I'm not sure if you noticed, but if not let me tell you: It's flippin' hot outside.  Not just hot, but muggy.  Like we should be in a humid state, not a desert state.  What's up with that? Last year, Andy and I swore the Monsoon was a myth.  I counted a grand total of 12 raindrops all last summer.  This year, we get rain every night!  I'm not complaining. But I am desperately searching for something to do inside, where my hair doesn't magically turn curly and my mascara isn't running down my face like I just opened the door to a steam room. I've been telling Andy about Wonderspaces since I added it to our list of things to do. Andy comes from an arty family. They're all artists, collectors of art, or both. I can't really art myself; but I bake, I make jewelry, I'm pretty good at doing my makeup, and I like looking at art.  So I thought Wonderspaces would be the perfect way to beat the heat.

Appearance:  Wonderspaces is located inside the Fashion Square Mall on Camelback. It is its own wing and as you walk in, you note it is very sterile in an art gallery kind of way.  We signed a waiver on the provided iPads and were given some hand sanitizer and a mask that you wear when you are using the VR goggles.  Oooooo Virtual Reality goggles?? Count me in! As you walk into the gallery you are greeted by a friendly bartender who happily serves you a cocktail, glass of wine, or possibly a craft beer. Then you can begin to see the exhibits: larger than life t-shirt bags, rainbow rooms, flashy lights and disco balls.  So many whimsical, fun, thought provoking exhibits that are interactive and entertaining, but more grown up than, say, a Children's Museum.  One exhibit was an igloo you can crawl inside to watch the pretty lights. While another exhibit uses Virtual Reality goggles, as I mentioned previously.  A peaceful boat ride guided by a sweet black lab. Move on to an exhibit where you can watch all the seasons come and go on Mt. Fuji. Play with shadows and twinkling disco balls, or write your dreams on a wall of black boards.  It took us about an hour, maybe an hour and a half, to move all the way through the gallery and we loved it! It was so much fun to participate in the art exhibit.  All ages seemed to be entertained and fascinated. 

Service: As previously mentioned, you are greeted at the door by a host who directs you to the iPads for signing. Once you've completed the chores, you are given a run down of rules--not many, just the usual if it says "Don't Touch" then please don't touch it. Those kinds of rules. Our greeter was very friendly and enthusiastic. Happy to answer questions and give directions. The young woman who was tending bar had a great sense of humor and laughed easily. The host in the VR room was happy to help you with the goggles and make sure you had a great experience.  All in all, the employees seemed very engaged in their jobs and were having fun.

Value:  We had a blast!  Tickets are $15-24 and well worth it, I think. Wonderspaces hosts ever-changing exhibits that are interactive. I can't find an idea of how often the exhibits change, but they do mention the exhibits are "touring" which leads one to believe they only stick around for a limited time. You can book tickets online, or also buy memberships. We both were happy we visited and would definitely bring our girls or visiting friends to see it. Ours was a date night and it made for a fantastic date night. 

Overall, no matter the age range of your group, you can't go wrong with Wonderspaces. The exhibits were really fun and we loved doing something a little different to beat the heat on a hot Scottsdale summer night.