Arizona History Museum

The Arizona History Museum is near the heart of the Tucson metropolitan area. The museum displays the stories and artifacts of Arizona legends like Geronimo and Wyatt Earp, as well as Mexico’s Emperor and Empress Maximilian and Carlota. A mining tunnel and a hands-on re-creation of Tucson in the 1870s are among the family-friendly exhibits. Distinctive lectures and annual events are held at the museum. It is a popular destination for Arizona history researchers because it houses the Arizona Historical Society’s library, archives, and artifact collections.

The museum is focused on southern Arizona history from Spanish colonial through territorial eras.  Take a look back at life as a frontier Arizona army post and move forward from there.  This will not only be an educational stop, but you will enjoy being able to see the change in Tucson to the present-day community it is.

There are inner-active displays for you to enjoy as well as traditional exhibits for you to see.  You will be able to see an underground copper mine, the archeology of downtown Tucson and the typical mode of transportation, the stagecoach.  You will see the rifle owned by Geronimo which is on display.  There is also the display of 18th-century Spanish silver artifacts.

The museum store is an excellent source for unique books and gifts relating to the history and culture of Southern Arizona. The store features rare, out-of-print, and used historically and locally themed books, handcrafted items made by local artists, Mata Ortiz pottery, and Native American crafts.

The AHS Downtown Museum exhibits depict early Tucson businesses and homes, including drugstores, police and fire departments, and the Romero barbershop.  It is all waiting there for you to enjoy so when you are in the area, stop in and take a stroll through the history of Tucson.

Downtown History Museum

Tucson
140 N. Stone Avenue
in the Wells Fargo Bank building
Tucson, AZ
Phone: (520) 770-1473
Email: [email protected]
Hours: Tues. – Fri. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

General Admission:
Adults $3
Ages 60+ $2
Ages 12-18 $2
Ages 11 and younger free
AHS Members free
Two-for-one admission the first Tuesday of each month

Not only is there the Downtown Museum but also the Fort Lowell Museum where you will enter the reconstructed Commanding Officer’s quarters of Old Fort Lowell, originally established in 1873 and now an ideal location to house the history of military life of the Arizona frontier.

Fort Lowell Museum

The Fort Lowell Museum features one-of-a-kind exhibits and hands-on activities for adults, families, and children…and it’s also pet-friendly! Visitors can explore Army life during the Apache wars and try their hand at crafts such as soap and candle making in a replica adobe officers quarters from the 1880s. The museum is an excellent starting point for a walking tour of Fort Lowell public park, which includes Hohokam Indian sites, a historic neighborhood, picnic areas, and a playground.

Tucson
2900 N. Craycroft Road
Tucson, AZ
Phone: (520) 885-3832
Email: [email protected]
Hours: Fri. – Sat. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

General Admission:
Adults $3
Ages 60+ $2
Ages 12-18 $2
Ages 11 and younger free
AHS Members free
Two-for-one admission the first Saturday of each month.

Sosa-Carrillo-Fremont House Museum

There is also the Sosa-Carrillo-Fremont House Museum which is a historic adobe house built in the 1870′s.  It is decorated with furnishings from the 1880′s and offers displays highlighting Hispanic pioneer culture and life.  It is located in the Tucson Convention Center Complex and offers self-guided tours, a gift shop, and guided tours of various downtown historic districts.