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Desert Botanical Garden vs Arizona Museum of Natural History
Desert Botanical Garden and Arizona Museum of Natural History are both rated highly by expert reviewers. Overall, Desert Botanical Garden is preferred by most professionals compared to Arizona Museum of Natural History. Desert Botanical Garden ranks #2 in Phoenix with recommendations from 8 reviewers including Fodor's, Travel + Leisure and Afar Magazine.
Desert Botanical Garden
Fodor's
Concierge
Lonely Planet
Travel + Leisure
Michelin Guide
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1201 N Galvin Pkwy, Phoenix, AZ 85008
From $0 /night
Fodor's
"Opened in 1939 to conserve and showcase the ecology of the desert, these 150 acres contain more than 4,000 different species of cacti, succulents, trees, and flowers."
Full review
Concierge
"This is one of the best gardens you will ever see, possibly because it's so full of local plants."
Lonely Planet
Top Choice
"This inspirational garden is a refreshing place to reconnect with nature and it offers a great introduction to desert plant life."
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Travel + Leisure
"Any delusions that the Sonoran Desert is a lifeless dustbowl will be swept away by this 50,000-plus collection of colorful plants, from hundreds of cacti, including the iconic saguaro."
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Michelin Guide
0 Stars
"With more than 20,000 desert plants, this unique garden has won awards for environmental education."
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Arizona Museum of Natural History
Fodor's
Travel + Leisure
Where
Travel + Leisure
Frommer's
53 N. MacDonald Street, Mesa, AZ 85201
From $0 /night
Fodor's
"Kids young and old get a thrill out of the largest collection of dinosaur fossils in the state at this large museum where you can also pan for gold and see changing exhibits from around the world."
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Travel + Leisure
"Located in the neighboring city of Mesa, this kid-friendly museum explores the Arizona’s natural and cultural history with plenty of hands-on, interactive, sound-and-light, try-this-on exhibits."
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Where
"The history of Arizona and the world is relayed through such activities as gold-panning, viewing old caves and the Peralta Stone maps."
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Travel + Leisure
"Explore the Southwest’s rich natural and cultural history, from sparkly minerals and prehistoric fossils to a reconstructed Native American village and territorial jail."
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Frommer's
"This is one of the best museums in the Valley, and its wide variety of exhibits appeals to people with a range of interests. There are some animated dinosaurs...there’s also a Hohokam village."
Full review
