The Arizona Heritage Center at Papago Park is excited to announce a new exhibition featuring the photography of 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 […]

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 […]

The Arizona Historical Society holds thousands of precious objects in the collections. We protect and preserve these artifacts that share stories from Arizona history to show how people lived and worked in their everyday lives. Some of these objects are large and some are very small. How did women create their signature beauty looks in […]

Stuck at home? Looking for things to do? Let creativity be your guide this season with the Smithsonian’s new “Winter at Home” learning guide for elementary and middle-school students. The “Winter at Home” Guide includes 40 pages of educational activities, puzzles, and games for kids and families in English and Spanish. Discover your culinary creativity, […]

The Arizona Historical Society is honored to announce the receipt of the Migrant Quilt Project into its collections. Founded in Tucson in the mid-2000s, The Migrant Quilt Project memorializes the stories of migrants who have died seeking refuge in the United States. It is a collaborative effort between artists, quiltmakers, and activists to document the […]

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 […]