A hands-on science museum in downtown Phoenix and a Pal Place. Sensory Backpacks with fidgets, a stress ball and noise-minimizing headphones are free to borrow, first come, first served, with a photo ID, and a Pal video and digital guide show the visit ahead of time.
Sensory supports. Free Sensory Backpacks, Pal guide, some open Mondays.
Hours
Tuesday through Sunday, 10:30 am to 4 pm. Closed Mondays, except these open Mondays: December 28, 2026 (Snow Week); January 18, 2027 (MLK Day); February 15, 2027 (Presidents Day); March 1, 8, 15 and 22, 2027 (Spring Break); March 29, 2027 (Easter Monday); May 31, 2027 (Memorial Day); July 5, 2027 (Independence Day). Closed Thanksgiving (Thursday, November 26, 2026) and Christmas Day (Friday, December 25, 2026). Members can come in early, from 9:30 am, on Saturday and Sunday.
“Sensory Backpacks are available for guests to borrow at no cost on a first-come, first-served basis. Included in each kit are items to fidget, stress ball, and noise-minimizing headphones. All you need is a photo ID!” azscience.org
“Some exhibits, like the sneezing nose and Immersion Theater, can make sudden noises. Bring headphones, if needed.”
“Weekdays after 1 pm and mornings on weekends can be quieter. Free days are very crowded and wait times can be long.”
The center is a Pal Place. Its Pal video walks through a whole visit from start to finish, and the Pal digital guide breaks the visit into six steps; its Things to know step covers important tips, access to the quiet room, and staying with your grown-ups. Watch them together before you go.
Dorrance DOME shows may contain flashing lights or patterns that could trigger photosensitive reactions; the center says viewer discretion is advised. Once a show begins, late entry may be restricted.
The elevators have an audible signal: one ding going up, two dings going down.
For a full-size copy your child can use, open this page at squaredsteps.com, tap Make it yours, then print.
More about Arizona Science Center
Louder, in the Pal guide's words
The sneezing nose and the Immersion Theater (the Pal guide says these exhibits can make sudden noises)not stated
General Admission: Adult $22.95; Students, Military, Seniors (62+) $20.95; Child (3 to 17) $16.95. General Admission is exclusively available for in-person purchase. The Discovery Pass adds one Dorrance DOME screening, one Giant Screen film and the traveling exhibition: Adult $35.95; Students, Military, Seniors (62+) $33.95; Child (3 to 17) $29.95. Daytime DOME shows are $7 for members and $14 for non-members, plus the cost of admission, and run about 30 minutes on average.
Admission tickets are non-refundable after purchase, and show and event purchases are final sale. If a ticket was bought by mistake, contact the center before your visit; a refund or credit may be considered. For a show, if there is space, the center may let you move to another showing the same day; to ask about another date, email help@azscience.org ahead of time (rescheduling is subject to availability).
Museums for All: EBT cardholders (SNAP or TANF, 18 and older) get general admission for $5 per person for themselves and up to three others. Show a current EBT card and a valid photo ID at check-in at the Admission Zone. It is only for regular daytime hours, not for separately ticketed special events, not combined with other offers, and not for advance or pre-purchased tickets. Senior Sundays: on the first Sunday of every month, seniors 65 and older get free general admission; bring a driver's license, passport or ID card.
Parking: the Heritage and Science Park Garage is at the southeast corner of North Fifth Street and East Monroe Street. Bring your parking pass to the help desk by the front door or to the admissions zone to have it validated for a discounted rate (only at that garage). The center lists validated rates of free for the first hour, $1 for 1 to 2 hours, $3 for 2 to 3 hours, $5 for 3 to 4 hours and $8 for 4 or more hours, and says prices are subject to change. The garage is run by ACE Parking, and rates and space may vary with downtown events; if it is full, other garages, including the Phoenix Convention Center, may have space (parkphx.com).
The entrance faces Monroe Street, with a rideshare drop-off and pick-up near the entrance on 5th Street. Inside the doors, make an immediate left and go down a low ramp to the lobby.
There are no strollers to rent, but you can bring your own stroller or wagon; two elevators reach every level. Wheelchairs are free to borrow at the Information Zone desk on Level 1, first come, first served and subject to availability, with an ID held until you return the wheelchair.
Food: the MarketCafe is in the lobby. The Pal guide says food and drinks from home can be enjoyed in the cafeteria and water bottles are allowed. Small snacks and drinks are allowed in the Dorrance DOME.
Restrooms: three on Level 1 (between the membership check-in desk and the gift shop, behind the Daniel Cracchiolo Demonstration Stage, and at the east end of the All About Me gallery) and one on Level 3 inside Forces of Nature. Unisex or companion-assisted restrooms are near the main lobby by the membership desk.
Questions about accessibility, or to request accommodations, call 602.716.2000. You can save the map to your phone or pick up a paper map at the front desk.
