Arizona boasts a diverse array of museums featuring interactive exhibits that present the state’s history and culture in both engaging and informative ways. With collections ranging from cowboy artifacts to American Indian displays and unique, offbeat exhibits, there’s a museum in Arizona to suit every interest. Here are some captivating exhibits that visitors can explore.
American Indian History
Arizona is home to 22 American Indian tribes, many of which invite travellers to discover their culture through community visits and museums. In Northern Arizona, the Navajo Nation welcomes guests to the Navajo Interactive Museum in Tuba City, where they can learn about creation stories and step inside a traditional Navajo hogan. Nearby, the Navajo Code Talkers Exhibit honors the crucial role that Navajo marines played in WWII by using their language to transmit unbreakable coded messages. Moving to Eastern Arizona, the White Mountain Apache Tribe presents their heritage at the White Mountain Apache Cultural Center and Museum, featuring artifacts, oral histories, and local artwork. Before heading into Phoenix or Scottsdale, visit the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation in Central Arizona to admire traditional woven baskets and clothing at the Yavapai Nation Cultural Center/Museum in Fort McDowell.
Spend a day in Phoenix at the renowned Heard Museum, which showcases both traditional and contemporary American Indian art. In Flagstaff, take a pause from hiking or skiing to admire captivating American Indian artifacts and art at the Museum of Northern Arizona, showcasing the diverse tools, pottery, and crafts of ten tribes from the Colorado Plateau. Southern Arizona presents various American Indian museums near Tucson, including Mission Garden, an agricultural museum dedicated to heritage and traditional heirloom crops, and the Amerind Museum in Dragoon, housing an extensive collection of indigenous artifacts such as dolls, games, and jewellery.
Western Art and Culture
Delve into the Wild West by exploring the rich history of cowboys and ranch life at immersive Western museums. Wander through Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West, where you can discover cowboy gear, native pottery, Western film posters, and southwestern paintings. At the Desert Caballeros Western Museum in Wickenburg, uncover the diverse tales of the Old West through a vast collection of artifacts and art, including an exhibit highlighting the work of women Western artists available for purchase. In the legendary outlaw town of Tombstone, visit the Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park, now a museum where you can learn about the town’s famous gunfights and iconic figures like Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp.
Mining History and Culture
Explore Arizona’s mining history and its significance to the state’s development, particularly regarding copper and mining towns. At the Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum, a former mining town turned artist haven, you can experience the life of a miner, learn about the mining process, and view mining tools that played a pivotal role in technological advancement. In Jerome, visit the Douglas Mansion, originally built for mining officials and now part of the Jerome State Historic Park, a museum dedicated to preserving the town’s mining history. The Arizona Copper Art Museum in Clarkdale invites visitors to appreciate the beauty of copper through an impressive collection of over 5,000 art pieces showcasing various artistic forms of this precious metal.
Historic Route 66
Discover the history of Route 66 just in time for its centennial anniversary in 2026 by taking a drive along Arizona’s segment of the Mother Road, filled with vibrant Americana memorabilia. In Kingman, visit the Arizona Route 66 Museum located in the historic Powerhouse building, which chronicles the evolution of the route. The museum features artifacts, murals, and dioramas that illustrate the road’s journey from prosperity to near obscurity and its recent revival. After learning about the past, check out the Route 66 Electric Vehicle (EV) Museum, the world’s first electric vehicle museum, showcasing 28 vintage electric vehicles and providing educational information on EVs. Continue your adventure by stopping at the Hackberry General Store, known for its vintage gas pumps and cars, before visiting Delgadillo’s historic gift shop in Seligman, both of which offer insights into Route 66’s history.
Quirky Collections
Prepare for the unexpected at these unusual museums that spark curiosity with their eccentric exhibits. Fans of fossils, dinosaurs, and humor will enjoy the Poozeum in Williams, a free museum dedicated to dinosaur poop, scientifically referred to as coprolite. Visitors will be delighted to find that the world’s largest collection of Last Supper art is housed in the small town of Douglas at the Last Supper Museum, showcasing the iconic scene in various mediums, including paintings and sculptures. In Tombstone, explore the Rose Tree Museum, dedicated to the world’s largest rose bush, where you can glimpse life in the lively town of Tombstone before being amazed by the sprawling 9,000 square feet rosebush.
The Arts
Art enthusiasts looking to immerse themselves in paintings, music, or photography should not miss Arizona’s museums that celebrate artistic beauty. Experience global music at the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) in Phoenix, the only museum of its kind dedicated to musical instruments from around the world, featuring over 8,000 instruments from more than 200 countries. At the Phoenix Art Museum, the largest art museum in the southwest, spot desert landscapes, contemporary pieces, and abstract sculptures, along with pop culture exhibits and a fashion collection.
Take a leisurely stroll through the Tucson Museum of Art’s centennial celebration exhibit, Time Travellers: Foundations, Transformations and Expansion at the Centennial, which highlights the museum’s growth through its signature artworks and recent additions, before enjoying its extensive collection of Latin American-inspired art. Get a glimpse into the mind of the legendary Arizona artist Ettore “Ted” DeGrazia at the De Grazia Gallery in the Sun Museum, an adobe art space created by the artist to showcase his Southwestern-inspired masterpieces. Finally, the walls of the University of Arizona’s Tucson Center for Creative Photography tell countless stories through its rotating photo exhibits featuring the works of renowned photographers.
