Lots to see and learn here, and guided tours available at scheduled times, though I preferred to…read moreroam the museum at my own pace. Posters and film clips of westerns like A Man Called Horse (1970) and Clint Eastwood's The Outlaw Josie Wells (1976). Handcuffs of all kinds on display (more accurately described as "retaining devices") in a western themed set. Mac Schweitzer's impressive collection of artworks, including depictions of desert animals and the wild west, especially a multitude of horse pieces. Countless paintings and artifacts on the second level, portraying native american history, the buffalo, and the evolution of american west landscapes. Scenes of collective work in western life among cowboys, herders, and traders. I found Eddie Basha's cottonwood tree root carvings interesting. And I was especially a fan of "Rabbit Hunt" by Loren Phillips (Hopi). Fistful of Colors in the north gallery explored the diverse meanings of color, such as the term "feeling blue", and how colors tell stories, evoke emotions, and create connections. The room transitioned into displays of movie posters, explaining why those from different countries vary in the way they are presented. Interactive exhibits throughout allow visitors to learn about Shakespeare in the Old West, women of the rodeo, even a scavenger hunt to find "escaped animals" in the museum. I was amused by fun facts like the first circus (Ryland's traveling show) taking place in Tombstone Arizona Territory in 1880, or how the full saying of "Ay Chihuahua" translates to "Yikes! How many Apache Indians are there without sandals!", referring to Apache raiders like Geronimo invading northern mexico wearing calf-high deerskin moccasins. There was also a small sculpture garden outside and gift shop worth checking out before leaving.

One of my goals this year is to be more like a tourist even though I'm a resident. Meaning hitting…read moreup the types of spots that tourists would visit in Phoenix and Scottsdale. Case in point: Western Spirit: Scottsdale's Museum of the West. I stopped by on a Sunday afternoon with my mom to check out this museum that specializes in Western and Native American art. Here's what I really like: complimentary docent-led tours three times daily. We got to participate in two of them. They're a great way to get a more in-depth view of the museum. With that being said, even if you explore the museum on your own, you'll have a great time doing it. It's a two-level museum and there's plenty to read about and check out. We spent roughly three hours there and probably got through about 50% of the museum. Here's what I didn't like: they have two back-to-back video presentations in the small theater. They unfortunately weren't happening when I was there due to a private event. Bad luck on my part. Also, general admission is a bit pricey. Outside of the price, it's a fantastic museum. There's a complimentary parking lot across from the museum or you can find street parking. And it's a few blocks away from the heart of Old Town Scottsdale. You'll see Arizona's landscape represented in paintings, Native American artwork, Western movies, and much, much more. I'll definitely be back again!

Did you know that the state of Arizona does not have a capitol building? But they do have a museum!…read moreThey only provide reserved guided tours via their website for parties of 10 or more but they do offer a free walk-in guided tour Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 2 PM. Make sure to arrive a few minutes early because finding the door to enter can be tricky. The guided tour was brief but enjoyable. We walked through about half a dozen exhibits/rooms and the guide was knowledgeable, informative, and humorous. I've been to other capitol buildings in other cities and found the content here to be more diverse than what I've experienced elsewhere. There's an exhibit on women's suffrage, Martin Luther King, World War II, etc. 1-1.5 hours would probably be sufficient if you don't plan to read every poster on every wall, otherwise if you're into that, definitely allow for closer to 3+ hours.

On Christmas Eve, I visited Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza. The Arizona Capitol Museum is located…read moreright 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.

We visited with our kids and were blown away by how much we enjoyed this place. The trains are…read moreincredibly well preserved and beautifully restored--you can tell a lot of care and pride goes into maintaining them. It was way better than we expected. This is a fantastic winter activity, especially for families. There's plenty to see, lots of opportunities to walk through the trains, and it kept our kids engaged the whole time.

You are never too old, (or too young) to check out a Railroad Museum. This one has real moving…read morestock, from many different lines. The Pullman display is a walk through history of the way Train travel "use to be." There are (5?) cars coupled together in fully restored shape. . . several historically famous For Locomotive fans there is a cab you can climb into and learn what all the valves and levers do, plus "Ring the Bell!". Larger Kid groups might want to rent the "Party Caboose". Rental $ also covers the cost of admission. There will be knowledgable Docents to answer any ??'s, plus a gift shop. If you are lucky you might run into Steve, and get the 5 Star tour. The only down side, is that they are only open on Saturdays, and Sundays.

Had an amazing paint night with friends here! These guys made our night very entertaining! Great…read moreway to unwind, make new friends and build something amazing! Thank you!

Tried this place out for the first time over the weekend , Justin was awesome and helped navigate…read moreour projects , it was some much fun . The studio. Was very clean , step by step instructions and options given . It was fun and relaxing !! BYOB and relax, create and enjoy !! Will definitely be going back !

Highly recommend a visit here…read more There are fire vehicles going back to the 1800s on display. The wagon wheels, engraved wood, embossed brass and stainless steel finishings on these vehicles were in themselves works of art. Even the hub caps of the wheels were intricately decorated. A ton of vintage fire fighting "vehicles" including a horse drawn fire vehicle. There are informational videos playing throughout this large museum and well-upholstered, beautiful chairs. The Hall of Flame is privately funded. The collection is IMMENSE.

Very well put together museum. Didn't know this place existed until one of my friends suggested to…read morego since we had a firefighter friend visiting us from Japan. I loved that all the vehicles in there are in working condition and the staff are retired firefighters. They were very knowledgeable, kind and friendly. Must visit if specialty museum is interesting to you :)

We quickly became members of this museum because our 2 year old loved everything about it. Close up…read moreof airplanes, military jeeps and some of the most incredibly well kept WW2 planes. You can even fly in some of the old ones, although we never did. It's a unique spot and now that we moved, one of our most missed places in the area. Oh and every volunteer was incredible. Super helpful, very kind and always accommodating. Best of the best.

Five glowing stars…read more My late father was a Decorated WW2 Veteran for HM AF and I always enjoy visiting airplane museums. This facility is entirely staffed by volunteers including Korean War Veterans! They offer rides in vintage planes including vintage bombers, cargo planes, etc. Very expensive so we passed on that. It would have been a lot of fun. There is so much to see here. The hangar is full and they have a few restored beauties outside. I so appreciate the folks who Remember ALL Veterans of the Alliance.

I first visited the memorial on 9/11 2017. Although I heard wonderful things about the annual…read moreceremony, I didn't attend. I wanted some time alone to remember a few friends. The memorial can easily be overlooked if you didn't know it was there. A few trees surround the memorial that contains 4 granite walls that contain the names of those that are lost. In the center of the memorial is an 8 foot steel beam that once held up the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

Asalamu Alaykum I went to the annual memorial event and it was lovely. I highly recommend going at…read moreleast once. It's an intimate ambiance and all the people there were friendly and the law enforcement representatives were gracious hosts too. Alhamdulilah

Stopped in as a part of a road trip from Los Angeles to Tombstone. My history buffs LOVED it. We…read moreknew this place was very small, but, they were very excited about going onto the National Guard Base. Loved seeing all the activity buzzing about the base as we drove in and spent hours looking at and reading each and everything. Any questions that had were answered thoroughly be the very knowledgeable folks there. It may be a small space but there is plenty to see and learn!

Small little Military History museum- I teased John because he insisted in going to Papago for…read morehiking trails and various other things to do when I spotted the museum sign and I "Ah-HA'd" him. I thought this was his plan all along, but he honestly didn't even know about this museum tucked away on a National Guard base. John and military history is one of his passions. He loves history in general, but coming from a long line of Military family- tanks, trains, planes and guns are favorites. The museum may be small but is packed with information! Each war has a dedicated section and I found the interesting tidbit of this area being used as a POW holding area for Nazi Lieutenants and the breakout that occurred here! "The Great Papago Escape was the largest Axis prisoner-of-war escape to occur from an American facility during World War II. On the night of December 23, 1944, twenty-five Germans tunneled out of Camp Papago Park, near Phoenix, Arizona, and fled into the surrounding desert." I pointed it out to John (assuming he knew all about it) and he remembered reading the story but didn't realize this was where it actually happened. Then I got his history lesson on how all was captured fairly quickly except the one who spoke the best English- he lasted a month before capture.