Amazing museum! Very well organized and wonderful exhibits. Don't miss the gift shop which is full of quality items. read more

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Southwestern art and more at the Heard. Tours are provided too. Learn more about Indian and the southwest. Recommended read more

Heard Museum - Fritz Schloder - Museums Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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This museum is located in what appears to be the 'arts' district of Phoenix - near other art and performing arts venues on the western edge of downtown, I think. They have a large parking lot adjacent and behind the building. We arrived a bit early and explored a sculpture garden / memorial out front related to Native American veterans, which was interesting. The complex is designed around an inner courtyard, so you need to access that to get to the museum, gift shop, or cafe. All the exhibits here are related to Native American culture. Some are older artisan items like belt buckles and silverwork. There is also an extensive gallery of art (paintings and sculptures) either by or depicting Native American themes. There are rotating exhibits on things like concina work. They also featured a gallery related to highlighting the wide variety of different Native American sub-cultures. In addition, they house the collection of Kachina figures amassed by former Senator Barry Goldwater. They have a large variety on display and we were told they had an even larger set stored in the basement that they rotate up periodically. There is also a small outdoor sculpture garden within the museum. Finally, the upstairs was devoted to another rotating exhibit about 'Indian Schools' and their impact on the tribes and children who attended. It was a sad exhibit but worth seeing - a reminder of what large government bureaucracies inevitably lead to. This is worth a visit if you are in the Phoenix area. read more

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What a wonderful visit. The art and history explanations are wonderful, and the docent tour was beyond my expectations for knowledge and ensuring we learned important aspects of the unpretty history of expansion and conquest. Great experience- highly recommend, learned so much in addition to what was already a good foundation. Then, lunch. Wow. Spectacular. Though it was 102 outside the coverings and breeze made the patio comfy for the cerviche (generous portions and tasty beyond belief) and Cesar salad with amazing smoked salmon. Loved it so much I'll go back again later this week just to have that meal again. read more

Heard Museum - Smoked Salmon Caesar salad. 10/10! - Museums Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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This is my "night at the museum" museum. Every time I turned a corner I was in another fantastic room. The craftsmanship and detail evident in the works on display is nothing short of astounding. Weavings, pottery, statues, jewelry, and more were created with a precision I envy. Signs explained techniques used to make some of the things or the use of items you were viewing. Videos were available to give additional information. One area was dedicated to the history and legacy of the Indian schools. I liked that the museum showcased both historical and modern pieces. If you appreciate art and dedicated workmanship, you'll absolutely enjoy this museum. I visited with a 10-year-old child, and we had a fun stop in the kids' room, which has unique activities and a recording of a storyteller. Soon after we left this room we saw a picture which he pointed out was related to one of the stories we'd heard. We made a stop at the café. Our Asian salad with chicken cost under $10 and was large enough to share. I like a lot of flavors in my salads, and this one did not disappoint. Definitely want to return here. read more

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Heard employee named James Greene hit and ran our vehicle while on his bike when he was on his way to work. He proceeded to ride away while flipping us off and even had the gull to flash his Heard ID Badge at us. Made a police report and contacted the museum. I spoke with HR since they haven't responded to any of our emails with the evidence. They also said they aren't going to do anything about their employees damaging cars and flipping people off while showing that they work for The Heard. It was very apparent they wanted to sweep it under the rug and act like nothing happened. Probably because this behavior is tolerated/allowed there. I would avoid this place since its staff is hostile toward the general public. read more

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My husband and I bought memberships to the Heard Museum. This is an intimate museum, showcasing Native American art and rotating exhibits. Don't let the size fool you, it will still take time to go through everything. The rotating exhibit when we went was on Hawaiian surfers. There were longboards and pictures of surfers on display. We felt this exhibit to be out of place. There was another stargazing exhibit which I found to be lackluster with a room showing a 360 view of a nature video. We enjoyed the cafe and may find us going there just to eat! A bit on the pricier side; however, you get big portions and it tastes great. They have a seasonal menu. My margarita was a little watered down but I am open to trying again. Will add reviews for further visits and updates! read more

Heard Museum - Museums Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

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Absolutely outstanding museum regarding Indigenous people! Beautiful arrangement, knowledgeable staff. Super cafe & huge gift shop. Highly recommend. read more

What a treasure for the City of Phoenix! My husband, son and I went today and were greeted by friendly people who were also very informative about the art. The cafe serves the most delicious Avacado Toast, too. read more

Just what I was looking for! Such great insight into Native American culture and history. I love that you can see so much no matter how long you're there for, whether it's for thirty minutes or two hours. There's a gift shop, a cafe, and live music by a two-person Native American band. There's so much to check out, everything from dresses to pottery to jewelry to an exhibit of dolls. Originally came here for the monthly yoga class, which includes your admission to the museum - great deal. Heather did a fine job teaching, and the space they hold the class in is huge, so everyone can be six feet apart. It's a good event to take visitors to. read more

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A great place to see some beautiful Native American items. From paintings, to jewelry and clothes

I recently visited the Heard Museum, and it was such an enriching experience. Their exhibits on Native American art and culture are beautifully curated, and I always learn something new every time I go. read more

Went here on a Saturday afternoon on our way back from Sedona. The museum and the settings are beautiful. Well done. The displays are very nice, but they appear a bit dated in many cases with old pixelated graphics, video that is not de-interlaced, but the content and the stories are great and very informative. The museum store is a treasure trove on nice items made by local native americans. read more

Loved the Heard Museum. Not only were the exhibits interesting, but so was the way they were displayed. I love the way the curved wood panels on the walls give movement and life to what otherwise would be a dead space between exhibits. People, art and historical information are one. Everything was presented in a way that teaches visitors about the Indigenous People of the region. So much is beautiful, while others are heartbreaking. Beauty in things like art and jewelry to everyday items. Make sure to visit upstairs for the exhibits on the boarding schools. A painful look back at the attempt to force convert and whitwash an entire people. There is a room for younger children. Inside are books, tablets and crafts. Interactive moments to teach younger minds. People were helpful and friendly. Exhibits are also made to be user friendly. Along with all the signage, particularly areas have listening devices to learn more. Parking is free. Ample amout of parking is available. Outdoor spaces are lovely as well. These spaces would make for a beautiful event,especially at sunset. So much to see and learn. Stories of past, present and future intersect at Heard. With so much to see and learn, multiple visits are a must. This is one museum in Phoenix that we plan on visiting again. read more

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I went as an Elite and had a great time exploring, learning and educating myself. It was better to go on Sunday as although it's busy, not as busy as it is on Saturdays. I had the chance to watch the mini videos throughout, tour, take photos and really learn the heritage even more so, then I already know. I find that many minorities although, different in race have so much in common!!! I definitely recommend going here and educating yourself, as well as, going to other heritage museums, around the world as it's the inside to really learning culture The only reason I gave it 4 stars was because the sanitizing stains weren't all filled and there isn't real direction on where to go to new able to view every room and everything, as it's all over the place with no direction. Guidance or errors on the ground would be helpful! read more

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If you are really, really, REALLY into southwest pottery and baskets, or a huge fan of Maria, you may really enjoy the Heard. My wife and I were hoping to see more variety, so were underwhelmed, but maybe having grown up in the area, and lived around the cultures, the novelty factor just isn't there in the same way. read more

Oh my! This is a "not to be missed" location if you travel to Phoenix. Beautiful exhibits, fabulous staff and awesome grounds to look at. Be sure to allow yourself a few hours to go through the museum so that you are not rushed. The gift shop has beautiful things to purchase. We will be back! read more

Easy access by train. Larger than expected with traditional indigenous art and modern pieces also. Need to visit if in Phoenix. Nice cafe. Shop is worth a visit if looking for a gift or a piece or original art for your home even if not going to the museum. read more

Recently visited the Heard and enjoyed the collection & shows exhibited. After walking around for a few hours we wanted to go to the cafe for a drink. The hostess refused us entrance because we didn't think we wanted to order food. We were told it was a "full service restaurant " and we couldn't go in without ordering a meal. Shocking, definitely left us with a bad experience. read more

Highly, highly recommended the Heard Museum. So many wonderful examples of ancient and modern art, information and history contained in this space. These are just a smidge of what was displayed (I took way too many photos). The museum shop is wonderful as well, so many pieces of gorgeous jewelry, pottery and art made by Indigenous artists for purchase (if you're a fan of Navajo and Zuni pieces like I am, prepare for your bank account to cry). One gallery was devoted to the first hand accounts of Indigenous children who were forced into the Indian boarding schools throughout the United States. I chose to not post those pictures here as they can be very traumatic and triggering to some. It is definitely something one should see in person. I was tearing up the whole time. I also would like to highlight that this is very much a living museum. Some of my favorite pieces are recently made art works by local artists. If you're ever in Phoenix, this is a must see! read more

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The Heard Museum spotlights American Indian art and history, consisting of 12 exhibition galleries and several outdoor sculpture gardens. I had mixed feelings about the museum - really liked some parts, but felt other parts could've been executed a bit better. The main gallery from the entrance - "Home" - is one of the largest ongoing exhibitions in the museum and likely the first big one that you'll peruse through. You learn about the Native peoples of the Southwest and about their culture and traditions. There is SO much beautiful art and interesting history here, but it felt almost like an information overload? The displays are not set up in a very intuitive order so it wasn't crystal clear how you should be proceeding through the exhibit. This resulted in all of the information being absorbed in a more haphazard way, making it difficult to put all of it together in a larger context of all the different tribes and their histories. There are many smaller rooms and galleries with art on view throughout the rest of the museum, and a few courtyard areas outside with sculptures. I liked the sculptures, but the gardens were not as large as I had expected. However, I was blown away by "Away From Home: American Indian Boarding School Stories", which is an updated installation of an older exhibition that opened at the Heard back in 2000 and focuses on a unique subject (apparent in the name) that is not widely known about but should be. It is a powerful, eye-opening, and very informative exhibit. Compared to the above, I felt like the progression and path through was well-designed and kept both your mind and emotions engaged the whole time. I would give "Away From Home" alone 5-stars if I could! It was hands-down my favorite part, and even though my rating reflects more of my general feelings about the overall museum experience, I would still recommend to visit just to see at least that, if you have the extra time in Phoenix. You can buy tickets in advance online to save $3 and there was plenty of free parking. Our visit lasted about 2 hours in total. read more

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For Christmas I got my wife an Adventure Pack for the state of Arizona. One of the first cards we scratched was The Heard Museum. We were unfamiliar with the place and decided to look it up. Intrigued we packed up the fam and had our first adventure of 2024. The building and grounds of the museum are massive and on a warmer day would be a nice outdoor hang. The art installations inside were very impressive and the kids found it mostly interesting. It took about an hour to make it through the whole museum which was perfect as the attention spans were starting to wane. If you have visitors in town I'd highly recommend a visit! read more

Went there with my family last weekend. It was a nice place and so amazing collection of Native American Art. Lots of interesting things to see. My kids like the place. The boarding school exhibit was fantastic too and extremely well done. The place was well-managed. We spent three hours there. The place was so not crowded too. read more

Beautiful museum and grounds. Well curated and managed. Friendly staff. Many docent led tours. Absolutely worth the entry fee and time. Lovely bookstore, coffee snack bar (has some gluten free options), and cafe. Easy parking and ADA accessible. read more

We had the pleasure to visit the museum again yesterday and share it with family that was visiting. They were in awe of how much information they learned and all the amazing items they were able to experience. This is one of the best museums we have had the pleasure to go to and I love that they update some of the special exhibits so we got to experience something different this visit then we did last year. They no longer required masks, but you can wear them if you choose. I could definitely see myself coming back again. read more

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Great way to spend an afternoon. We enjoyed the art and cultural exhibits. The entire Indian School exhibit was a real eye opener. I never knew about those schools. read more

This is 1 of my favorite museums. Full of native American culture past and present. The exhibits regarding the boarding schools one of my favorite exhibits read more

I had so much fun I loved learning about native pottery, knitting and more very educational and beautiful inside, My favorite part was looking at the stone displays on the outside yard! read more

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The museum has changed since last I was here. It's a gallery now with not much learning about the history of the people and how different tribes formed and migrated. If you like galleries and some light learning it still might be great for you but I wish I came here more when it was different. read more

Excellent museum for learning about the native people of the Southwest. However, some displays could use a bit more lighting, as they can be difficult to read unless you're up close, which can block sightlines for others. read more

This museum is a MUST SEE if you're in Scottsdale! Truly and undoubtedly 5 stars! The Heard presents the culture of the natives of the Greater Basin circa late 17th century through to early 20th century. Their spectacular exhibits capture the Americans who were forced to assimilate to the ways of the world outside of their own and their struggles. The audio self-guided your lends to safe COVID practices. The audio tours are concise and well-scripted! There are videos around the museum that are musts to take in. I cannot say enough of how impressed and moved it made me feel as I learned more. Do take the time to stop in. It costs only $20 to get in. read more

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I've wanted to visit this museum for many years and it was a nice experience. They have an impressive collection of objects including pottery, baskets, regalia, katsinas, rugs, paintings, etc, but nothing I haven't seen before at other southwest museums with indigenous collections. My favorite exhibit was the one about Hawaiian surfboarding. $25 is a steep entry fee and I got here right at 10am to try and avoid the crowds but I only had time to view one gallery before the museum was packed with guests. Lots of kids were on field trips and the tour guides practically took over whatever section they were talking about and kicked everyone else out. It didn't help that most of the gallery spaces had narrow winding hallways which are not very good for lots of people trying to look around or just squeeze by. I got lost several times even with the map because most of the galleries connect to each other and continue upstairs. There were several interactive stations like video displays and touchpads throughout the museum but it seemed like a limited use of technology because most of these features were short on content and could have been a text panel on the wall. Speaking of which, some exhibits had a lot of objects to look at and not a lot to read while other exhibits you're doing nothing but reading. I was here for under two hours and that was speeding through the museum. If I had more time and there were less people, I probably would have been here for 3-4 hours. I'd visit again but only when an event is happening like the Indian Fair & Market or the Hoop Dance Championships. read more

I had not been back to this museum for almost 15 years. It remains a wonderful resource for understanding Southwestern Native American history. However, it is not the museum I remembered from my previous visit. It is even better. They have updated many of their displays to highlight modern native American artists and provided rooms that feature displays of a wide range of south western Indian art, housing, pottery, basketry, and history. One display that impressed me was a multi room description of the history of "Indian schools" that existed from the mid 19th century into the 1980s. It featured photos, video and audio accounts as well a examples of the poor housing and clothes that were forced on the students. read more

Very informative! I was able to learn a ton about Native American history as well as Arizona history. They also have a lot of beautiful art from all over and it's easy to spend many hours inside reading about and viewing the exhibits. The museum is laid out very well and it feels enormous but it is a perfect size. It's housed in a beautiful mission type building and I was very impressed with all of the information provided. I highly recommend it to anyone read more

Heard Museum - Beautiful Mask - Museums Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Have you heard of the Heard? Have you heard a discouraging word where the skies are not cloudy all day? I've even heard of the Heard, and I'm as Native American as Rock Hudson was as "Taza, Son of Cochise". However, I am able to appreciate the mission of this museum, the advancement of American Indian art, because it's an expansive venue showcasing over 40,000 pieces ranging from the majestic glass art fence, Indigenous Evolution (photo: http://bit.ly/2HqYUrg), to the Barry Goldwater collection of Hopi katsina dolls (photo: http://bit.ly/2FCN64R). There was a richness to the collection that made the various cultural presentations feel more resonant. There was over 130,000 square feet to cover, but the Mission-style building never felt crowded beyond the main lobby where they present paintings of the museum itself (photo: http://bit.ly/2Fs7adU). The requisite historical elements were also present and accounted for like how various communities migrated and congregated like the Santa Clara Tewa (photo: http://bit.ly/2Ghp7ZP). Running until mid-April 2018, a special exhibition, "Of God and Mortal Men: Masterworks by T.C. Cannon" spotlights the vivid paintings of a young Kiowa artist who died prematurely at 31 back in 1978 (photo: http://bit.ly/2DlQsY1). Of particular significance is a permanent exhibit meticulously reproducing the 19th-century boarding school experiences of Native Americans who were forcibly removed from their reservations to assimilate into mainstream white society (photo: http://bit.ly/2Hu4NUx). The museum is a most worthwhile stop on any visit to Phoenix, especially since it's so indicative of the region's cultural appeal, and you could do what I did and make it an artsy twofer visit with the nearby Phoenix Museum of Art (review: http://bit.ly/2HwkJWo). So now I can say I've more than heard of the Heard, I've actually used two other senses. I won't disclose which ones. read more

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A huge part of Arizona history. In fact part was very emotional. When going through Native boarding schools and what these children went through broke my heart as I am a teacher. The land that was taken and the result of it. Such a Ritch culture true Americans I wish schools thought more about the real first Americans. Was watching in Pamela's from bravo Top Chef came to AZ to embrace our native culture and food. It was so cool. read more

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Wonderful place to learn local history and other cultures when special exhibits are brought in. 2 gift shops, a restaurant and coffee cantina plus gardens, outdoor sculptures and indoor museum, plus auditorium for speakers and performers. Spent two wonderful days here learning and exploring. read more

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I had been told that this museum had an amazing array of native American artifacts, original traditional dress, sculptures, paintings, pottery, jewelry along with a wing upstairs dedicated to Manifest destiny so I was eager to see it for myself. The bottom floor has numerous interesting displays of Hopi, Navajo, Apache, etc. tribes with explanations on each nations history of where and how they lived, what they ate, parenting/teaching methods, weaving, story telling, spiritual beliefs, jewelry making and much more information on their cultures. We took a 30-40 minute tour from a knowledgeable docent which was very helpful. I took many pictures and spent a lot of time reading about each culture downstairs. There are paintings in a separate room which reminds you of a typical art gallery, another of award winning dolls and more. It is very comprehensive in this part of the museum. The upstairs mostly is about the plight of the native American cultures at the hands of European settlers. Manifest Destiny, splitting families, reservation relocation, "Americanizing" of the kids in Indian schools, punishment and all the rest is displayed. It is educational and depressing at the same time. The museum is well worth the money ($72 for four people) in my opinion and can be seen in about 2.5 hours. read more

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A very large campus. (Plenty of free parking). A large complex of buildings. A small space devoted to galleries. You pay $25 for the privilege. Is that a good deal? No way. If I wanted to hold a banquet or a lecture, renting their auditorium or other big spaces would make a great deal of sense. But if you are interested in Native American artifacts, you can spend 1.5 hrs roughly, and you will have seen all that there is. A number of galleries were either closed, or completely empty, see photo. So maybe they normally have more going on?? But then they should do what other museums do in such circumstances, and not charge you the full admission price. One of the main exhibits is on Indian Schools. This is extensive, colorful, and informative. But wait...One of the main E-W roads in Phoenix is Indian School Road. So...surprise Mr/Ms exhibit designer!...this road was thus named since there was once an Indian School there. So there was an Indian School right in the heart of Phoenix!!! Why in the world is there not an entire display case giving the whole history, from opening to closing, of that local school??? Did you just run out of time and had to finish early??? In the same vein, we're told that there were hundreds of these schools in their heyday, but only a handful remain now. That alone would be a fascinating story. Wouldn't you want to find out about the history of closing down these schools? I would, but I doesn't happen at the Heard Museum. If any of you have been in DC and saw the National Museum of the American Indian, you have seen the great museum on this topic. You will find the Heard to be unsatisfactory and way overpriced. If you have not, well then if you must see every nook and cranny of public spaces in Phoenix, then I suppose you should come here. The cafe is perfectly nice and has enough of a choice of foods even for pescatarians. But actually if you just want to have lunch, you can go the the cafe and don't have to pay admission to eat there. I am being generous with the 3 stars, partly due to the nice cafe. read more

Heard Museum - The biggest gallery is a Zen installation (that is, it is EMPTY). - Museums Near Me - Phoenix, Arizona

Plenty of history and artifacts of various southwestern tribes. Be sure to set aside at least 3 hours to do it right...includes outdoor sculptures and several galleries. Bonus if there is cultural events on the lawn! read more

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