Phoenix Zoo Lights

If you're looking for a fun and festive holiday outing in Phoenix, Arizona, consider visiting the Phoenix Zoo Lights. Located at 455 North Galvin Parkway, the Phoenix Zoo Lights is a magical winter wonderland that is sure to delight kids of all ages.

One of the best things about the Phoenix Zoo Lights is its affordable pricing. In 2022, admission for toddlers (ages 2 and under) is free, and admission for older kids and adults is just $35 per person. This makes it a great option for families on a budget. There are discounts for buying ahead online, and Members of the Zoo also get reduced rates ($25 per adult). 

The best time to visit the Phoenix Zoo Lights is during the evenings, when the lights are at their brightest and most dazzling. The event runs daily from 5:30pm to 10:30pm, so you can plan your visit for a time that works best for your family. Note: we made the mistake of trying to get in during the week of Christmas, and it was jam packed, with cars parking in the overflow lot. We chose to wait for the crowds to die down and go after Christmas, which definitely made it a more relaxing experience, but going in the weeks leading up to Christmas would have added to the "magic". Next year, we will target going in the beginning of December to avoid crowds and get the holiday excitement brewing.

When you arrive at the Phoenix Zoo Lights, your toddler will be amazed by the colorful displays and twinkling lights that can be found throughout the park. In addition to the stunning light displays, there are also a variety of fun holiday activities and events to enjoy, such as visits with Santa, live music, and hot cocoa stations.

One of the highlights of the Phoenix Zoo Lights is the opportunity to see the animals at night. Many of the animals at the Phoenix Zoo are nocturnal, so the lights provide a unique opportunity to see them in their natural habitat. Your toddler will love watching the animals as they move about their exhibits.

Overall, the Phoenix Zoo Lights is a fantastic holiday outing for families with young children. The affordable pricing, beautiful light displays, and opportunity to see the animals make it a must-see event in Phoenix. So if you're in the area with your toddler, be sure to check it out!

Phoenix Zoo

I absolutely adore the Phoenix Zoo. Located in the southeast part of the city, south of Scottsdale, the Phoenix Zoo encompasses more than 125 acres, and houses over 3,000 animals. Much like OdySea Aquarium, its accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, with inspections every 5 years, and spot checks by USDA inspectors. 

The Phoenix Zoo is an outstanding spot for children of all ages, it's extremely walkable, and very stroller friendly. You can bring in bottles, water, and snacks for your little ones if you want to make it a more economical outing.

It takes about 3 hours to see all four zoo trails - Arizona, Africa, Tropics and the Children's section. We've already been a handful of times, and it's hard to say which section is my favorite - they all have unique qualities that make them enjoyable.

As of September 2022, pricing is as follows:

• Adults $29.95
• Children (3-13) $19.95
• 2 & under are free

There are discounts available, and the Phoenix Zoo is currently available on the Pogo Pass (two visits per year). 

The first time we took our son, he was still a little potato who wasn't very interested in the animals. However, we still happily took him around in his stroller, with ample places to stop and feed him bottles. The restrooms had changing tables and were very clean, and it was actually a lovely place to take a very small baby. 

There are plenty of fun things for older kids as well, including the Scooterpals, a carousel and water play areas. They have a fantastic petting zoo area with goats and cows, which was very popular when we went.

Highlights

• Stroller friendly, very walkable, great way to get out in the fresh air
• Helpful staff, clean exhibits with happy animals

Final Verdict

We loved going to the zoo so much, we asked our family for a membership for our son's first birthday. Now we can go back as often as we want, whether it's to see a new exhibit, or just to check out how the giraffes are doing. I am also excited now that our son is more mobile, he can enjoy the water play areas, and be more invested in the exhibits.

One of the benefits of being a member is discounted tickets for special zoo events, such as Zoo Lights around Christmas time - we can't wait!

OdySea Aquarium and Butterfly Wonderland in Scottsdale

I am an avid animal lover, and based on the things I had heard about the OdysSea Aquarium, I must admit that I was apprehensive to go. My understanding is that since Dolphinaris was closed down (due to the death of four dolphins), animal care has increased dramatically at the remaining facilities.

After some research, I found one of the key things you want to see in any facility that houses animals (such as a zoo or an aquarium) is an accreditation from a third party, which ensures best practices and standards are being followed. The second is to be vigilant when at the facility - do the animals seem well cared for, or do they appear to be sick? What are the conditions of each exhibit like?

OdySea Aquarium 

I am happy to share that OdySea Aquarium is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Upon my recent visit, all of the tanks were incredibly clean, and no animals appeared to be sick or in distress. In any of the areas where guests were able to touch animals, the staff was hyper vigilant to ensure the animals would not be stressed or harmed.

We decided to purchase a two exhibit ticket, allowing us access to OdySea Aquarium and the Butterfly Wonderland exhibit. Other options included Pangea (great for dinosaur lovers), Ripley's Believe It or Not,  and VR Xtreme. 

The two exhibit tickets were $60.95 each (ouch), and our son was free since he is under 2 years old. For ages 2-12, the tickets would have been $45.45. I searched high and low for any possible discounts - Pogo passes, anything from the local library, local influencers, and found nothing. The only deal I was able to find is if you chose to go to the aquarium after 4:30pm, the ticket price (one exhibit only) dropped to $27 per adult. It takes about 2 hours to go through the entire exhibit, and the aquarium closes at 7pm daily, so this seems like a viable option, if we ever chose to go back.

So how was it for little kids? I thought it was an outstanding experience. Strollers are allowed, and no one fussed about bottles, so we were able to take our time wandering through the various exhibits, showing my son all of the various sea creatures. He really enjoyed seeing the fish and the general people watching. In general I think it is a great activity for kids of all ages. Fair warning - if you have a stroller, you are going to be waiting to go up/down the elevators. They're rather tight so most families had the stroller plus 1-2 adults and any additional children per trip. 

One of my favorite parts of the aquarium that we would've absolutely missed out on had we gone down the elevator was the escalator ride. You're in a tunnel within a large tank and the creatures are swimming all around you. If it's possible for one adult to handle your child and the other adult to handle the stroller, I would definitely recommend using the escalator to ensure you get the full experience. Sadly, we didn't get the memo about one of the main bathrooms having a great view of one of the tanks, so we didn't get a chance to see that (perhaps that will be one of our reasons to go back).

My son is too young to respectfully handle animals, so we opted out of the "touch tanks" that they had in a few spots during our tour. We did walk around them though so he could see the animals up close and personal. The sting rays are very pretty and eager to be touched. There are hand washing stations nearby so you can wash your hands before AND after. There was also ample hand sanitizer stations around. 

At the very end of the aquarium visit is a room you have to wait to go into, which we found out was a movie of some sort, in a rotating room. We heard it took about 20 minutes to sit through, and our son is definitely not patient enough for such things, so we opted out during this visit. 

Aquarium Highlights

• Animals seemed well cared for and exhibits were very clean
• Neat to see so many water creatures in the desert

Aquarium Final Verdict

We will definitely go back at some point. It's not something I would want to get a membership for, I don't think it's a place I would want to go multiple times a year, but it is a nice activity to get out of the heat and see animals we wouldn't normally see. Perhaps a once a year kind of thing.

Butterfly Wonderland

Next up we had Butterfly Wonderland, which was an experience. When we first entered, there was a line of folks waiting to head inside. We waited about 15-20 minutes, which is no small feat with a squirmy baby. Unfortunately, what we were waiting for was a mandatory 3D movie experience for the flight of the monarch. 

Our son was NOT having it, and you could tell other folks with kids under 2 were going through the same general fussiness. They can't/won't keep 3D glasses on, so they see a blurry mess on the screen, and although it was interesting to an adult, it wasn't very captivating for small children. 

I stepped out of the movie theatre to ensure my son didn't disrupt everyone else's experience, and when I did, I found they had opened the door to the remainder of the exhibit. My husband was right behind me so we decided to head directly to the exhibit and begin looking at the butterflies.

Years ago, before we lived in Arizona, my husband and I had visited the Niagara Falls Butterfly Conservatory. That is an absolutely stunning facility, and we suspected that the Butterfly Wonderland in Arizona wouldn't quite meet those expectations...and we were right.

The staff in the exhibit were very nice, answering any questions the adults or children had, and the grounds were well kept, with a large variety of plants and butterflies. It is definitely worth attending, even with little kids. The being said, it's not a very big area, so we were able to do our tour and snap a few photos, and were ready to leave after about 20-30 minutes. In addition to the butterflies, there was an interesting bee hive structure (outside of the exhibit, but you could see it through some windows), as well as a few chickens running around.

Note - the section with butterflies is "rainforest-like", it's warm and VERY humid. Be prepared and ensure you have some water afterwards.

Butterfly Wonderland Highlights

• Informative staff
• Fun, clean exhibit

Butterfly Wonderland Final Verdict

Skip the movie and go directly to the exhibit if you have little ones under two. Save yourself the headache. Otherwise it's a lovely time and a neat opportunity for your children to be surrounded by butterflies (and chickens)!