Arizona Historical Society Awarded Re-Accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums The Arizona Historical Society (AHS) has achieved accreditation by the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), the highest national recognition afforded the nation’s museums. Accreditation signifies excellence to the museum community, to governments, funders, outside agencies, and to the museum-going public. The Arizona History Museum […]

The Arizona Historical Society (AHS) announces the departure of Executive Director W. James Burns after three years with the agency. Burns will assume the role of Executive Director of Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West in the fall of 2021. Burns’ departure from AHS will be coordinated to ensure a smooth transition to new […]

When you think about Chinese people in Arizona or the West, what comes to mind? Perhaps it’s the iconic Dragon Gate marking the entrance to San Francisco’s Chinatown. Maybe you recall something from an Arizona history class in high school about how the Chinese helped build the railroads. Or maybe it’s a glimpse of Chinese […]

As early as 1905, Japanese immigrants moved to Arizona with the intent to farm the land. They first planned to establish a sugar beet farm; but this crop would fail to thrive in the heat, and many Japanese farmers left the state by 1915. Despite the difficulty, new farmers continued to arrive, including Kajuro Kishiyama […]

April 6, 2021, is a big day — so save the date! We’ll be participating in #AZGivesDay, a 24-hour day of statewide giving, and would appreciate your support. Please help us spread the word — or, even better, make an early donation now at https://www.azgives.org/arizonahistoricalsociety! The COVID-19 pandemic forced the Arizona Historical Society to close […]

Welcome to the Arizona Historical Society In the months before the pandemic hit, the Arizona Historical Society was creating a video project that showcased the power of Arizona history through our museums, programs, and exhibits at AHS properties across the state. As with many projects, events, and gatherings, we put the video on hold until […]

It was an exciting evening at the Pioneer Hotel on December 20, 1970. Hughes Aircraft, now Raytheon, held their annual Holiday Party in what was one of Arizona’s premier hotels–hundreds of people were in attendance. Winter visitors from all over the US and Sonora were either snuggled up in bed or enjoying the holiday festivities. […]

It started suddenly. Few people, if any, saw it coming. Even the ones who knew it was coming, some doctors perhaps, couldn’t predict the ferocity of the virus that was spreading across the globe. One day, everything was normal. The next day, suddenly, there were 24 cases of the virus in Tucson. The numbers soon […]

Certified Historical Institutions Awarded Grants to Support Local History Projects The Arizona Historical Society (AHS) awarded $35,434.69 in grants to 28 Arizona museums and organizations. This annual grant program supports preserving, interpreting, and promoting Arizona history with Certified Historical Institutions across the state. This year’s grant awards include scanning equipment and software to digitize photographs […]

Starting A ConversationSometime between closing on November 4th and opening on November 5th, the two statues―honoring John Greenway and Padre Eusebio Kino―in front of the Arizona History Museum in Tucson were painted with red spray paint. As a history institution, we paused to reflect on what this means.  First, we have to ask questions about […]