We love to plan a trip somewhere warm every February to get us over the mid-winter blues, and this year we chose Scottsdale, Arizona!
Known for rowdy golf tournaments and bachelorette parties, Scottsdale is not the first city that comes to mind when I think of a family vacation with 3 toddlers. However, my main goal was sunshine; and even though it rained one of our days in Arizona, Scottsdale turned out to be more toddler-friendly than I ever expected.
Toddler-Friendly Activities in Scottsdale
McCormick Stillman Railroad Park
The first thing I search when visiting a new city with toddlers is “trains in ____”, and Scottsdale’s train park did not disappoint. McCormick Stillman Railroad Park has historic trains on exhibit, a small train ride, an adorable and vintage carousel, and a giant playground. We easily spent 2 hours here, and we would have stayed longer if we didn’t have a dinner reservation to get to!
Train and carousel rides are $3 each, but kids under 2 are free!
If you visit, you have to let me know what you think of the carousel, because it felt like the fastest one I have ever been on!
See more about the McCormick Stillman Railroad Park in this video!
OdySea Aquarium at Arizona Boardwalk
The Arizona Boardwalk is home to 9 indoor attractions, making it the perfect spot to escape the heat. This entertainment center has a dinosaur exhibit, kids escape room, butterfly pavilion, and more. We chose to visit the OdySea Aquarium because it is home to “America’s Best Restroom.” I couldn’t be in the same city as such highly regarded facilities without checking them out for myself.
I knew I would be impressed by the Aquarium’s bathrooms, but I wasn’t expecting to be ‘wow’ed as soon as we walked in the door. The OdySea Aquarium is themed to follow a drop of water from rain to fresh water, through the rainforest, and finally to the ocean. The bathrooms were definitely cool, but the rain exhibit in the main lobby was stunning!
See the beautiful lobby and more of OdySea Aquarium in this video!
My three toddlers also enjoyed the touch tanks, meeting a penguin (in costume!), and ‘riding’ the only rotating aquarium in the world! I thought we would spend about 1.5 hours here based on my experience at other aquariums, but OdySea Aquarium kept 4 toddlers (we met a friend!) busy for almost 3 hours!
Old Town Scottsdale
Old Town Scottsdale is huge, and we only had a few hours to explore. As a toddler mom, I picked our route based on a park and playground instead of shopping.
We enjoyed diner-style ice cream and milkshakes at Sugar Bowl before walking down old town Main Street to Scottsdale Civic Center Park. This park has a huge field, a cute playground, and the well-known LOVE sign.
An Adventurous Day Trip from Scottsdale
This day trip itinerary was unusual for us! Our travels usually include theme parks, shopping, beaches, or zoos and aquariums, but I wanted to spend a day experiencing something unique to Arizona. I didn’t tell my husband, kids, or my parents what we were doing this day, and honestly, their reviews were mixed (but I do blame the weather a little bit because it rained this day!)
Goldfield Ghost Town
This picturesque ghost town sits near the base of the Superstition Mountains, only 30-40 minutes from Phoenix. Goldfield Ghost Town has historic buildings and shops plus multiple attractions!
See more of Goldfield Ghost Town in this video!
We chose to ride the Superstition Narrow Gauge Railroad (because toddlers, obviously), but the town also offers mine tours, horseback rides, gold panning, ghost tours, and a zipline! If you are there on the weekend, you may even catch a gun fight performance.
Train tickets were $12 each and kids under 5 are free, so this was a great option for us! We sat in the caboose because of the rain, and it was such a fun way to see the landscape around the ghost town and hear about Goldfield and Arizona history.
There is a restaurant, ice cream parlor, and a coffee shop in the Ghost Town too! We had lunch at Miner’s Grill before we left, enjoying a good meal with epic views!
Lost Dutchman State Park
I had hoped to do some light hiking around Lost Dutchman State Park after our visit to Goldfield Ghost Town, but the rain changed our plans. This state park is right across from the ghost town, making it a great option for more views of the beautiful Superstition Mountains.
Tortilla Flat & Dolly Steamboat
Take one of the most scenic drives in Arizona from Goldfield Ghost Town to Tortilla Flat for a little more Arizona history. This is a popular day trip destination with a gift shop and a saloon that uses real saddles as bar stools. There is a market that serves ice cream, so we tried the popular Prickly Pear sorbet!
Our kids were taking a car nap, so my mom stayed with them and we just did a quick walk down the little street before hopping back in the car to head to Canyon Lake Marina for our Dolly Steamboat ride!
The Dolly Steamboat is a 1.5 hour scenic boat ride through Canyon Lake. Despite the rain, we had a great time! We saw a bald eagle, bighorn sheep, and beautiful rock formations and fossils! The boat has a small snack stand with popcorn and other treats, and it has indoor and outdoor table seating options.
This was a popular experience, so advanced reservations are highly recommended!
What We Missed in Scottsdale
I had a HUGE list of things I wanted to do in Arizona, but our itinerary filled up fast. Here are some of the places we did not get to visit this time, but we would love to see in the future!
Papago Park and Hole in the Rock trail
Butterfly Wonderland at the Arizona Boardwalk
Old Town Scottsdale 5th Avenue shopping
Leave a Reply to Jan Barker Cancel reply