I have run into some frustrations (not always their fault) on each trip I simply couldn’t. Overall your kids will love it, you will enjoy it, and don’t forget to bring your socks!

Not a museum in my understanding but rather play rooms for little kids. Not bad for hot days, kids enjoyed it but the museum across the road is much better and informative.

Great place to take little kids. Their exhibits are always changing and its so nice that they have a little play area in the snack room. We always end up spending at least a couple hours there so the membership is totally worth it for us.

Great place to take kids. Staff is family friendly and so is the museum. Kids of all ages are welcomed. I love the idea museum!

I took my sister here last week and she loved it! We will be coming here again soon.

We were visiting from out of town so decided to take our 3 year old for a fun activity place. Nothing is special about this place. It wasn’t free Sunday as other reviews posted and a late Sunday afternoon turned busy quickly. Most of the toys are wore out or broken. They have a variety of things to do but none is actually in good shape. Even lego blocks. Musical instrument section (performing arts) barely had three things. The place wasn’t super clean. But all in all it is just lacking. Not a lot of toys to play with.My biggest gripe was probably admission. It is $9 for a ticket and adults have to pay. We knew that going in but given the condition of the place, it is totally not worth it. My wife and I basically had to pay $18 for just me and her to watch our toddler (another $9) play with some broken toys.The arts and craft sections are also just a sham. One section is similar to what they do during the day at any decent day care so weren’t interested. The other section had cut card boxes which was basically junk.Just a waste of a day and money. Final advice, find something else to do.

Perfect for 1-4 yr olds in the summer. Large indoor play center for this age range with many different activities. Older kids enjoy the other side of the building and explore hands on activities. My kids are older and spent about 2 hrs exploring the different stations.

This place is a fantastic place to escape the summer heat. My toddler has so much fun here and seems to discover something new every time. We bought a seasonal membership and it’s already paid for it self! Great deal. The only downside is that it can get quite busy, when I first discovered it there was almost no one ever there, but now we have to be strategic on what times and days we go to avoid a crowd. That’s okay, I won’t fault them for being popular!

We came for what we were told was in Painting class. It was a piece of construction paper some crappy sponge rollers with some really awful paint and a few alphabet letters scattered on the table. This was not challenging to my foreign a half year-old at all it was a piece of construction paper some crappy sponge rollers with some really awful paint and a few alphabet letters scattered on the table. This was not challenging to my foreign a half year-old at all. We were also not told that you require socks and so we had to purchase them from the store. I had asked many questions when I called as I was looking for a fun and challenging activity for my granddaughter. I would not recommend this place to anybody it’s mostly just kids running around and playing in a room that really is exact we were also not told that you require socks and so we had to purchase them from the store. I had asked many questions when I called as I was looking for a fun and challenging activity for my granddaughter. I would not recommend this place to anybody it’s mostly just kids running around and playing in a room that really isnt that clean or challenging.

Fun, small museum. Theres a lot for younger kids to just roam around. My kids love the hands-on craft area!

My 3 year old loved it! I would caution if you have a younger child to keep watch over them because the older kids can play rough. I wont lower the star number though because the museum cant control every kids actions.We will be back! :)

Great activites for children, hours of fun!

Before paying for admission, guest services should really tell you that there are only two sections to this museum. They said, the rest of the museum is under construction. One part is an art section that has a bunch of scrap material and that was about it. If your child is not a fan of this, well there isnt much else. The other section, they said is for 4 and under and has a little more with tiny kitchen area and plastic blocks to build. There was a painting area where the staff also made a big deal about 1 piece of paper per child. It was half of a faded construction paper and this boy wanted to paint another picture for his sister, but the lady would not give in. She kept repeating the museum policy and his crying didnt get her to change her mind. How sad.I was very under whelmed and really wished we went to the Natural Museum down the street. It really was not worth what I paid for.

I have 3 littles (ages 7, 6, and 1). Weve been several times since living here, and so far, theyve really enjoyed the i.d.e.a. Museum. Parking is a bit hectic, but that kinda comes with the location. Staff are hit and miss as far as professionalism and friendliness goes. But if you notice an area needs more supplies or you need help with something, just ask. Hopefully you get the friendly and professional ones! ;) You do need to have socks in the toddler area (even adults). And they recommend that you only take toddlers in...but Im not going to let my older kids run around unattended elsewhere, so we just all go in together. I highly recommend going in a pair or group, that way kids can split up with adult supervision at all times and toddlers can stay in the toddler area where they have free reign. I also wouldnt recommend a membership unless you REALLY love it. We just use our 2 times a year with the POGO pass and that seems to work out just fine.

My nephew loved this place. He didnt want to leave and already asked to go back. Its not a big place but there are interactive things for the kids to do. I dont know how older kids would like it. My nephew is 6.

We started going here with a young toddler and kids every 2 years older than that. My oldest is now 12 and still had fun with his friend. Theres enough to do that we usually miss something each time. Kids can spend several hours here. Finally tried the cafe here for the first time too. It was delicious. If you get a membership, dont forget to use your sky cycle passes, and put your guest passes in a safe place until use. Im always losing those things! We never get around to the the Create Studio in the separate building. Its for older children so we didnt get in the habit when I had toddlers but it looks like great fun. Also wished I remembered that you get some discounts and some free tickets on other museums through membership.

Great place if you have a membership. My 6 and 1 year old enjoy the museum well enough. Especially during the summer when its too hot for a regular park. I prefer this museum over the one in Phoenix since it is less crowded, and closer to my house. I would not drive across town for this museum, but if you live close it is worth the money you save in gas and membership cost.

We cant get enough of the IDEA museum! I am continually amazed at the creative ideas they have for activities. We spent 4 hours there today in one section! I love that the activities are all STEAM based.

My little ones could spend hours and hours here. Perfect for families with younger children.

Cute place and fun ideas. Weve been here a few times and it seems like theyre not keeping up with things. A lot of broken items. And the price went up. Its always so crowded too. Fun to come to once in awhile.

I wouldn’t waste your money here. I went on the free Sunday and it was a waste of time. So dirty. Old supplies left out. Broken things laying around. Make sure you bring money for the gift shop they sell socks for you to access one of the exhibits and don’t tell you ahead of time. (Great way for them to take more money from you to help fund a dirty broken museum) Not impresses at all. Very sad.

Took my 18 month grandson there. It is definitely a place for younger kids under 6, and a nice place to play inside out of the heat. But they let older kids play and it ruins it for the younger ones. The older kids dominate the funner toys and dont share well. I noticed parents of the younger kids are there to supervise but the older kids have no supervision.

We could have easily spent 5-6 hours just playing and creating here - the only reason for the less than average rating is due to an immediate need for them to address some safety issues, proper storage of banquet tables and lack of professionalism shown by one particular employee.We were in the room with the Dry-Erase board, near the Snackery Room, playing with the wood blocks on the mat when my 1yr old nephew got up and toddled over to the wall -about 3 away - where 3-4 banquet tables were leaned up on the wall - he did nothing more than just barely touch the first table and it came down on top of him pinning him to the floor, legs underneath and the back of head hitting the hard concrete floor - all this in a matter of a few seconds and before I could get up to get to him - This easily could have resulted in broken legs or a cracked head, and I truly thank God, it did not. Accidents WILL happen in an environment like this, but this one was totally preventable and should not have happened.A female employee entered the room shortly after and asked if there was a problem. I told her what happened and suggested how dangerous it was to have tables propped up like that in a room full of children playing, to which she replied its never been a problem before in a not-so-very-nice manner, as if reprimanding me or making me feel like this was my fault - to which 2 other adult women in the room also very kindly, yet firmly, advised her this should not have happened.The employee, unwillingly, moved the tables behind the black curtain storage area, where they stuck out and was another accident waiting to happen - PLEASE, IDEA Museum Management, address the safety issue of your storage issue IMMEDIATELY before another incident happens and a little one is seriously hurt. Not once did this staff member show concern for my little guy or suggest reporting this or doing anything further.Even though we discovered later that my camera broke when I dropped it trying to get to him quickly, its replaceable and of no concern. Of GREAT concern is the safety of all children visiting the IDEA museum, and knowing your staff has their best interest at heart - the employee involved in this definitely did not.It was not until another employee, with a super pleasant attitude, asked us how our visit was just before our departure much later - that it was suggested we complete an incident report after telling her what happened. Though requested at the front desk, the cashier was unable to find a form. Its not my nature to file a public complaint, especially when the IDEA Museum is someplace I can see bringing my little nieces and nephews for creative time for a few years to come. But not having the ability to reach anyone in person on the phone, I feel no other option, as I want all little ones to be safe as possible while playing and learning in this super neat creative environment.

We visited with our 6 year old grandson. My husband and I and our and our grandson had a great time overall. One recommendation would be to limit the number of children in the sock area, especially on Sundays.

A pretty small museum but a lot of activities,and the Artvile has a place for little kids to play.

This is a fun and quirky place to let kids create and explore. Most of the crafts are simple and made from materials that would otherwise be thrown out. There are also areas with building crafts and themed crafts. Overall this is a very small place, not anywhere near the scale of the Childrens Museum or Arizona Science Center, but it is inexpensive and a good place to spend twonor theee hours with your kids.

My children (3 and 6) absolutely love this place... and I do too! They are able to have fun, be creative and learn something new. Im grateful for the hands-on experiences this museum provides! We have been coming here for the past 3-4 years and feel the cost is quite reasonable compared to the overpriced Childrens Museum in downtown Phoenix. --- To the woman who mentioned the bathrooms... there are actually family / kid size bathrooms in the little kid play area. And, there are restrooms on the other side of the building as well. They are in two separate locations, making it quite convenient for potty training! :) --- Have fun creating new memories!

Called before ahead of time to ask questions about the museum not once did they tell me I had to have socks to go into the toddler section. Yea you can purchase socks there for $2 thats a good way to get people money! Live 30min away have to go back home to get socks, yea I could have bought the socks but the point is I was never told over the phone.

My family and I enjoyed our trip (ages 5, 4 & 1), but I feel the museum isnt worth the overpriced admission. The little kids area is amazing, but the bathrooms are located on the opposite side of the building (not great for potty training) and they dont have any family bathrooms. Stroller parking, but no family/little kid bathrooms.

There is so much to do here! Nursing room incl. Also has multiple restrooms and drinking fountains. They need more healthy food options here.

This place is for probably 4 years old or older, except for their playroom. Which is perfect for my two year old. With the membership this is an excellent place to escape the summer heat.

My 3 year old loves it here, dress up pretend, iPads with drawing games, a whole soft play room with so much to do! I think I enjoyed myself as much as the kids. Would definitely recommend to people with kids under 8

Cute place.. very small. I doubt we’d ever come back. Doesn’t offer much unless you want to do crafts

Great place to go with the family

We LOVE the IDEA Museum!My kids could spend hours just playing in the free play area with the foam building blocks, the giant light bright, play house with fully stocked kitchen, garden area, stage with dress-ups, and hand puppet theatre. Theres also an area with a very low wall to put your little ones in, so they can roam and have fun without being under foot of the older children.But in addition to that, they have art and craft exhibits, and an area with a themed exhibit that changes every few months.Its a great place to buy a year pass to, because its a nice, cool place to take the kids to play during the summer, and every few months you can go to their changing exhibit (or more, if your kid really likes the topics - the three weve been to are bugs, robots, and travel/vacation).

This is just pure fun with creativity. So much to do. Purchased a membership today, so we can go free everyday, if I wanted to. My 4yr old has a blast making art projects, painting. Today we made a little funny monster. Goooooo, & have a blast. ****Be sure to take socks for EVERYONE, & you can even take your lunch in.

Maybe this is a better place to visit when theres not a special event. Museum staff blamed PBS and vice versa for not being able to say hello to Daniel Tiger. Waited outside in line and then inside in line. No communication from PBS or museum staff. Kudos to the executive director for giving me a refund.

SO overpriced!!! Thankfully we used our pogo passes for 4 of us but we paid for 1 of our kids who doesnt have a pass. Admission is $8 per person. Its literally a craft place, thats it. My kids were bored right away and were asking to leave. Apparently theres also an exhibit but theyre in between right now so it was closed. We told the girl at the front that we were disappointed and she refunded our money. So glad we didnt pay to go here but its still a bummer. This shouldnt be called a museum. :(

We went to the museum with our twin girls(18 months old )and 5 year old boy. We had good and bad experience.We had to stand in a long line to get in the Artfield and had to wait about 45 mins to go inside.Also my wife waited with one twin in the line while I was taking care of other twin and 5 year kid. Also it was very warm to stand in the line.When she went inside one lady in green tshirt didnt allow the other twin to go inside.She told there are other people waiting .My poor little girl couldnt go and enjoy with her sister. I would request the management to give some good training to their staff standing at the entrance so that such behavior wont be repeated.l.Kids below 6 years will have good time in Artfield and also in construction area.

The parking was good, and the workers there were nice and friendly. The activities there were really fun, and I enjoyed my time there.

It was a little smaller than I expected n wish they had a few more of some toys like the musical instruments. But my kids had fun and it was clean.

I went here today with my daughter and her 3 kids - two boys, (7 & 6) and 3 year old daughter. Although the concept of the museum is great, I was very disappointed. The dry eraser markers didnt work, there were very little props to use at each station such as monster tails for the shadow station, costumes (my grandson didnt want to use any because they smelled) for the green screen station and the pvc/ball drop (I forgot its name) station had missing parts or something as we couldnt get it to work very well.I dont think I will be returning.

I and my kids loved it! My 8 year old said it was great, 6 year old said it was awesome and my 4 year old said YAY!

Great for kids up to 12. Older kids may get bored quick. Lots of different activities. Prepare to spend 1 - 1.5 hours.

Had a blast on Sunday with my kids. This is perfect for younger kids. My toddler thoroughly enjoyed all the fun especially the huge graffiti room and the play kitchen.

Children’s Museum of Phoenix215 N 7th St, Phoenix, AZ 85034Childrens MuseumHeather Parsons429 points3 minutes agoDEFINFITELY CHECK THIS PLACE OUT!!!!! This museum is an AMAZING place to experience for children of ALL ages - even that inner child inside all us adults that we pretend not to have will be wanting to interact in all the hands on fun! The overall layout of the museum is basically separated into two sides. One side features multiple interactive, hands on learning/creating/playing station exhibits. From giant sized (kid-safe) building blocks complete with construction worker uniforms, hard hats, and tool belts to wear while assembling whatever the imagination can dream up in the form of building blocks, to technology savvy, user-friendly interactive computer touch screens displaying educational games to play, or art stations set up to allow that creative artistic side flow! Those examples truly dont even scratch the surface of all that is available to do and play with for EVERYONE at ANY age! The other side is an entire cityscapes jungle gym playground complete with a storytime puppet theater, squishy foam life size block pillows for building or burying with, and several stations sporting differing themes per each one - theres a library, a cafe/grocery store, a science lab, etc. To experience this place properly for all the fun available to be had, plan on at least spending a minimum of 4 hours there. Youll wanna stay longer, trust me! Lastly, every staff member working there show an infinite amount of skill in compassion, kindness, patience, professionalism, and a true talent/desire in being available to help and keep watch over all the little ones. They are all clearly on duty to ensure the kiddos are taken care of and that all family members have fun. THIS PLACE IS A DO NOT MISS FOR SURE!

Event days like family day gives lots more activity to do than the normal stuff. Bring socks so you dont have to buy any when you get here for the kids activities area.

The idea museum is a bad idea for smaller children. I have a 2 year old and A 4 year old and we were scolded several times just for them playing. Im not one of those parents who think my kids are perfect but they might have told me at the front that this place is not for little kids. Also, there is a huge part of the very small Museum that everyone must have socks to enter. The only way I would have known that is by looking closely at their website before I came. Sure you can buy socks in the gift shop but I dont need socks thank you very much. The only good thing was they did give me my money back when I asked for it. I thought it was a little strange that they didnt even ask why I wanted my money back. We wont be going back here.

The children had a lot of fun.

Be sure to bring socks for your kids AND for yourself if you plan on entering Artville (fun area to your right when you come in).Otherwise, you have to buy socks there.Artville is a kids favorite in the museum.Double-check and Triple-check before you go if an exhibit is on, otherwise a huge part of the museum (which is already pretty small per se!), plus a fun room called Blacklight Room, will not be accessible. No discount is offered when they arent. Today, even the outdoor space with nice trees was blocked off to prep for the next exhibit.Teenagers who work there could be more informed about how stuff at the museum works. Young lady at entrance counter could be nicer.

I agree that the adult admission should be free, but for my family it was worth a membership. My daughter is almost two and she loves this place! She is an only child so I see this as a way for her and I to get out of the house and interact with other kids, more like an educational play place than a museum really but still really great. She loves the blocks and giant kitchen and since she is so young I love the crafts. I can make something with her in her two second attention time span. My only complaint is that they have one employee who is always grouchy, rude and uptight...not a personality for someone working with kids.

This place is a scam.. how is this a museum?? Your local mall probably has an indoor play area that is free.. that is one half of the museum called Artville ??? The other half is basically a large hall with scissors glue and markers. . And a few IPADs stuck to the walls. The day we went there was no exhibit .. so cant say what that would have been like.. but if this is a childrens museum.. then my living room is the smithsonian.

Place was packed none of my kids had fun maybe better for the younger ones ..... Half the muesam was closed would not recommend for children over 5

Interactive, fine art, for kids - thats what it is. Why would anyone expect passive entertainment?

Per square foot, not as entertaining as the Phoenix Childrens Museum. We Culture Passed this one. My 2 and 4 year old loved the foam block play area and my oldest found some magnets to play with, but other than that, they skipped through the rest of the areas.

Awful place. Four school buses came in and they totally ran amuck and took over entire place. In the under 4 area too many kids over 4 not being supervised and allowed to just run over the young kids. Once the bus loads of kids got done with the art projects there was no way we could do any because the tables of supplies were trashed.

This place is Amazing! If you want a break from chasing your kids around the house or from a hot park this is the place to go. We signed up when our daughter was 18 months old because she needed to interact with more little people her age, glad we did, she loves other kids now and is not so timid around strangers anymore, her speech has improved as well as being nice to kidsThe building is split into 2 areas, older kids and small ones, we have gone to the older kids side a few times however it is not the reason we signed up, if you were to just come for the big kid side with projects and learning exhibits a once a month visit would suffice. They change the theme on the big kid side every few months, currently underwater themed, they even Bring in Moon Mermaid to interact with the kids and show them that magic is real :) last exhibit was trains and that was a big hit with the thomas the train kids, I think creativity, doodling was the previous theme. Its always changing and a great place for the kidsThe little people side is like what grandmas house is but larger and filled with more awesome toys. Its gated and a socks only area with cubby holes for shoes and space to stick diaper bags. The large entry area has foam blocks to build forts with, practice your climbing techniques on and to jump into. The outer rooms are split, reading room, kitchen, garden, building room/lite bright, hand puppet room, dress up room, arts and crafts room, and a baby pen.The baby pen is a 20x20 area with walls and padded floor to stick small ones while their toddling counterparts play.The building room has a 5 ft tall light bright by 15 feet long, some sections are tough to insert the pegs but if you move to another area you should find a small child friendly location. Wooden building blocks, legos, lots of fun for the small builder to play with.The Kitchen is awesome, lots of food and cooking implements for pretend food, We were going twice a week for 6 months and we would see them cleaning the stuff at least once a week, they probably cleaned it on other days, Its nice to know they sanitize with so many little hands everywhere.I support this place and everything they do for the little people, I will continue to bring my daughter here until she tells me she doesnt want to go anymore.If you get there at opening its super nice and relaxing and families start to trickle in, about 10 its super busy and children are flying around like madmen, it slows down around noon for lunch break and picks back up around 1 to 130, in my experience its nicer when its quieter and slowly builds up so you can handle it and the energy of 50 kids running around

Participating in the program museum for all, so they give you a discount if you have a Ebt card, it was smaller than what I thought, they have a lot of activities but for small kids in my opinion, my 10 year old got bored too soon...

Not impressed. I took my six year old over Winter Break. The museum area was chaos. There were lots of craft areas, but impossible to find the needed materials. Not a lot of options/displays to actually learn things in a fun way. I used to come here as a kid and its not what I remembered. The six year old went over to the Artville area after wandering the other side for all of five minutes. He had a blast in the Artville, but for $16 ($8 each), I could have just let him play at the park or McDonalds for free. I wish there was more of a learning/museum factor to the place, but he had fun at least.

Beat the summer heat at an affordable price. Kiddo had a blast!

Not that good as expected…

My kids (1 yo & 4yo) love artville. They can run around, make a mess and nothing can hurt them.

Great idea for kids and teenagers with playground at place

Perfect for children, son had a blast and its CLEAN

Great place for little ones who just started walking

Awesome kid to adult friendly activities and cool as heck

We have been attending the IDEA Museum for well over five years when it was still the Arizona Museum for Youth (AMY).The kids never get enough time building, making puppet shows, dressing up, making music, and pretending in Artville. The rotating exhibits are interesting and carefully chosen. The black light room is awesome! As far as learning value, my children love exploring all there is to do. And Im generally amazed at the creative work that goes into each exhibit.This is truly a place to play together with your child.I have to comment on the disappointing reviews Ive read. Perhaps these people are expecting to be entertained? Museums are about learning. The IDEA Museum is all about imagination and creation as well. Usually my kids are wailing if I try to leave before about two hours. Weve never lacked for something fun to do!There are childrens restrooms with tiny toilets in the back of artville as well as a nursing/ changing room. Im not sure how others have missed it. My only problem with it is that theres no gate between artville and the hallway of restrooms. The doors are not self-closing. My friends and I have made repeated requests about this. Im afraid a toddler is going to drown in the toilet before they do something about this one. So watch your little ones who like water like a hawk in artville!

Really hands on. A little over priced. Should be more like $5 IMO. There should be a discount for adults at least, my wife just nursed our infant but we still had to pay for her to just be there. My 3 yr old LOVED the projects FYI, bring socks for the east side of the building play area. If you CCW or OC they have lock boxes while youre there. Ask for the key at the front desk. They just need to hold your DL. I wish more GFZs were this easy.

We werent quite sure what to expect before coming, but were glad we came. Family of 6, with 4 kids ranging from 12 to 5 years.It was a little boring for our 12-year-old at first, but then Mom and Dad got involved with drawing some fun things with her and she started letting her silly side out.The lego movie station was especially enjoyable. Just an Ipod mounted to a station with a lego-building platform in front of it, but we had a great time with it.The only reason I gave 4 instead of 5 stars is because we couldnt reach anyone on any of the phone numbers on their site. Even the number that was supposed to have a recorded message have us a message saying that the number was wrong or something.

Very small only 2 sections also make sure bring socks or else you cant even go to one of the sections just another way for them to pocket money!

Overall, I was disappointed and expected a lot more. There are a bunch of Arts and Crafts stations, which my five and six year olds quickly burned out on. The train exhibition held their attention for about five minutes. My two and a half year old was bored throughout.The foam play area was much more entertaining to all three of them, but on a crowded day, it would be a nightmare. I appreciate the socks only policy in that area, but it was not at all routinely enforced, and I say countless moms coming out with shoes on.I dont feel the price is worth the attractions, especially considering adults have to pay too. For $16 for our adults, let alone the $24 for the kids, I could have gone to the store and for $40 bought more than what was on hand here, and had stuff at home to use again and again; and the Play Place at Chick-fil-A or McDonalds is just as good, or better, than the ArtVille area at I.D.E.A.

My review of: I.D.E.A. MuseumIve been going to this museum for 8 years. Ive seen the changes and transformations into the great museum that it is now. Some of the art supplies I could have at my house but there are some that I do not. I love relaxing in the extra cool interior of this museum. My children get to socialize as well as create fun masterpieces and I get to chill.Out side there is a music garden. The sculptures of xylophones, drums and chimes are actually in tune and are not just noise makers. So walking up to this place is very peaceful and beautiful. I love the wind mobile at the end by the street.Inside the museum splits into 2 sections. Left is the main museum. With an Art hub, a table filled wit creativity supplies, a still life table, Disco DJ music station, blacklight room, and a Snackery with more giant bean bags & building blocks for kids to relax on while they enjoy snacks from the vending machines. Restrooms and water fountains are just out side the door. And there is the special gallery that changes every few months. There is access to the enclosed courtyard during midday for outdoor activities. Its a great place to let your kids get out the wiggles.Separate on the Museums right side is ArtVille, the Toddler 4 and younger themed zone with play stations of theater, puppet show, block building, kitchen, garden, living room and art studio. There is a family bathroom, as well as a boys, & girls restroom and a mothers room with rockers, changing tables with their own sink and clean up counter. Artville is truly set up with the family in mind. Older siblings are allowed as long as they are respectful and careful of the younger kids.

We love the infant messy creations class.

Great place for younger kids

This place is great for babies and toddlers!

Better to go to a park with your kids.