Scottsdale with Kids: The Family Fun Guide

Scottsdale has a reputation for golf and spas, but it is also a fantastic place to bring kids. Within a short drive of most vacation rentals you can walk under sharks, watch butterflies hatch, ride a miniature train and climb a rock with a hole in it. Here is our team's family playbook, built around short drives, shade and plenty of pool time.

Arizona Boardwalk: sharks and butterflies

Arizona Boardwalk, at 9500 E. Via de Ventura in Scottsdale, is the easiest big family win in town. Parking is free, everything is indoors and air-conditioned, and you can fill a whole day here.

• OdySea Aquarium. More than 2 million gallons of water and over 6,000 animals, with one of the largest shark collections in the country. Do not miss the submerged escalator, the revolving Voyager theater, and SeaTREK, where older kids and adults can walk underwater in a helmet. OdySea was the first Certified Autism Center in Arizona.
• Butterfly Wonderland. Billed as the largest indoor butterfly conservatory in America, with thousands of butterflies in a tropical rainforest habitat. Kids love the Emergence Gallery, where butterflies break out of their chrysalises, and the 3D movie about the monarch migration. It opens daily at 9 a.m.

McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park: the best $3 in town

This Scottsdale city park at 7301 E. Indian Bend Road is free to enter and open almost every day of the year, closing only on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Train and carousel rides are $3 each, with an all-rides wristband for $12 and free rides for kids two and under. Add a picnic, the playgrounds and the model train displays, and it is an easy, inexpensive half day.

Papago Park: zoo, gardens and a hole in the rock

Papago Park, on the border of Phoenix and Tempe, is home to both the Phoenix Zoo and the Desert Botanical Garden, so you can pair them in one outing. For a quick adventure, the short climb to Hole-in-the-Rock rewards little hikers with a window-like opening in the red rock and a view over the city. It is a great sunset spot.

• Phoenix Zoo. Plan for the morning, when animals are most active and it is cooler.
• Desert Botanical Garden. Easy paved trails through cactus and wildflowers, with seasonal events that are especially magical during the holidays.

Easy outdoor adventures

• Watch a giant fountain. The fountain in Fountain Hills shoots water hundreds of feet in the air every hour on the hour from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. See our Fountain Hills and Cave Creek guide.
• Try a first desert hike. The Gateway Loop in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve is free, wide and full of saguaros. Our hiking guide has more ideas.
• Catch a spring training game. Lawn seats are made for families. See our ballpark guide.

Family tips from our team

• Outdoors early, indoors midday. Even in spring, the afternoon sun is strong. Save the aquarium or a pool break for the hottest hours.
• Sunscreen and hats, always. Kids burn fast in the desert, even on cool days.
• Hydrate more than you think. Bring a refillable bottle for everyone.
• Pool safety first. Always keep an adult watching the water, and keep pool gates closed.

Sources checked November 4, 2026: Visit Arizona (OdySea Aquarium listing), Butterfly Wonderland, McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park visitor information, Experience Fountain Hills. Prices and hours change, so confirm with each attraction before you go.