Nov 2025. The Arizona Capitol Museum was a worthwhile stop during our recent visit to Phoenix. The…read moremuseum, "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.

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.

Deer Valley Petroglyph Preserve In the Phoenix, Sun City area…read more Open 8 to 2 Wednesday through Saturday. There is a small entry fee but I don't mind helping to support the University's work I think it's $5 for seniors. Of course covid has changed everything so you need to check in on the Is hours with the website. There It's very accessible although it's not really a paved ADA wheelchair accessibility A beach wheelchair might do fine if someone was helping to push. It's a gravel trail so seniors that are mobile should have no problem. Families with children should have no problem. It's a little more than a quarter mile down the trail. They seem to be relying on the audio tour inside and outside though I believe it's posted on spotify. It actually makes me a little sad that they're not relying on volunteers or students as much anymore. It seems to be a trend and it's probably related to covid possibly, to modern Digital Culture rather than human interaction culture that I and my generation come from. I'm also sure like everyone else in the service industry it's urban industry they're finding it hard to get volunteers and employees. It reminds me of the self service lines in grocery stores and retail now, It's all about speed and efficiency rather than service. There was an archeological student from the University of Arizona, who was doing some kind of trail sweep who I naturally engaged in a conversation with, she had a wealth of information about the site and she enjoyed talking about it as well as some of the frustrations of trespasser's and worrying about artifact theft and vandalism. There was no one else around so we talked for 45 minutes. When I asked her about her future in archeology she felt that it was probably going to be in museum work cause that was the only place that you could possibly get a salary if you weren't teaching. I always enjoy listening and learning from bright young people about their passions. The rock art was produced by Archaic (before 150 CE,) Hohokam (1 - 1450 CE,) and Patayan (ca. 900-800 CE) cultures. It focuses on the rock art found a short way from the building on an outcropping of basalt boulders found along a quarter mile trail facing southeast. Unfortunately I wasn't smart enough to ask the student about differentiating from the different the different time periods of rockheart and asking her to show me some examples. I really recommend a visit especially for families and seniors of a certain age or for initial cultural markings experience. It's will also help you get oriented to the indigenous culture of the Phoenix area. The museum and interpretive centre discusses the site and its petroglyphs as well as tools and pottery associated with the site and Hohokam culture. Archaeology of the site includes features aside from the rock art which are described in the museum, but are not accessible to visitors. These include the remains of a pit house with middens and cooking areas, and the foundations of two masonry rooms top the outcropping where the majority of petroglyphs were found. It's heartening to see that this site helped to preserve an acreage of desert from encroaching development, the fragility of such sites will only increase with with increased tourism, and they do there best to manage it. A small number of rock art pieces were actually moved to their current location when the nearby dam was built. (All moved pieces are so identified.) The preserve is the result of a partnership by a number of organizations, including the Army Corps of Engineers, Maricopa Flood Control District and Arizona State University. The site is protected and operated by Arizona State University.

It was interesting but many of the petroglyphs were high in the rocks. It made seeing them…read moredifficult. I guess the best part for us was the building. There we could get some information about the peoples that drew them. In my opinion, a better place to see petroglyphs more closely would be at White Tank Regional Park.

Enjoyed the museum. Great variety of exhibits. Truly enjoyed the boarding school. Wish there was…read morearrows to direct us while walking. Not overwhelming, but enough to keep you engaged.

The guides are sincere and cares deeply to remind us of our country's Indian policy without…read morejudgement during the narration. Just the facts, that does not fail to convey the story of our brutality- the facts in its face is enough. Art is subjective and it helps if you're into Native American history which I only have a passing interest which explains the 4 stars.

Scouting through Groupons for things to do inside during the summer and came across Hall of Flames…read more Mostly purchased it as the museum was close to a place I like to eat at. Have to admit, didnt expect to enjoy the museum or leave being impressed as much as I did. What a magnificent collection of beautifully restored and preserved, historic firefighting machines from 1700s and a wonderful journey through international firefighting. Before you even get inside the museum, you are invited to ring the bell outside, this is a preview for some of the great interactive exhibits inside. Great place for kids, truly a lot of stuff for them to dress up in and play with. As you progress from the desk, made from an old fire engine, you start on a journey through some of the most wonderful historical firefighting inventions from all over. Starting with primitive pumps and carts from US, Europe and Japan. Theres a clever use of old firehydrants from all over, as they form the boundaries where the wonderful equipment is housed. The walls are filled with photos, antique drawings, badges, plaques, models of firefighting from all over the world. Progress through several galleries of some wonderful 1880s machines, full engraved chrome and just taking firefighting from wooden pumps to preart-deco beauty. Memorials for 9/11, Yarnell/ Prescott Hot Shots and all US firefighters are displayed throughout including the men and women of the PFD. Around 120-130 firefighters are lost on duty every year, except 440ish for 2001 with 380ish NYFD deaths listed in their own Memorials. Historic helmets from all over the world, photographs and equipment are amongst this impressive collection which is absolutely huge. Bring the kids for plenty of opportunities for them to dress up, sit on select equipment, play with lights, slide down the pole and learn about firefighting. Disabled, no problem. The museum has plenty of scooters, wheelchairs for loaning. Definitely impressed, definitely one place to add to your collection of must sees and definitely take the time to chat to the retired volunteers about the equipment and their experiences.

Magnificent tribute to firefighters around the world and their history!…read more Purchased a groupon to visit this museum for a new experience. With plenty of parking the entrance offers a display of various firefighting apparatus' including a large fire bell with a "Ring Me" sign inviting you to ring it and it is very loud. Once through the front doors you immediately enter the gift shop which offers many children's toys and also trinkets for adults. We never imagined the vast display of firefighting human-powered hand bumpers from the 1800's throughout history. Many steam engine fire trucks Several tributes to fallen firefighters including the Granite Mountain Hotshots and Sept 11th W.T.C. There are opportunities to sit on a firetruck and turn on the lights. Dress up and experience what firefighters wear including your selection of jackets, helmets and boots. We were impressed with the dispatch exhibit including airing live fire station radio calls. Lastly, as we left the museum, Mark at the ticket counter said if we come back we can always call ahead and ask for him and he will provide a private tour. This museum far exceeded our expectations!

Right in the heart of downtown Mesa and crafted with love. I remember having a great time here as a…read morekid decades ago and finally returned for the first time as an adult today. It's still really great, I thought it might feel like a children's museum but not at all. Chock full of artifacts and tons to read and take in. I liked its three winding levels with stairs in the center and the ceiling height display throughout, so charming with its big waterfall and recurring thunderstorms. Parking was super easy in the free garage right next door. The museum was wide open on a Sunday, all families with kids. I'll definitely be returning here solo to take more time, there's a wealth of information on display and you could kill a whole summer afternoon here easily.

This is a WONFERFUL museum for school age children & adults. Our 3 year old grandson enjoyed some…read moreof it, but I wouldn't recommend this museum for toddlers because the exhibits are too advanced. Dinosaur Mountain felt like a bit too much for a three-year-old. The dark rooms, loud roaring noises, and unexpected thunder was overwhelming and scary for him. The museum is three stories with a lot of interactive exhibits. There is an outdoor courtyard where kids can try gold panning. All of the exhibits are engaging - a living, educational experience that helps people understand the past and think about the world today. Staff were great, and readily available for questions. Parking is free and in adjacent covered structure. Annual memberships are very reasonably priced ($100 for four people). Adults or school age children could easily spend 3 hours. We stayed 1.5 hours with our grandson.

I stopped by the Arizona Commemorative Air Force Museum, and this is a pretty cool little museum,…read moreespecially if you're into aviation or military history! The majority of the museum focuses on World War II, but they also have exhibits covering World War I, Korea, Vietnam, and even some more modern military aircraft. There's a pretty good variety of planes and helicopters to check out, including several Vietnam-era helicopters. One of the things I really liked was that they have ladders set up next to a number of the aircraft so you can actually climb up and look inside the cockpits. That's something you don't get to do at every aviation museum, and it's pretty awesome being able to see where the pilots sat and what they were working with. You can also walk through a historic C-47 Skytrain, which is really cool! You get to see the seating and the inside of the aircraft while learning about how these planes were used during wartime. Another highlight was the B-17 bomber. You can walk around it, look into the bomb bay, and see the small ladder and access areas the crew had to use to get inside. It's pretty crazy seeing just how cramped some of these aircraft were. The people working here were all really nice and knowledgeable. I believe most, if not all, are volunteers, which makes it even cooler that they're spending their time helping preserve and share this history. They also have a nice little gift shop with some interesting souvenirs, puzzles, shirts, and other aviation-related items. My only minor complaint would be the admission price. At $20 per person, it's getting pretty close to what I'd consider a little expensive for the size of the museum. It's not a massive place. I spent about an hour and a half walking around, checking out the aircraft, and reading quite a bit of the historical information. You could probably spend longer if you really wanted to read everything. Even with that, I still think it's worth the price of admission. There's a lot of interesting history packed into this museum, and being able to get up close to these historic aircraft makes it a pretty unique experience. Definitely worth checking out if you're interested in aviation, military history, or just looking for something different to do in the Mesa area!

Amazing amount of history here. Exhibits are informative and different aspects of aviation…read more Docents are informative and often add personal experiences to what they share about the aircraft. I left amazed at all I had learned. Highly recommend this for everyone.

This museum was very small, but informative. I liked that it was kid friendly. They had signs…read moreeverywhere that said "please touch." My son was all about this. Barb, the docent, was very knowledgable and friendly.

I love the atmosphere in this museum of regional significance. Water is always an important aspect…read moreof desert life, and these walls tell our story. The partnership with the Ft. McDowell Yavapai Nation is apparent in the displays starting right in the lobby. Sneak a peek at the exciting International Dark Sky Discovery Center dome, which will open later this year, while you are visiting the Museum located on the Fountain Hills Civic Plaza.

Visited: Afternoon while waiting for lunch nearby…read more A fun, informative glimpse into life in Phoenix in the late 1800s/early 1900s. The home is in its original location and hasn't been moved. A lot of parts have been restored and it seems well cared for. You can only explore the Rosson House through a guided tour (about 45-60 minutes), which costs $15 per person. Our guide was knowledgeable and funny (blanking on his name--will add if I remember!). He walked us through the history of the house, the people that lived there, what they used each room for, and the types of possessions they owned. It was interesting to think about what life might have looked like in the late 1800s/early 1900s, and how the rooms evolved over time. The rooms are furnished with a mix of original and period-appropriate items, so it feels immersive and well-curated. We stopped in while waiting for our table at Pizzeria Bianco, and it was a perfect way to pass the time. Overall: A great piece of history, an 1895 house still standing in the middle of downtown Phoenix.

Was in the area from out of town and I wanted to see this beautiful house in person. I wasn't able…read moreto go inside but the outside is so pretty Love all the details. It's truly breathtaking