A guide to some of the best things to do in Scottsdale with kids, including seeing butterflies, the aquarium, exploring Old Town, and exceptional pools.
We spent Spring Break in Scottsdale. The trip coincided with a historic 100+ degree March heatwave, so we did spend a lot of time at the pool, but we found ways to beat the heat and explore Scottsdale.
Things to Do in Scottsdale with Kids
Arizona Boardwalk
The Arizona Boardwalk is an entertainment and dining complex with 9 attractions: OdySea Aquarium, Butterfly Wonderland, Museum of Illusions, Laser + Mirror Maze, UFO Experience, Pangaea Dinosaurs, Cluville Kids Escape Room, Cyber Quest Arcade, and the Boardwalk Carousel.
It's best to make your plan, decide how many of the attractions you want to visit, and to buy a ticket package so you can save a little money. The boardwalk attractions can be pricy.
OdySea
We planned our visit around a special event where Mermaids were swimming in the tanks and taking photos with visitors. My 5-year-old daughter LOVED it. There was so much to see and do at OdySea beyond the mermaid event. The Odysea Voyager, an experience where visitors sit in a rotating theater while voiceovers share facts about the sea turtles, sea lions, and sharks in the tanks, was a blast.
Butterfly Wonderland
Visits to Butterfly Wonderland begin with a 3D movie about the lifecycle of monarch butterflies. Once you learn about the butterflies, visitors can watch butterflies emerge from their chrysalis and enter a large greenhouse space that is home to many species of butterflies.
In addition to butterflies, there is a reptile exhibit with lizards, snakes, and axolotls.
Old Town Scottsdale
This Scottsdale neighborhood is home to art galleries, restaurants, and shopping. It's easily walkable.
Old Town Tortilla Factory
This restaurant with a Southwestern/Mexican menu has a beautiful courtyard. It's very kid-friendly, and there is a kids' menu.
Sugar Bowl
You feel like you stepped back in time to the 1950s when you walk through the doors of this ice cream parlor. There is a full menu in addition to the ice cream treats. Sugar Bowl Fiesta, a small kid-friendly arcade is next to the ice cream parlor.
Fairmont Princess Scottsdale Pools
The Fairmont has two wonderful family-friendly pools. Sunset Beach is a white sand beach with a wade-in pool. The Soronan Splash pool is a huge wade-in pool with two 200-foot twisting water slides, and lots of shade. Day passes for the pools are available via Resort Pass.
Want to read more about things to do in Scottsdale?
Check out these posts:
What to do in Scottsdale
The Omni Scottsdale
The Fairmont Princess Scottsdale
