The 5 best day-trips to take with your kids — 100 miles or less from Tucson

Sometimes you just want to grab the kids and get out of town, even if it's just for the day.

Luckily, there are some pretty awesome places you can get to in just a couple of hours. 

We put together some ideas so you can pile everybody in the car, hit the road, do some fun stuff and be back home all in the same day.

Phoenix

We know, we know. It's Phoenix. But it's only about 100 miles away and it has some great activities for families. 

The Musical Instrument Museum, at 4725 E. Mayo Blvd., has more than 6,500 instruments from about 200 countries on display. Most of the displays are enhanced with audio and video technology so you can see and hear the instruments in their original context. You'll also see instruments from music legends like John Lennon and Elvis Presley. Make sure and go to the Experience Gallery so you can play different instruments from around the world.

The Children's Museum of Phoenix is huge and full of hands on exhibits — more than 300 —  for kids ages birth to 10. The museum, which is housed in the 48,000 square foot Monroe School Building downtown at 215 N. 7th Street, focuses on learning through play, with emphasis on early childhood education and school-readiness. 

The Arizona Science Center, just a couple blocks from the children's museum at 600 E. Washington Street, is a great place to take the kids. With exhibits like "All About Me," where you get to walk through a working stomach and the "Evans Family Sky Cycle" where you ride a bike 15 feet in the air and numerous other exhibits, there's no way the kids are going to be bored. 

Arizona Mills, right off of I-10 near Baseline Road, now houses the Legoland Discovery Center and the Sea Life Aquarium, making it a fun family destination. 

At the aquarium, you'll see rays, sharks, seahorses, a sea turtle and more. There's also a "Touch Pool" which allows the kids to do things like hold a crab or touch a sea star.

The Legoland Discovery Center, which opened earlier this year, has rides, 4-D cinema, building areas and a play area that has climbing walls, a jungle gym and Lego Fire Academy. 

If you get tickets to both places, you can save $10. 

Willcox

Willcox is only 80 miles away and there is plenty of awesomeness to be found.

Apple Annie's, located at 6405 Williams Road, is so fun with the kids. Especially during the fall when you can take a hayride, pick a pumpkin and go through the corn maze. The farm also has pick-your-own fruit orchards and veggie farm. Don't forget to check out the sunflower field. You can also buy apple butter, pumpkin bread, salsa and more in the market. 

If you love apples you won't want to miss this: My-Oh-My Apple Pie Weekend and Country Craft Fair on September 17 and 18. You'll get all you can eat pancakes with apple pie syrup, samples of apple pies, homemade apple crumb pie ice cream, apple smoked burgers, complimentary wagon rides to the orchard to pick apples and craft vendors will be on site.

While you're there, check out the Rex Allen Museum. It's located right near I-10 at 150 N. Railroad Ave. You'll learn all about Rex Allen, aka the Arizona Cowboy, who starred in 19 western movies. 

Fun fact about the statue of the famous cowboy across the street: There's a molded bronze heart with arteries inside to symbolize that Rex's heart will always be in Willcox. His horse, KoKo, is buried at the foot of the statue.

Take the kids to eat at Big Tex BBQ just down the street from the museum at 130 E. Maley Street, before you leave. It's a restaurant in a train car. Doesn't get much cooler than that. Your kids will love it. 

Oracle

We know what you're thinking...Oracle? But, stay with us. 

First, it's only about 38 miles away (just head north on Oracle Road). Secondly, there are some pretty cool things to do there, especially if you like the outdoors.

You can learn a little history at the Arcadia Ranch Museum at 825 E. Mt Lemmon Hwy.

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Go hiking at Oracle State Park, which is at 3820 Wildlife Drive. Get there from Mt. Lemmon Hwy. It's a good place to access part of the Arizona Trail. It's also known as a "Dark Sky Park" which means it's a good place to do some stargazing. The park includes self guided tours of the historic Kannally Ranch House. Hours its open are limited, so make sure to check online before heading over.

Upcoming events include a star party on September 10 and live music in the park September 25.

Click below to add the star party to your calendar. Details are not available yet for the concert. 

This one's a little more spendy, but also a little more adventurous. 

Arizona Zipline Adventures , 35406 S. Mt. Lemmon Road,offers what they call Zipline EcoTours. Basically, you hike a little and zip. Each tour takes about two hours with up to six people per group. You'll get to ride on five ziplines which range in length from 400 to 1,500 feet. You have to book a reservation in advance, so make sure and do that. It costs $79 for adults and $69 for children. Kids have to weigh at least 50 pounds to zip.

Biosphere 2 is basically a large earth science laboratory that hosts seven model ecosystems. Get there by taking Oracle Road north to Biosphere Road. It's at 32540 S. Biosphere Road. You'll get to see real-time research on the future of Earth. When you take a tour, you'll see the ocean and a rainforest up close. It concludes in the underwater ocean viewing gallery. Tours last about an hour and 15 minutes. 

Bisbee

About 95 miles southeast of Tucson is the eclectic mining town known as Bisbee. If you haven't been, you should go. Aside from its infamous Copper Queen Hotel, which is allegedly haunted, there are mine tours, quirky houses and fun shops and art galleries to check out as well as a city park. 

The Queen Mine Tour, which is at 478 N. Dart Road, is awesome, albeit a little claustrophobic. You get to go 1,500 feet into the mine with your group, as your tour guide talks about old time mining days, techniques, dangers and even some drama.

Plus, you get to wear a headlamp. How cool is that?

Kid's call: I took my son when he was about three and a half and he had a blast. He still talks about it. I wouldn't take them any younger than that, though. If he or she is afraid of the dark, you might want to wait on it.

The Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum, just across the highway from the mine tour at 5 Copper Queen Plaza, will give you a glimpse of the town's rich mining history. Smithsonian designers created the "Digging In: Bisbee's Mineral Heritage" exhibit, which takes you through an underground mine with minerals and a crystal cave.

Photo opp: The whole town of Bisbee screams 'take my picture!' One great spot to get Insta-worthy photos is in front of the Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum. There are old mining cars in front that the kids (or you) can climb into for pics. 

If your kids are into creepiness, stay till 7 p.m. for an Old Bisbee Ghost Tour. It's a walking tour through Old Bisbee's streets, allies and stairways to learn about the ghosts that allegedly haunt the 135-year-old town. Go online to make reservations and find out where to meet. 

Benson

Hop on I-10 going east and in about 45 miles you'll be in Benson. What's there? Well, not a ton to be honest. But, the things that are there are pretty cool and worth the drive.

You and the kids will love exploring Kartchner Caverns State Park at 2980 AZ-90. The Discovery Center there has lots of exhibits, including a "caving wall" that allows children to experience what it's like to crawl through narrow cave passages. There are also displays on animals and they can get their picture taken with the giant sloth. There's a scavenger hunt, too. 

Or, you can go on cave tours. Kartchner Caverns was voted best cave in the U.S.A. in the USA Today Readers' Choice awards. 

The park is offering a new tour on Saturdays: Helmet & Headlamp Tour. It's an hour and 15 minutes and allows you to tour the cave using only the light provided by your headlamp.

Tombstone, while not technically in Benson, is only 24 miles from there. So, why not add that to your Benson road trip? The kids will enjoy seeing cowboys and horses and may learn a thing or two about Arizona history. Get there from Benson by taking AZ-80 East/Fourth Street toward Gila Street and go right on Fourth Street. 

Visit Gammons Gulch at 331 W. Rockspring Lane. It's a western town, movie set and museum attraction built and run by Jay Gammons and his wife. It's set up to look like a town that existed between the 1880s and 1930s. Stop in the saloon for a root beer. 

Make sure to call ahead to make sure there are tours when you want to go.