Top Rated Attractions in Phoenix

Music lovers should head to the Musical Instrument Museum which has a collection of 15,000 musical instruments as well as multimedia exhibits. The collection of musical instruments comes from every corner of the world. Many so strange, they are exhibited along with an instructional video. Visitors get the opportunity to learn diverse music styles that exist around the globe. The museum also has live performances held at its theater.

One of the largest in the Southwest, the Phoenix Art Museum includes a staggering collection of exhibits from the world over. Permanent displays in this facility include miniature interiors as well as 20th-century art. Featured pieces cover contemporary art and fashion design with international exhibits from Europe, Asia, Latin America as well as Western America. Interactive, hands-on activities are featured for kids at the PhxArtKids space. Traveling displays are often included in the museum's highlights. Exhibits include popular works by Ubertini, Nicolas Lepicie, Max Beckmann, Robert Henri, Eugène Boudin and many more.

Founded in 1929 by Dwight B. and Marie Bartlett Heard, this museum houses tributes to American Indian art and culture. At the Heard Museum, permanent displays are showcased along with traveling exhibits displaying the rich heritage of the people. Home of approximately 40,000 artifacts, the museum has on display American Indian jewelry and more than four hundred Hopi katsina dolls. Heard Museum also has an exhibition that narrates the stories of Native Americans in 19th-century boarding schools.

Children and adults alike will adore this museum that explores the past and present of firefighting. Marvel at restored firefighting equipment, including artifacts from the 1700s and fully restored firefighting trucks. Pose for a photo by the horse-drawn fire engine then check out old firefighting helmets. Kids will love the parts of the museum that allow you to interact with the displays, including trying on a uniform and climbing aboard a firetruck. Although the museum mainly focuses on firefighting in the United States, it also has international artifacts. A must-visit museum for people interested in something unique.

The Arizona Science Center features the futuristic architecture of Antoine Predock and aims to turn science into something fun for kids. Permanent exhibits include Evans Family Skycycle, Forces of Nature, Get Charged Up, My Digital World and Solarville. Take in the clear night sky or the fantastic laser light show under the dome of the Dorrance Planetarium or if that doesn't work for you, watch a film in the Irene P. Flinn Theater with its five-story-high IMAX screen. It's not all for kids though as the many interactive exhibits have grown-ups asking questions too. Drop by for a fun, family day out.

Scottsdale Museum Of Contemporary Art displays a variety of frequently changing contemporary art exhibits and hosts special events for adults and families. Photographs, paintings and sculpture are just some of the highlighted mediums. Devoted to the art, architecture and design of our time, SMoCA offers free art lectures, symposiums, workshops and readings, providing a forum where visitors can interact with contemporary artists. Thursday is the best day to visit the museum as guest can take advantage of the free entry.