We are fortunate in the West Valley to have several family friendly museums right at our doorsteps. There’s the Martin Auto Museum, the Deer Valley Petroglyph Preserve Museum, a Toy and Doll Museum, and there’s also the Sun City Mineral Museum.
The Sun City Mineral Museum may not be on your family’s radar, but it should be because it’s super kid friendly! It’s interesting, it’s not so big that you are wandering around forever, they welcome young people, and it’s absolutely free for everyone. Their collection includes a wide variety of rocks, fossils, metals, meteors, and minerals that are all displayed neatly and labeled. Some of their items were found locally by Sun City’s Rockhound Club and others were donated to the museum. The collection includes rocks from nearby places like Cave Creek, as well as other parts of Arizona, and the world. There is a lot to admire and explore!
Ask for the Scavenger Hunt Sheet that is designed especially for kids who are visiting the museum. That will get them looking around and learning. Make sure to spend time in their Black Light Room. It houses the second largest collection of fluorescent rocks in all of Arizona! (There’s a set of photos below that show the rocks in regular light and then the amazing transformation when the lights are switched over.) There’s also a fun area where rocks are laid out to look just like food on a plate. You will see pancakes, peas, bacon and more!
"Toast" with "Butter and Jam":
If your child’s on a geology unit for school, bring them over! If your child’s learning about Arizona or the 50 States, the Sun City Mineral Museum has educational displays about the state rocks. If your child loves fossils, they have some of those on display. Kids who are interested in space will appreciate the chance to look at meteors up close. And if your child just loves rocks, then they will be in heaven because of the range of rocks on display. Not only that, but there are little kid sized and reasonably priced packages of interesting rocks you can buy from their gift shop as a keepsake for your visit.
Here is what you’ll want to know to plan your visit to the Sun City Mineral Museum:
14801 N 103rd Ave, Sun City, AZ 85351
Go to the Sundial Recreation Center and, from the central covered plaza, enter through the door that says Crafts. The museum will be down the hall a bit on the left.
(623) 428-6442 and https://www.scrockmuseum.com/
Currently they are open 10 am to 1 pm every day except for Sundays and Thursdays. From May to the end of September they are only open on Saturdays 10-1.
Florescent Display with the Regular Lights Turned On:
Just for fun, here are some rock jokes you can share with the kids as you head to the museum.
- When were rock jokes the funniest? During the stone age.
- What did the rock say when it ended up at the bottom of the hill? “That’s how I roll.”
- What did the sedimentary rock say to the metamorphic rock? “You’ve changed, man!”
- Why is it hard to be a diamond? Too much pressure.
- What did Obi-Wan-Kenobi tell the geologist? “May the quartz be with you.”
- What’s a geologist’s favourite sweet treat? Rock candy.
- How do geologists like to relax? In rocking chairs.
Florescent Display with the Black Lights Turned On!!!:
