Learning about science in a museum is safer than experiencing it firsthand by accidentally ingesting a science textbook. Embrace science with today's Groupon: for $50, you get a one-year family membership (a $100 value) to UA Science: Flandrau.

Reopened in March 2010, Flandrau educates and entertains inquisitive toddlers and scrutinizing older than toddler people with. The one-year family membership covers two adults and four children or grandchildren under the age of 18 with benefits including free admission to regularly scheduled planetarium and music laser shows, Science Center exhibits, and the UA Mineral Museum. In the tinsel thicket of the holiday season, Flandrau sets forth a glittering array of yuletide diversion, such as the Laser Holiday Music Show, which dazzles with laser lights and images projected to the soundtrack of 15 beloved holiday tunes like Bing Crosby's White Christmas and Bing Crosby's Can It Get Any More Christmas? Discreetly didactic, the Holiday of Lights Planetarium Show, narrated by NPR's Noah Adams, accounts the history of the tradition of lights from multiple cultures, traces ancient winter solstice beliefs, and explains the science behind the seasons.

The family membership also includes reduced admission to more than 250 science centers worldwide, a 10% discount on merchandise in the Science Store, and the personal history of a star.

Reviews

Frommer's recommends Flandrau. Five Yahoo! Travelers and two Yelpers give Flandrau an average rating of 3.5 stars.

• …Flandrau Planetarium is the most convenient place in Arizona to do a little stargazing through a professional telescope. As such, it should be on the itinerary of anyone coming to Tucson (unless it happens to be cloudy). – Frommer's
• That said, the mineral exhibit is really cool...you know if you are a geek whole loves looking at rocks (I am). It is a huge selection of both native and semi-native rocks, stones and metals. – Erin G., Yelp