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February 2024 by Jiri Sir
Good exhibits for kids, planetarium and large screen theater.
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January 2024 by Jonathan Oner
Very outdated, its like the 1980s in this place. The planetarium was also outdates very blurry and slow.
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January 2024 by Baby-Lin Scofield
We are a family of 4 (kids are currently 12 and 15). I read a lot of these reviews after I purchased our year membership and was concerned about what we might experience.Quick a breakdown of this review:1. Definitely recommend more than a couple of hours to really look and experience everything.2. Saw staff members who were cleaning exhibits, and friendly.3. Some exhibits had broken buttons or missing pieces, but still plenty to do, see and interact with.4. Planetarium is super cold, but still pretty neat.5. If you do the planetarium, be on time.6. Parking across the street is $20, but if you park in the Heritage side, it's discounted. I think the sign said $8 for 4 hours.7. 4/5 stars due to some exhibits needing some attention.Long story:We got there at around 1:30 on a Friday afternoon. There were school buses outside, so I was worried that it was going to be crowded inside, but it wasn't at all actually. The front desk staff were nice and professional. We checked out the Airplane area, which was definitely in need of a face lift. There was a broken machine, and there were no paper clips for part of an experiment. However, it was still fun and we made the best of it. When we walked into this small exhibit, there was a staff member in there cleaning up. We then went to the bubble area which was actually a lot of fun. Both kids and adults were smiling and laughing. Simple fun for sure. From there we checked out the Mission Future 2045. It was interesting, and there was a lot to check out. There was something in here that was down as well. However, there was still quite a bit for us to do and interact with. We had to leave early from this to get to our showing at the Planetarium. We got in and sat down. It was extremely cold in here, so for anyone that gets cold easily, take a second jacket. It was fun and engaging (for what it is). I will say this, the show started about 10 minutes late because they were waiting for other people that had tickets to show up. While I am sure that family appreciated being able to see the show, it was rude to those of us that were in there on time. By the time the show ended, we only had about 20 minutes before the Center closed. That extra 10 minutes could have given us time to check another part out. Please be considerate of others if you are going to take part in the Planetarium. Their time is also important. The gentlemen that ran it was very professional and knowledgeable. Once we left, we only had enough time to use the restrooms and go back into the bubble place for about 5 minutes before their staff started "rounding visitors" (this is what the staff said). They had a neat little machine for cotton candy. Didn't seem like anything was terribly priced. We parked across the street, and driving in we had to pay $20. Once we walked into the Center we noticed signs saying that they validate parking and it would be only $8 for 4 hours (I believe). So next time, we will park in the heritage parking lot.
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January 2024 by steven McCarville
Outdated and very basic
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January 2024 by Alfredo Torres
AVOID! SAFETY HEALTH HAZARD, NOT WORTH THE TIME AND MONEY! After going through ALL the levels of the center, i wanted a refund. most of the machines were outdated, broken, and dirty. employees rude and unhappy to be there.machines were outdated and broken. it made me feel i got ripped off and didnt get my moneys worth. they could at least mention it up front that most machines have a 404 error out of service sign. unfortunately, i didnt read the reviews before going or else i would have avoided this place all together.only working machines were being hogged by the same people/kids. also, as i was doing some of the only available activities kids would come up and touch or take over what i was doing. would not wait for their turn. more of a kids museum/center. nothing here for adults.the store wasnt anything special, just overpriced.Serious health hazard, i saw no employees sanitizing down the machines or even available sanitary wipes. for a child center that involves mostly hands on machines and activities youd at least expect it to to be clean or have wipes to prevent germs and sickness. i noticed another review said they got sick after visiting the center, as did i. i got a cold and an ear infection.my wife and i purchased an extra entry fee for the world record exhibit. the employee taking our payment was not friendly, uninformative, and ignored us for 7 minutes of us standing in front of him waiting to purchase there was no line and he kept ignoring us. he was a younger pale skin gentleman with glasses black short hair. this exhibit was also not worth the extra money.also, was really excited to learn all about Subaru “under the hood” let me tell you. IT WAS RIDICULOUS. it was in a separate building in a small room with only one small display no signs about the engine they had on display no spokesperson ready to inform you about it. half of the other room was filled with screaming children playing with legos. how am i supposed to learn all about the engine with no sign and no people there. i was utterly disappointed and in shock.The Subaru people at the DISPLAY outside did not greet me, just IGNORED me. but greeted all of the white people. maybe they thought i couldn’t afford a car by my skin tone or the way i was dressed.only good thing about this center was reaching the end of it. regardless of the major disappointment we faced with the employees and machines we still wanted to get our moneys worth so we forced ourselves through the whole thing. also, the girl at the general admission maybe Cantonese or Japanese was the only kind and helpful employee we came across.overall not a good time. i spent about 66 dollars for two tickets of general admission and the two extra tickers for the world record exhibit.
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January 2024 by Josh Spiers
Do we fund this place? Probably more than half the exhibits with interactive elements were broken. Broken buttons, missing supplies, etc. And I believe many of the exhibits have been there for years, if not more than a decade. The entry fee is also fairly high to charge residents. Other cities with museums, including world class museums, offer free or discounted entry to residents.
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January 2024 by Lynda Back
So many different activities for kids of all ages. Snow week was amazing! For lunch, Que Sazon is in the same courtyard and delicious!
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October 2023 by Brandi S.
Not all science centers are the same! This one is incredible with how many exhibits and hands-on activities it has. There are 3 parking garages around the science center. Families with small children will have so much fun, but so will tweens and teens! This is a 4 level science center with an option of using an elevator or stairs. Each level has a restroom and water station. There is a live demonstration on Level 2, which was super informative! Adult ticket prices are $15 after 1 pm for a limited time (the website didn't specify when this would expire so call ahead). Highly recommended!
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October 2023 by Brad Tradley
I had an awesome time at the science center. So many cool things to see and do! Loved the interactive exhibits and the planetarium show was mind-blowing. Great for all ages. Definitely worth a visit!
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July 2023 by Danny Romero
I work for an organization with DDD adults with behavioral issues and disabilities in group homes. We have a learning program and wanted to take a field trip to the planetarium. We were there and at the door of the planetarium with most of our group and were told we could not go in because it had already started. It was a safety hazard. This was our whole purpose of being there. Then they pushed us off to some exhibit and a Jane Goodell documentary, which of whom my clients knew nothing about. I feel we wasted 300 dollars and did not receive anything we set out for. The personnel are very rigid and unprofessional and unforgiving to the point where my clients felt they were doing something wrong. I wanted to come back for other sections of our learning program and possibly bring their van packages to our buildings, but after today's session, we, meaning i, just might never deal with them again.
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July 2023 by Michael B.
Their special exhibition of Guinness World Records was incredible, without it I'm not sure I'd score it quite as high though still quite nice.I especially appreciated how interactive everything was.I was surprised that the food options were VERY limited. Though they vending food was actually quite good.
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July 2023 by Jennifer S.
Went to the Dorrance Planetarium to see BEAUTIFICA. Total wast of time. It is preachy. "Love is all you need" "Feel the gratitude" "kindness takes courage" etc All It is basically is an hours worth of computer generated images with no Rhyme or Reason. A 'screen saver' show with no segway into the next computer generated image that floats over the screen. After 30 minutes of these weird images coupled with the peachy new age commentary, it's enough to ask yourself, " why didn't we just spend all that money on a beautiful dinner out?"
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July 2023 by D. J.
Apparently this is the science center that time forgot. We arrived with kidlet in tow on a hot summer afternoon to see the exhibits and the special Guinness World Records exhibit. The Guinness exhibit was a huge letdown. There should have been more staff present to provide information and assist with the flow through the exhibits. There were kids bouncing everywhere.As far as regular exhibitions are concerned, it was a mess. There were empty computer tables where cool exhibits USED to be, and many of the hands-on exhibits were trashed. Where were the staff to keep things clean and organized?This visit was a huge disappointment and waste of money. I'm thinking even Bill Nye would have left shaking his head.
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July 2023 by Valerie S.
*Missing a star due to some exhibits being closed for repair & bubble area was almost non existent on bubble solution so I ended up filling the crates for my child and the other children because staff was not available. READ ON: I decided to bring my toddler here and while this specific center would be best suited for kids over the age of eight (8) it's also a great exploration world for adults. GOOD THINGS TO KNOW:There are restrooms separating genders on each floor as well as a gift shop on the bottom floor. Stairs and elevators to each level are available. Comfy sandals or tennis-shoes are best for the amount of exploring one will do here. Inside on one of the floors is another area closed off labeled Guinness World records & there is a separate fee to enter/view. (Not worth it for me personally). WHAT THIS CENTER OFFERS:This center has several levels of fun and stretches the science world into many platforms from the human body, earth, spacecrafts, music, weather, etc.. as well as offers kids the ability to utilize their motor skills and critical thinking skills. The bottom floor has an indoor/outdoor space for kids to blow oversized bubbles. The use of tv monitors are widely spread out throughout the center. Some are used for trivia games while others play educational clips. Inside the Az Science center you and your loved ones will learn about the entire human body as there are hands-on pretend-play organs for mannequins. The development of babies from conception to birth is also playing on a screen in a smaller corner for those interested as well as bones and the structure of how they work. Oversized organs like a nose and stomach that play sounds including sneezing, digestion and fart noises are just a few of the silly things kids will love about exploring. One can also learn about the impact of food within the body and are able to identify eating habits by riding a bike locked in place. The user pedals faster and faster to see balls rise inside a tube and the higher they rise, it reveals how much energy it takes to burn off different food choices which can lead to healthier food choices overall.Inside this center is also a floor dedicated to the earth and the effects of wind, rain, tornadoes, volcanoes and all other earthly elements. A child can enter into an enclosed box and experience what it's like to be in a tornado whirlwind. The air circles around them and most kids laugh and enjoy their hair raising into the air so they tend to try this exhibit over and over again. On the very top floor there is various waste and construction materials which teach children how homes are made and the effects on the environmental choices we make when dealing with garbage. Also, available on this floor is a space open to the Phoenix sky that has various musical instruments that teach the effects on air and sound. FINAL IMPRESSION:Overall, this center is a child's hands on dream. The expectation and finality of science and education is amazing and you and your child will leave here in awe. Highly recommending the AZ Science center.
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July 2023 by Arely
$20 for non-members.The science museum is part of Heritage Park (among other buildings such as Phoenix Museum of History).The Establishment offers a wide variety of science activities for children and adults- the function of electricity, the biology of the human body, music & sound, and a gift shop! Cleanest bathrooms as well I have seen so great job staffAbout 1/3 of the interactive stops/activities weren't working so that was a bummer. Museum definitely needs an upgrade.⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4/5 Fun experience fit everyone!
