Raising Arizona Kids Magazine

Given the rapidly changing status of the CORONAVIRUS, please call ahead before heading out to events that may have been cancelled or postponed. And please support these organizations as they regroup and reschedule!

As the saying goes, the best things in life are free. If you’re willing to be a little flexible with days, times and themes, there are loads of opportunities for Valley kids to enjoy free fun and educational activities around the city. Here’s a roundup of kid-friendly events and services in greater Phoenix that won’t cost you a thing: Also, check out free events on our daily Raising Arizona Kids event calendar!

Free admission days at local museums

Desert Botanical Garden offers free admission 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the second Tuesday of every month at 1201 N. Galvin Parkway, Phoenix. Heard Museum admission is free from 6-10 p.m. on first Fridays (every month except March) at 2301 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. Japanese Friendship Garden admission is free from 4-6 p.m. on first Fridays November-March and 4-7 p.m. on first Fridays April-June at 1125 N. Third Ave., Phoenix. The garden is closed August-September. Phoenix Art Museum offers free admission from 6-10 p.m. on first Fridays. Pay-what-you-wish hours are from 3-9 p.m. every Wednesday. Visit the fourth Saturday of each month from noon to 4 p.m. for Creative Saturdays where kids 17 and younger get free admission to the museum at 1625 N. Central Ave., Phoenix. Phoenix Children’s Museum offers free admission 5-9 p.m. on first Fridays at 215 N. Seventh St., Phoenix. Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (a.k.a. SMoCA) offers free admission all day on Thursdays and second Saturdays at 7374 E. Second St., Scottsdale.

Free passes for museums and performances:

Act One Culture Passes: Local libraries in metro Phoenix let library card-holders check out an Act One Culture Pass, which helps make the arts accessible to all. Participating museums include Arcosanti, Arizona Science Center, Phoenix Art Museum, Desert Botanical Garden, Desert Caballeros Museum and Japanese Friendship Garden. The passes also work at select performing arts venues. Here’s how it works: Find the Culture Pass display at your library branch, and pick the laminated card for the venue you’d like to visit. Check it out like you would a book and receive a receipt that’s good for free admission for two to that venue for one week. Customers are limited to one pass per family and two passes per month.

Miscellaneous free places to go and things to do:

Arizona Sunrays. Enjoy free baby gym classes for ages 6 months to 18 months from 9:30-10:30 a.m. Wednesdays at their Phoenix location and 9-9:30 a.m. Wednesdays at the Arcadia location. Fill out their online waiver before you go. 602-992-5790. Artlink First Fridays. Downtown turns into arts central when all the galleries and museums open their doors to the public in central Phoenix on first Fridays. Cerreta Candy Factory Tours. Take a 30-minute guided tour of the Cerreta Candy Factory at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Monday-Friday and learn how the delicious candies are made at 5345 W. Glendale Ave., Glendale. 623-930-9000. Home Depot Kids Workshops. Home Depot hosts future DIY-ers for free building projects from 9 a.m. to noon on first Saturdays each month. Keen Phoenix. Find age-appropriate and non-competitive programs for kids with physical or developmental disabilities at 3219 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix. 866-903-5336. Old Town Trolley. Old Town Scottsdale has a free year-round trolley shuttle that travels throughout the town. It runs every 15 minutes from 10 a.m. to 9:35 p.m. daily (except New Years Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas) and goes through Historic Old Town, the Arts District, Fifth Avenue Shops, Scottsdale Fashion Square, the Waterfront and SouthBridge.

Sky Harbor International Airport Tour. You don’t need to leave the city for a reason to visit the airport. Take one of the airport tours and learn about the amenities, restaurants, stores and terminal renovations that have been in the news. Tours are on the Second Tuesday of the month at 10 a.m. or the fourth Thursday of the month at 1:30 p.m.

Free water play

Splash pads are always a fun and free way for kids to play on hot days. Check out our Raising Arizona Kids roundup of local splash pads here. 

Free museums

The Valley is full of interesting art, science, culture and history museums, many which are free, including: Arizona Capitol Museum. Four floors and 20 exhibition areas featuring Arizona’s political, social, cultural, environmental and economic history. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. 1700 W. Washington St., Phoenix. ASU Art Museum at Nelson Fine Arts Center. An architecturally interesting building has three floors of rotating exhibits. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. 51 E. 10th St., Tempe. 480-965-2787. Ceramics Research Center at Brickyards. This museum has year-round access to a collection of ceramics and three to five exhibitions on important movements and artists who have made significant contributions in the ceramics field. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday. 699 S. Mill Ave., Suite 108, Tempe. 480-727-8170. Chandler Museum. The Chandler Museum is a learning environment where the community can share stories and preserve its cultural heritage. 300 S. Chandler Village Drive, Chandler. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday;  1-5 p.m. Sunday. 480-782-2717. McCormick-Stillman Railroad Model Railroads. The 10,000 square-foot building houses model trains from four different railroad clubs and with at least eight scales of trains, from the smallest Z-scale to the full-sized Roald Amundsen Presidential Pullman Car. And it’s located at one of the best parks in the Valley. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. 7301 E. Indian Bend Road, Scottsdale. Mesa Arts Center Museum. Contemporary art by emerging and internationally recognized artists. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday;  12-5 p.m. Sunday. 1 E. Main St., Mesa. Phoenix Police Museum. Kids will love this historical review of the Phoenix Police Department from 1881 to the present. Kids can try on real uniforms, sit in a vintage police vehicle (with the lights on)  and see how police tech has progressed through the years. Open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Historic Phoenix City Hall, 180 W. Jefferson St., Phoenix. 602-534-7278. Phoenix Trolley Museum. A museum dedicated to preserving the cars and memorabilia of Phoenix’s past trolley days. 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays Oct. 1 to May 30; closed during the summer. 1117 Grand Ave., Phoenix.

Free programs at area libraries

We all know that the library is the go-to place for books, movies and CDs, but did you also know it has a wealth of free events and activities for kids? From Mommy and Me classes for babies and toddlers, STEM classes for school-age kids and teens, to free snack hours and museum passes and more; all are available at your local library. Kids Café. Every weekday, kids up to age of 17 can visit Burton Barr Central Library in Phoenix for a free healthy meal and a craft or educational activity provided by the St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance. Check phoenixpubliclibrary.com for times at Desert Sage, Yucca, Acacia, Harmon libraries. Tech classes: MACH1 maker space at Burton Barr and selected other library branches host several weekly classes teaching kids as young as four the art and science of computer coding along with other STEAM-related activities like sewing and building.

Free storytimes

Local library branches and bookstores offer free storytimes, and some include visits from costumed characters. Check the event listings at Changing Hands Bookstores in Phoenix and Tempe, Barnes and Noble in Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe and Bookmans in Mesa and Phoenix. For more information on specific library storytimes, visit:

• Maricopa County Library District
• Phoenix Public Library
• Scottsdale Public Library
• Mesa Public Library
• Chandler Public Library
• Tempe Public Library
• Glendale Public Library
• Peoria Public Library

Free mall kids clubs

Paradise Valley Mall Kids Club. Kids Club provides educational content through songs, activities and games that focus on discovery through play on the first Friday of each month from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. in mall outside of Dillard’s.