The Arizona Heritage Center at Papago Park in Tempe is now open.
Here is what you can expect when visiting the museum:
Welcome to the Arizona Heritage Center
Tucked against the beautiful Papago Park preserve, the Arizona Heritage Center is an oasis in the desert. In the heart of the Valley of the Sun, take the family to discover how the sprawling Phoenix metropolis began.
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Admission:
AHS Members: Free
General Admission: $15.00
Seniors (65+): $13.00
Veterans /Active Duty Military: $13.00
Youth (7-13): $7.00
Children 6 and younger: Free
The Arizona Heritage Center is committed to providing a comfortable environment for all visitors to enjoy the facilities.
Located at the edge of Papago Park in Tempe, near the Loop 101 and Scottsdale Road, our central location is convenient to the metropolitan Phoenix area
Public Transportation
Valley Metro bus service serves the area with several stops near the museum. For more information visit https://www.valleymetro.org/.
City of Tempe Orbit also serves the area, and has a bus stop adjacent to the museum on Weber Street near College Ave. For more information, visit the Orbit website at https://www.tempe.gov/city-hall/public-works/transportation/bus/orbit.
Passenger Unload/Load Zone
There is a 15 minute loading zone at the curb in front of the entrance to the museum. Parking is not permitted in this area.
Parking
There is plenty of free parking at the museum, including numerous handicapped parking spaces. Our handicapped visitors may use the wheelchair accessible ramp located to the left of the stairway entrances.
Wheelchairs
A wheelchair is available free of charge in a first come, first serve basis. Please ask at the lobby front desk. The museum offers accessible entrances, galleries, elevators, and bathrooms for wheelchair use.
Service Animals
Registered service animals are welcome to the museum.
There are no events on the calendar at this time.
The Covid Memorial Quilt, begun by seventh grader Madeleine Fugate, remembers those lost to the COVID-19 pandemic. There are 22 quilt panels on display, each remembering 25 people who have died. Accompanying the quilt are objects and images exploring the parallels between the current COVID-19 pandemic and the historic tuberculosis and polio epidemics in Arizona.
Experience "On Air: The History of Broadcast News in Arizona" the newest exhibit at the Arizona Heritage Center in Tempe. The exhibit tells the story of the early beginnings of broadcast news in Arizona, and follows the dramatic changes in technology and culture from the 1920s to today. Featured objects not only tell the story of Arizona’s growth but also how the state provided the backdrop for some of the nation’s leading stories and trusted faces in broadcasting the news locally and eventually nationally.
The exhibit features Arizona television and radio artifacts and images donated to the Arizona Historical Society by the House of Broadcasting.
Experience a photo journey across Northern Arizona with contemporary artist Katharine L. McKenna. During her gap year from college in upstate New York, McKenna spent the summers of 1977 and 1978 volunteering at the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff. While there, she assisted the museum in collecting woven rugs, pottery, baskets, and jewelry for the museum’s annual Navajo Arts and Crafts show. She documented her experience by journaling and taking photographs of the 24 trading posts she visited, and the countless miles she traveled through the Navajo and Hopi Nations in Northern Arizona.
This exhibition features McKenna’s black and white images and Native American artifacts from the Arizona Historical Society Collections. Visitors can travel along with McKenna and read excerpts from her journal that she kept during this time period. On view through December 2022.
The Historical League is proud to present the 2019 Historymakers Lobby Exhibit. 2019 Arizona Historymakers: Betsey Bayless, Dr. Arthur DeCabooter, Michael J. Fox, Alfredo Gutierrez, Merrill Mahaffey and Vernon D. Swaback. The exhibit will showcase the exceptional contributions the 2019 honorees have made to our state and provide viewers direct access to the amazing oral histories and accomplishments of each diverse group of Historymakers since the program's inception in 1992.
Please use the form below to contact our Museum Educators to ask questions, discuss options for virtual classroom visits, and find resources.
Dreaming of the perfect wedding venue?
Need an auditorium for your theater troupe performance?
Looking for meeting and event spaces for your next corporate event?
You’ll find what you are looking for at the Arizona Heritage Center. Nestled against the base of the Papago Park, the Arizona Heritage Center is a hidden paradise. Outdoor spaces provide scenic desert views and magnificent sunsets. Indoor spaces include a majestic sandstone lobby with grand staircase, auditorium, theater and a variety of meeting spaces.
Whether you are hosting an intimate birthday celebration, or a 2,000 person corporate event, we are just the place for you!
Visit our Meeting and Event Guide for more information.
Contact our Meeting and Event Planning Department at 480-387-5367, email [email protected] or visit us on WeddingWire.com.
Visit the gift shop and select from a wide selection of books, jewelry, bookends and minerals. Kids can select from a variety of children’s books, polished rocks and souvenirs.
We are proud to feature the highly acclaimed, “Tastes and Treasures II, A Storytelling Cookbook of Historic Arizona.” Published by the Historical League, this beautifully illustrated cookbook includes recipes and stories from some of Arizona’s most iconic restaurants and well-known Arizona families. Retail value: $30
Arizona Historical Society members receive a 10% discount off gift store merchandise.
