Set inside the 1913 Monroe School building downtown, the Children's Museum of Phoenix is geared at kids under ten and works wonderfully on the kind of triple-digit afternoon that makes outdoor sightseeing impossible. The three-storey climber that runs through the middle of the building is the centrepiece — a chaotic web of ramps, tubes, and platforms that adults can also clamber through if they fit.
Other exhibits include a noodle forest, a giant racetrack for hand-pushed cars, an art studio that runs structured drop-in projects, and a child-sized supermarket. The museum closes for several hours mid-week for cleaning, so check hours before showing up. Parking is in the lot directly east of the building, with the first hour validated free.