The Flandrau Science Center, on the University of Arizona campus, combines hands-on physics exhibits with a planetarium and a mineral museum. The planetarium runs daily star shows and films on a domed screen — Tucson, after all, is the centre of American astronomy.
The University of Arizona Mineral Museum, in the same building, is one of the largest college collections in the US, with thousands of specimens — including meteorites and gems from local mines. A good family stop, especially in the heat of the afternoon.