Did you know? The Hohokam people occupied the land that is now Phoenix between 700 A.D. and 1400 A.D. They built a city and a sophisticated irrigation system consisting of about 135 miles of canals. Read more.
Did you know? Go-karts, like the ones here at Amazing Jake’s, are little more than a seat, steering wheel, and an engine. Click the link to learn more about what’s inside a go-kart! Read more.
Did you know? Arizona Museum for Youth was founded in 1980 as the only children's museum in the United States with a focus on fine art.
Did you know? The park attracts a wide variety of birds. Over 135 species have been sighted, including tiny Burrowing owls, colorful Vermilion flycatchers, Bald Eagles, and Great Blue Herons! Read more.
Did you know? Artist James Turrell, creator of SMoCA’s Skyspace installation, is considered a master of light. Instead of using paint to replicate light, he uses light itself to create visual effects. Read more.
Did you know? Ride the bumper boats and you can experience Newton’s third law of motion, the law of interaction. This law of action-reaction explains the jolt you feel when you bump another boat. Read more.
Did you know? Roller skates were invented in the early 1700s, but received attention a few years later when inventor Joseph Merlin skated into a party - playing the violin – and crashed into a mirror! Read more.
Did you know? The core of the museum is a 1937 building that originally housed Mesa City Hall, municipal courts, city library, police and fire departments. Read more.
Did you know? Steam engines, like the ones used by the locomotives here, were invented in 1705. They were used to power trains, boats, and factories & were the foundation for the Industrial Revolution Read more.
Did you know? In the ocean, and in wave pools, waves are caused when a disturbance on the water’s surface (like wind) causes water molecules to push against each other in succession. Read more.
Did you know? The world’s first public aquarium opened in Regents Park in London in 1853. Read more.
Did you know? The park is on the site of a former boarding school for Native American children. The school was operated by the U.S government from 1891 until 1988. Read more.
Did you know? Encanto Park was inspired by Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, and Balboa in San Diego. It was built in 1935 and originally included a band shell and an archery range. Read more.
Papago Park’s red rock formations formed 6-15 million years ago. The holes in Hole-in-The-Rock are called ‘tafoni’ and were likely used by the Hohokam people to track the movement of the sun. Read more.
Did you know? The Heard Museum was founded in 1929 to house Dwight and Maie Heard’s personal art collection. Today it has 40,000 pieces, ranging from historical artifacts to contemporary fine art. Read more.
Did you know? Founded in 1959, the Phoenix Art Museum is the largest visual art institution in the Southwest.
Did you know? In 1962, the last 7 known Arabian Oryx on earth were brought to Phoenix for a captive breeding program. Over 200 Oryx have since been born at the zoo, saving the species from extinction. Read more.
Did you know? Home to Arizona’s largest collection of exotic animals, over 4,000; Wildlife World is also the first public aquarium between San Diego and Albuquerque. Read more.
Did you know? Built in 1913, the museum’s building was formerly Monroe Elementary School. Among Monroe’s alumni was abstract artist Jackson Pollack. Read more.
Did you know? The Science Center’s first home was located in the parking garage level of the downtown Phoenix Hyatt. Some of the original 1984 exhibits are still on display today. Read more.
Did you know? The oldest piece in the museum is a fire engine from northern England dating to 1725.
Did you know? With over 4,000 species and approximately 17,000 individual plants, the garden is the most prominent cactus collection in the United States and perhaps, the world. Read more.
