7 Great Places to Take Your Grandkids Over Winter Break in Scottsdale

If you’re like many grandparents, you know you’ll be spending a little extra time with your grandkids this holiday season. You may even be keeping them for an extended period of time. If that’s the case, you’ll love this guy, which covers 7 great places to take your grandkids over winter break in Scottsdale.

Here are seven of our favorite places to take kids who are on breaks from school:

OdySea Aquarium
McDowell Mountain Ranch Park
McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park
Musical Instrument Museum
Desert Botanical Garden
Butterfly Wonderland
iFLY Indoor Flight Experience

Here’s a closer look at each.

OdySea Aquarium

Address: 9500 East Via de Ventura

Phone: 480-291-800

Website: https://www.odyseaaquarium.com

OdySea Aquarium is the largest aquarium in the Southwest – and it holds more than 2 million gallons of water teeming with hundreds of species. This massive, two-story aquarium is open daily at 9 a.m. and features great encounters and experiences, including its Shark Tour, SeaTrek Helmet Diving, the Penguin Encounter and the Sloth Encounter. Featuring hundreds of tanks, interactive exhibits and so much more, the OdySea Aquarium is a great place to take your grandkids during winter break. Plan to spend at least three hours winding your way through the aquarium’s lengthy hallways; if you add experiences, plan an additional hour or two.

McDowell Mountain Ranch Park

Address: 18333 North Thompson Peak Parkway

Phone: 480-312-7013

Website: https://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/parks/mcdowell-mountain-ranch

At McDowell Mountain Ranch Park, your grandkids will find plenty of outdoor activities to keep them busy and active. This park is open daily from 5 a.m. until 11 p.m., and it features several trails for hiking, biking or horseback riding. There’s even a disc golf course at the park and plenty of picnic tables to enjoy lunch in the sun. Make sure your grandkids don’t miss the giant playground, which is open daily from sunrise until sunset.

McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park

Address: 7301 East Indian Bend Road

Phone: 480-312-2312

Website: https://www.therailroadpark.com

For a day of fun and exploration, you can’t go wrong with the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park. Open on Mondays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., this park has something for everyone – even your grandkids who aren’t interested in trains! The park features several playgrounds and replica train cars for kids to climb inside and explore, along with a real working engineer’s caboose that takes guests through a loop around the park twice daily (for an additional fee).

Musical Instrument Museum

Address: 4725 East Mayo Boulevard

Phone: 480-478-6000

Website: https://www.themim.org

If your grandkids are interested in music, the Musical Instrument Museum is a must-visit during winter break. With more than 6,000 instruments from over 200 countries and territories around the world, this museum has something for everyone. Kids will love exploring the different galleries and trying out some of the interactive displays. The Musical Instrument Museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended hours on Friday and Saturday until 9 p.m., so you’ll have plenty of time to explore all that it has to offer.

Desert Botanical Garden

Address: 1201 North Galvin Parkway

Phone: 480-941-1225

Website: https://www.dbg.org

The Desert Botanical Garden is a great place to take your grandkids during winter break. The garden offers a variety of exhibits and activities throughout the year, from guided tours to educational programs for kids. Your grandkids will love exploring the hundreds of species of desert plants in this living museum as well as discovering some of the more than 50,000 insect specimens in their collection. The garden is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended hours on Thursday until 10 p.m.

Butterfly Wonderland

Address: 9500 East Via de Ventura

Phone: 480-800-3000

Website: https://butterflywonderland.com

If your grandkids are looking for a unique experience, Butterfly Wonderland is the perfect place to visit during winter break. This interactive indoor exhibit features thousands of live butterflies from around the world, along with several other creatures like birds and reptiles. The exhibit is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended hours on Friday until 7 p.m., so your grandkids will have plenty of time to explore and learn about these amazing creatures.

iFLY Indoor Flight Experience

Address: 9380 West Hanna Drive

Phone: 480-521-4359

Website: https://arizona.iflyworld.com

If you’re looking for something a little more daring, iFLY Indoor Flight Experience is the perfect choice for your grandkids. This indoor sky diving center offers a safe and thrilling experience for anyone ages three and up, allowing kids to get an up close and personal look at what it’s like to skydive without ever leaving the ground. The iFLY Indoor Flight Experience is open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., so you can plan your visit around other activities in Scottsdale during winter break!

Are You Buying a Golf Course Home for Sale in Scottsdale?

If you’re selling your home and buying another one, call us at 602-694-3200 or fill out the form below to talk to a REALTOR now.

While you’re here, you can also check out:

Don Matheson
REALTOR® | Founder
The Matheson Team – RE/MAX Fine Pro
21020 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85255

602-694-3200

Main Content

7 Great Places to Take Your Grandkids Over Winter Break in Scottsdale