On Christmas Eve, I visited Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza. The Arizona Capitol Museum is located right across the street. Since I was there in the late afternoon/early evening, the museum had already closed. Luckily, a month and a half later, I returned to check it out with my mom. There's ample free parking in the surface lot across the street. Make sure you arrive early, because the museum closes at 2 p.m. If you like to explore museums to the fullest and read almost everything, it'll take you around 2 hours to fully explore as there are four floors to check out. And before I get deeper into it, here's another plus: admission is free. Upon checking in, you're given a brochure describing what's featured on every floor. The Arizona Capitol Museum consists of a bunch of various exhibits. I won't mention them all but some of the subjects include USS Arizona, buffalo soldiers, MLK, merci train, minerals in Arizona, the governor's room, a Jewish exhibit, Sandra Day O'Connor, and more. The diversity of the exhibits at the Capitol showcase different historical aspects of the state of Arizona and prominent figures in the history of the state. While it's not the most technologically advanced museum, it's definitely worth your time. The Capitol is air-conditioned and they also have a small cafe and a gift shop. I've been lucky enough to check out several state capitols, including the one in Austin and the one in Santa Fe. While Phoenix's isn't the most impressive of the bunch, it's well worth a visit. When you're the resident of a city, you tend to not explore all of the attractions that your hometown has to offer. I think it's important to not miss out on opportunities like these. read more

Arizona Capitol Museum - Museums Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Nov 2025. The Arizona Capitol Museum was a worthwhile stop during our recent visit to Phoenix. The museum, "a division of the Arizona Legislative Council, uses historic artifacts, guided interpretation, virtual resources, interactive activities and public programs to educate visitors on Arizona's governmental, political,and social history." The museum offers free admission and parking, and visitors are allowed to explore independently. We picked up a map and received valuable guidance from a volunteer near the entrance. Free guided tours for groups are also available, and must be scheduled in advance. While we were there, there were two groups of school children visiting; the museum did a great job in staggering their timing and whereabouts. The Museum is located in the historic Arizona Capitol building, which was constructed from 1899-1901. The Museum's iconic copper dome, featuring the 17' tall Winged Victory weather vane, is the centerpiece of the government complex. Did you know that Arizona is the #1 copper-producer in the US? There are many interesting museum exhibits -- including on the USS Arizona, Arizona's Campaign for Statehood, and Remembering Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. What particularly got my attention was an exhibit on the "Merci Train". In 1949, the French people sent a trainload of gifts to the US as a token of their gratitude for our country's help during and after World War II. Original artifacts are on display. Apparently, gifts were sent to every US state; I had not been aware. The museum is also adjacent to the Wesley Bolen Memorial Plaza, an urban park and gathering place. One of the Phoenix Points of Pride, it is the site of various memorials honoring prominent figures, wars, and events in Arizona history. read more

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Loved it. Guide was wonderful. I liked that we got a great overview of the Capitol and its history, and then were able to explore a lot of it on our own. Displays were great. The whole museum is really well done. My kids enjoyed the whole experience. We'll come again next time we're in Phoenix! read more

Arizona Capitol Museum - 2nd floor rotunda view - Museums Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

It's free! There is a lot to look at just on the outside. It's a place you can visit that you can only find in AZ. read more

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This should be a MUST DO if you're visiting Phoenix. The architecture in itself transports one to another time and era. The exhibits and displays were extremely well-presented. It was the structure itself both inside and out which was a once in a lifetime experience. The main rotunda is breathtaking especially the massive chandelier. Hope I've captured it in the pics. read more

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Beautifully kept museum. It was fun to look around in. The coffee shop in there was pretty nice as well. Quiet but had a lot of options. Interesting to learn some history of Arizona. read more

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I drove by, but unfortunately, they were already closed for the day. Nonetheless, that didn't deter me from walking around and taking pictures. Next time I am here, I'll plan better to make the tour. I blame Lo-Lo's Chicken & Waffles, but not too much since it was so delicious! read more

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State capitols and museums are a wonderful place to visit when traveling and Arizona's in Phoenix is no exception. Parking is free for visitors in a nearby lot. And there is no admission to enter. The grounds have amazing art, filled with history. The capitol itself incorporates a museum with rich exhibits from the Pearl Harbor (Arizona) to National Park Soldiers and Martin Luther King. Plan to spend a few hours roaming the four floors and multiple buildings. Don't miss flattening a penny outside the gift shop or grabbing a coffee in the cafe. read more

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I've been to many state capitols and their museums. I have to say, Arizona really embraces their history. From the plaza on the outside with all the monuments and plaques, to the detailed exhibits on the inside, the museum and the Capitol building itself, does a great job in capturing the complex and varied history of the State of Arizona. Going through the museum, I learned a lot of facts and interesting tidbits that has given me a better understanding of the state. If you find yourself in Phoenix, definitely pay this place a visit :) read more

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Tour the AZ Capital Museum, Senate, and House of Representatives The historic Capitol building housed the Arizona Territorial and State Legislature until 1960 and Executive Offices until 1974. The building was then restored and rededicated as the Arizona Capitol Museum, officially opening in 1979. Tour on your own or take a guided tour (to learn fun facts like how the statue on top was picked because it was the cheapest in the Sears catalog at the time). See different rotating art and history exhibits throughout the year. Learn the timeline of Arizona becoming a state. See artifacts recovered from the USS Arizona. (My favorite was the wine bottle and glasses given by President Gerald Ford to the last remaining survivors to toast their fallen comrades) Check out the original office of the governor and portraits of governors past. Have fun watching the model railroads running all through a variety of Arizona scenes. See the beautiful tile state seal and find out how it came to be. (And how it was made by artists in another state, after just reading a description, and learn what they left out). Finish by browsing the gift shop for items with the state seal, postcards, books, and more. Also, be sure to step inside the Senate and House of Representatives to see where our local government meets. You can stand in the public gallery and see the chambers (even while currently being renovated). Be sure to walk through the Wesley Bolin Plaza that is home to multiple memorials dedicated to different ways and figures read more

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I was excited to find this one! A stranger on the internet suggested we visit when the weather didn't cooperate for our hike. It was a bit hard to find (INSIDE the State Capital building) and parking was anywhere that didn't say reserved. You enter and go through security (which I appreciated) and then there are FOUR floors of artifacts, stories and pictures. We encountered so many nice volunteers willing to help us see it all! We got through the first 2 floors (about an hour each) before our stomachs told us it was time to go. The first floor had an exhibit on MLK and his visit to ASU back in the 60s, very interesting! The second floor was my favorite since it had an entire room dedicated to a model train and diagram of the state. The men who put this together are very talented and passionate, wanting to share their knowledge of the state's history. We definitely learned a thing or two! I feel like we've seen MOST, if not all the museums in the greater PHX area but like the others, this did not disappoint. read more

1/12/22 If you like history, especially government history, this is a must visit. Volunteers are also building a small model train display here in an entire room. Quality/Quantity - Excellent. What a great relaxing way to spend a day. Atmosphere - Huge park with monuments. Museum several floors of history and way too much info. And a room of very enthusiastic volunteers building a model train display Exhibits - too many to name, easier if you just went on their website Monday - Friday: 9:00 am - 4:00 pm / Saturday: 10:00 am - 2:00 pm (September - May) / Closed State Holidays They also host events here, again check out their website Service - N/A, self service Well at least till we got to the model train room where the volunteers spent an hour with us sharing all their knowledge. Price - Free, donations appreciated Owner Suggestion - Thanks for all you do! read more

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From the interior to the exterior it's a very nice facility and well maintained, this place has a lot of monuments and memorials, since I visited in March it's was not too hot at all just comfortable during the day. read more

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Good experience! Free admission. Volunteer are enthusiastic. A lot of space for parking.

We dropped by for a quick visit since we had a little time between stops. Informative little museum with exhibits on four different floors. We worked our way from the top to the bottom, not stopping too long in any one exhibit. If you have the time and want to read everything in detail, you could easily kill a few hours here. That being said, if you want to speed through and just take a quick look at the exhibits, you could do it in an hour. We ran out of time and didn't get to see everything on the first floor. There are two ways to get inside, one requiring you to go through a search and metal detector, the other not. We chose to go to the entrance to without, but I got frustrated a bit because you have to walk around to the other side from the parking lot, and we kept getting turned around with all of the fencing that was up for the some construction that was going on. Parking was free and in a lot, not hard to find. read more

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So much to learn and this place has facts & finds for all. I especially enjoyed the room with (MLK) Mr King's expressions & photos. Many exhibits have hands on activities to ensure attention grabbing for kids of all ages. It was fun to observe and try. I will return to view the 2nd & 3rd floors because the first had enough for me in one day including the small gift shop. Parking was free and easy and only a couple of blocks away on 19th Ave. read more

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Go see this amazing, free experience! It was full of information! Our family really enjoyed this experience. The scavenger hunt for the kiddos helped keep them engaged during our time there. read more

Had fun learning about AZ while on vacation at the Capitol Museum... free entry and free parking ... four floors of interesting things to check out ... air conditioned ... big thanks and five stars to Ken in the gift shop and Shannon at the information desk (the scavenger hunt was fun) read more

Was very interesting Museum. Easy to park and no fees. Self guided tour. Not just political history. Anything Arizona.

Came here for my lunch break one day since I work here at the Capitol. The museum has 4 floors, all full of books of old, legends and myths, ancient artefacts, pictures, history and tales old as time. The place is very dated, probably because it was once the old Capitol. It was clean, and the staff was nice, and gets excited when someone enters the realm. You can either explore on your own, or set up time with one of those educator people. It's best to go with one of them, so they can talk, and you can listen, and not have to read stuff. Unless you like reading, then I recommend venturing off on your own. The loo was good, but time flow slow in this place... what seemed like an eternity, was really just 10 minutes in the loo. I'm guessing the old stuff and all that hard wood and strange decor can effect ones ability to perceive time. Overall a great museum, and it's all free. And certain parts the floor creeks but don't worry, it won't fall apart, super high quality wood, aged strong! Oh they have a gift shop and a cafe. read more

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The Arizona Capitol building is now turned into a historical museum. The admission is free and parking is free in the lot across the street. It has 4 floors of the history of Arizona and lots of interesting facts about the state itself. It just so happens the time I visited the place, there was a 50 years exhibit about my favorite basketball team, the Phoenix Suns! So glad they had this, I was able to read about all the rich history of a great NBA franchise I grew up loving. The people working there were very nice and treated us really well and were very helpful. Great free attraction in the city of Phoenix! read more

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I'm such a sucker for architecture and history so to have this place so close to everything else I love I had to come check it out. If you haven't stopped by the Arizona Capital Museum you're missing out. I know a lot of people hate downtown because of three reasons; traffic, parking, and for me the one way streets...but have no fear because there's a huge free parking lot across the street in Wesley Bolin Memorial Park, the one way streets can be avoided, and traffic is nonexistent if you go around 10am during the week. The grounds are amazing, and the architecture is beautiful. There are quite a few things to read and look at before you even get inside. The House of Representatives is near by and awesome WW II, Vietnam Memorial Park right across the street . A lot of interesting things to see. Go learn something. read more

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Unequivocal five stars for the museum honoring the Union's 48th state. Where was this place when I was a youth and hating my little life in all those grade school and high school US History classes? How did teachers manage to make all this stuff boring? Oh yeah, rote memorization and monotone voices. Bueller? Bueller? Rough Riders! Those guys were the only memory I have of learning excitement during fifth period history class. And here they are at this museum. Between them - and who are we kidding, probably Bonnie Tyler in white flowing garb belting out "I need a hero" on a ledge at the Grand Canyon - is probably why I made my way West one fine day in the 1990s. (Note: Bonnie Tyler's not on exhibit here.) Seriously next: the USS Arizona is also memorialized here and I'm a dimwit for not having made this connection sooner. Having been to the memorial in Honolulu, I felt like something was completed here for me - being able to view the list of crew who perished, photos of "battleship row," a remnant of the ship's hull itself, the beautiful Silver Service that was aboard and recovered, as well as seeing the ship's mast and an anchor out in Wesley Bolin Plaza... well, I was rendered speechless. A battleship commissioned for the state of Arizona, bearing her name, that first served in the Atlantic, then attacked and sunk in Honolulu...but key pieces come back home to rest at the state's capital is a fitting tribute. Worth coming just for the USS Arizona exhibit. (Notable backstory re: funding the silver service.) There are so many interesting back stories you'll discover here... not only about the USS Arizona, but also notable leaders in AZ's history and the journey to statehood among others. This building is on the National Register of historic places and four museum floors in all. I didn't have time for everything. I was there about an hour but I'd budget a good two hours or more here. There's a coffee / snack shop on site. Replica of the Liberty Bell out front. Museum is free. Tours are available however I've misplaced the details. (I prefer on my own.) Elevator may not be in service. (Second oldest in state of Arizona.) Call ahead for info if tours, elevators etc is your thing. read more

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We try to visit the Capitol of a state every time we're in a Capitol City for the first time. This was a very worthwhile stop, as they usually are. While the actual capitol building (and the museum) are not as ornate or amazing as some others, the sprawling grounds and numerous carved memorials mostly make up for it. Spend some time on the grounds, there are plenty of things to see. Inside the Capitol museum you'll be able to tour some cool exhibits up and down 4 flights, tributes to previous governors and the history of the state. Definitely recommended for tourists, travelers and history buffs. read more

Perfect way to get to know the history of this beautiful state, a tree story museum that has it all, plus the gift shop is great! As a native Arizonan I still stop by every now and then just to take it all in again! read more

Arizona Capitol Museum - Museums Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

The Capitol's history is somewhat fascinating. It has been expanded and remolded numerous times. The now museum part is on the same lot as the current State Houses. The volunteers were extremely nice and very helpful. If you are interested in the history of AZ, this is a good stop and it is free! read more

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What a wonderful museum! Most people have never been or haven't been since their 5th grade class took them here on a field trip in the 80's. Arizona is not as old as many other states but this is a reminder that we do have a lot of history in Arizona. http://www.azleg.state.az.us/museum/museum.htm Museum Description (from Capitol Museum Association) This National Register site served as both the Capitol of the Arizona Territory and the State Capitol and has been restored to its historic appearance. Exhibits: House and Senate Chambers, offices of Governor and Secretary of State, hands-on exhibit for sight impaired, and more. Gift shop. OH... and it's FREE! and you can go see the highly controversial 9/11 Memorial it's just a walk away from the museum. read more

Arizona Capitol Museum - Museums Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

The people in here r super cool n explained to me the importance of the building,the museum's n history of state of Arizona ..my general knowledge of here being zero the volunteer took all pains to explain in detail everything she could so tht I get the gist of the valuable history of this state of USA ..I loved this place read more

There is one main reason to see this museum and it's for the chunk of the USS Arizona. As far as I know it's the largest piece you can see that isn't underwater in Hawaii. The woman at the front desk was a well of information. In fact, she never really gave us an opportunity to leave with how much she wanted to impart, further telling us that we HAD to see this or that, how gorgeous this silver punch bowl was, and so on. A little pushy though she was, she was a dear and no museum would be complete without a lady like this. The building is gorgeous to say the least, and it costs nothing just to check it out. Made for a nice hour-long visit. read more

The hidden jewel of Phoenix! This building houses many treasures and the docents are full of stories. Althought the 10AM and 2PM visits have been discontinued, the self guided tour is excellent! Plan plenty of time, because the "leisurely walk" through the four floors soon becomes a full afternoon. Don't be concerned about the crowds out on the lawn while the Legislature and Senate are in session, the museum is calm and peaceful. What other state lets you sit in the room where its constitution was wrtten, or has a wax dummy of its first Governor still in office.... And best of all....it is free! read more

Great hidden gem of a museum with a lot of WW2, USS AZ, Pearl Harbor artifacts, and AZ history relics and mementos. I like old buildings so I enjoy spending time here when I am in the area doing political advocacy work. Don't forget to check out the little gift shop in the lobby too. It is small but has a very friendly staff. All the times I have been in there I have met the nicest people ever. The best part it is all free. Well, okay not the gift shop items. ha,ha! But the museum. The capitol is a cool building too so just stroll around and check it out inside and out. read more

The museum is closed and I have not been able to access the interior of it. I would to go one day.

This place was pretty cool, there's a lot of history in the building. Even though it was the old capitol building, it is no longer in use so now is just a museum. Didn't have time to check out the house of representative or the Senate, but I'll get around to it next time. There is a petrified stump in front of the building and there are several statues around the area. There is a volunteer guide in the building that will give you a free verbal tour and explain a little about the history of Arizona. read more

We came here for a team building on Thursday morning. It was pretty quiet and we were told we got lucky because they did not have any school groups that day. My staff and I really enjoyed seeing all of the exhibits and even though I am an Arizona native I came across a lot of information that I didn't know about our great state. There are four floors to go through. The first floor consisted of the USS Arizona, the Phoenix Suns, Martin Luther King, and a quaint store selling all sorts of items. The second floor showed how Arizona became a state taking you through the history of the Mexican/American war and how we acquired Arizona from Mexico. It also had several rooms on Arizona's voting history and the various political parties that Arizona recognizes. There was also some really cute photo opportunities as well! The third floor was all about the Arizona courts and the Constitution and our campaign for statehood. You get to be in the original room where they held the constitutional convention and see all of the artifacts they have preserved. The fourth floor was the gallery where you could overlook the congressional sessions. Overall I learned quite a bit about Arizona and was really impressed with the fact that all of it was free. I highly recommend it for anybody that might be interested in some Arizona history! read more

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Interesting and informational. As a transplant to AZ, I thoroughly enjoyed learning so much history that I didn't know. This is a great place for kids to visit as they have tried to make it very interactive. Be sure to wander the grounds of the capital and check out the various monuments as well. Parking is free at the designated lot for the first couple of hours. read more

Arizona Capitol Museum - View of the capital building. - Museums Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Arizona's hidden gem. The 1900 building was the territorial Capitol before becoming the state Capitol. The building itself is amazing and well worth seeing. In the late 1950s the legislature moved to the two buildings in front of the original Capitol, and the last governor moved to the Executive Tower in 1974. In the early 1980s the building became a museum and now has wonderful exhibits about Arizona's past. The exhibits change from time to time so there is always something new to see. Check out the Starbucks and the gift shop! read more

This was an interesting way to spend an afternoon. Outside were memorials to basically every war and every type of demographic to be honored. There was some cool AZ history though. Inside was a lot of interesting AZ history stuff and information about the early times in AZ. A lot of war memorabilia, pioneer memorabilia and stuff. Free parking close by. read more

Well worth the stop. It's a beautiful building inside and out with tons of Arizona history. We were greeted immediately and given a map by a friendly and informative guide. They also have a smashed penny machine so if you collect those like I do, that's a total bonus. It's free admission and you can easily spend hours here. I definitely recommend it. read more

Arizona Capitol Museum - Very beautiful area - Museums Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Great museum. Four floors of interesting and well put together exhibits about Arizona history for you to browse through at your leisure. Very little foot traffic during my visit, only a handful of other visitors at most. Photography is welcomed. There's plenty of free parking in the lot across the street. read more

1. Its free. 2. I went with my boyfriend and didn't see everything there was to see, but that could be because we went with an hour left til' they close. 3. It was hard to find (not that we're complete dunces, but we ended up driving circles around the capitol before actually finding it). 4. One more time, it's FREE! read more