Arizona, also called the Great Canyon state, is one of the states in the southwest of the United States. The state is the country’s sixth-largest and fourteenth-most populous state and is best known for the Great Canyon carved by the Colorado River.
The temperature in Arizona is usually hot and humid; it hardly snows in Arizona. The place has too many mountain points attracting visitors for hiking and trekking; Great Canyon and Monument Valley are some of them.
However, if you prefer visiting museums, Arizona will not disappoint you. In fact, It has carefully protected all the heritages and important sculptures in its 140+ museums. Surprised? So many museums, really? Yes, I must say that it’s a perfect holiday destination for everyone. It offers everything from natural trails to parks, canyons, and museums. Here, I’ll tell you about best museums there that you shouldn’t skip. So, let’s begin:
1. Arizona Commemorative Air Force Museum
Well, considering the age group of people reading this article were born after World War II, we certainly do not have enough knowledge about the war and the planes that were used. So to gain that knowledge and watch the planes that we used in the time of war, you must visit this Air Force museum.
A group of volunteers runs the museum, which is next to Falcon Field Airport. These aircraft hold countless war stories; visitors can touch them and climb into these big aircraft and cargo planes.
The Commemorative Air Force Museum displays almost 15 aircraft that were used during World War II and the Vietnam War. The best part is one or two planes are still in service. The visit to this museum is worth it as you’ll never get to experience sitting at the back of the aircraft used in war.
2. Arizona Museum of Natural History
The Museum of Natural History is a perfect family-friendly afternoon place. As soon as you enter the place, you’ll see a giant skeleton of a mammoth that used to roam around in America thousands of years ago. You can look at many more skeletons of dinosaurs and mammal fossils.
This amazing Museum is located in downtown Mesa. It not just displays animal history, but also human history. One part of the museum is dedicated to a European who was the first person to visit Arizona in the 1500s.
The Arizona Museum of Natural History has fossils from every era of Earth’s ancient history. Though many of the skeletons are replicas, there are also some real ones. This is a must-visit place if you have children. As they get to pretend to be a paleontologist and dig the dirt for the long-lost fossils in the Paleo Dig Pit.
3. Arizona Science Centre
This science center is an amazing place to learn about all aspects of Science in just a few hours. This is a fantastic museum for kids and families in downtown Phoenix. The place is known for its amazing exhibits, and over 350 exhibits have been done there. The place has a doomed planetarium theatre to make you feel like you are in space while watching amazing educational videos about the solar system.
This place opens the door of creativity for young minds and makes them learn more about physics, chemistry, and other areas of science. If your kid is interested in science, this is a must-visit place for you and him to explore more about science.
4. Musical Instrument Museum
If you are interested in music, you need to visit MIM, which is called affectionately. Let me tell you that it is home to 8,000 instruments from over 200 countries. The museum has some very rare and expensive collections of musical instruments. The Musical Instrument Museums believe or have faith that music is a language of souls and is a connection to the soul, so they try to display the same in their beautiful musical exhibits, events, and concerts.
The Artist Gallery presents instruments used by famous musicians and performers like Elvis Presley, Jonny Cash, Maroon 5, and many more great musicians. The Museum has a Geographical Gallery that shows musical journeys worldwide with little instruments. The MIM is the top global instrument museum in the world.
5. Navajo Nation Museum
Navajo is a tribe that historically has been the most populous of all indigenous people in Arizona, with rich history stories. The Navajo Nation Museum is located on Navajo land and displays exhibits of artifacts, photographs, and Navajo artwork and jewelry.
Their exhibits feature handmade gems and jewelry from over 80 Navajo Artisans from the southwest. It also includes materials like hand-woven baskets, clothes, photographs, etc. This museum is worth visiting as you’ll need to see and honor the work of Navajo people who have lived here for centuries.
6. Heard Museum
Heard Museum is one of Phoenix’s first museums and a cultural attraction spot. The Museum was founded by Maie Heard a few months after his husband Dwight Herad’s death.
I’ll tell you the small story behind it. The museum opened in 1929; at that time, opening a museum as a widow was not something society appreciated, but still, Miss Heard took the risk and opened a museum to collect her art, and the risk was worth it. Since then, the museum has gone through several expansions and renovations.
Today, it is one of the premier museums for Native American art in the world. The Museum brings more than 40 thousand visitors every year and has an outdoor area showcasing art mode on stone and sculptures. The museum carries the legacy of museums in Phoenix. Also, a lot of dance and music exhibitions happen in the museum.
7. I.D.E.A Museum
As the name suggests, the I.D.E.A Museum is all about kids, and if you don’t have you should probably avoid visiting this place as they have some amazing interactive exhibits for the children to enhance and develop their young growing minds with some learning skills.
Early mind development lessons and some learning about science, and the best part is this is all done in a fun way so children can have fun as well as they learn. They even get activity kits to take back home.
To your shock, the exhibitions keep changing, so there is something new and unique for you and the kids every time you go. The recent exhibition was called “Robot Arts,” which allowed the kids to learn more about the robot’s functions, mechanisms, and many more operation
This exhibition was so much fun for the curious-minded kids. The goal of this museum is to bring back the creativity in kids. That’s why their website offers some in-home activities to nurture young minds.
These were the seven most amazing and fascinating museums in Arizona; this list might contain the popular ones, as the list of museums is never-ending. A state with more than 140 museums is crazy.
Just think about how much they have saved, preserved, and displayed to the world. Every museum has its specialty and uniqueness. That’s why most tourists visit Arizona just for its museum’s beauty and to explore the scenery of the state.
Last Updated on by Pragya Chakrapani
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