Phoenix's Best Museums & Galleries
Broaden your horizons with a deeper understanding of the American Southwest at our most enthralling museums. Browse thought-provoking galleries of modern art and ancient artifacts. Experience world-famous architectural wonders and real Wild West history. From global music to native cultures, discover new learning adventures and awe-inspiring moments at these unique museums in Scottsdale and Phoenix.
Musical Instrument Museum
See the piano where John Lennon composed "Imagine" plus 10,000 other instruments from 200 different countries at this comprehensive museum, ranked one of the top 15 museums in the United States and located just minutes from the resort. It's also home to the world's first Steinway piano and a custom Yamaha guitar from Carlos Santana's collection. Play instruments from all across the world in the interactive Experience Gallery, from a West African djembe to a Peruvian harp!
4725 E Mayo Blvd, Phoenix, AZ 85050
Scottsdale Museum Of Contemporary Art
Discover a global collection of modern and contemporary art, design, and architecture at SMoCA. Located in Old Town and surrounded by boutique Scottsdale art galleries, the museum features a unique "skyspace" where you can experience the changing light and color of the desert sky.
7374 E 2nd St, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Scottsdale’s Museum Of The West
Visit this Smithsonian Affiliate destination and you'll see the West from a whole new perspective where stories come to life through Western and Native American art, artifacts and living cultures. Discover exhibits of Western art, genuine Old West cowboy gear, Hopi pottery across six centuries, and bronze sculptures. Don't miss the Native American buffalo robes, pristine Navajo chief's blankets, Kit Carson's pistol, and the presentation style pipe tomahawk of Captain Meriwether Lewis (of Lewis & Clark expedition).
3830 N Marshall Way, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
Taliesin West
Stroll through the personal residence and school of America's most famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. Completed in 1959, Taliesin West is built from native rocks and merges into the landscape, a stunning architectural gem and National Historic Landmark. Located less than 15 minutes from the resort.
12621 N Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ 85259
Arizona Science Center
Be amazed by the wonders of science in Downtown Phoenix at this hands-on, family-friendly museum with more than 300 interactive exhibits. Catch a show in the five-story theater or go stargazing in the planetarium. Ride the Skycycle, play with electricity, and experience forces of nature like hurricanes and earthquakes.
600 E Washington St, Phoenix, AZ 85004
Pioneer Living History Museum
Wander among 30 historic buildings and reconstructed structures from the 1880s and early 1900s at this museum, which is also known as Pioneer Village. Highlights of this Old West town include a 19th-century bakery, farmhouse, opera house, school, and cabins.
3901 W Pioneer Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85086
Heard Museum
Explore traditional and contemporary American Indian art at this world-renowned museum, which features 12 unique galleries and outdoor sculpture gardens. Join a guided tour to learn more about treasures like Zuni jewelry, Navajo textiles, and prehistoric artifacts of the Southwest. Known for its award-winning exhibits, there is always something new to experience at the Heard Museum.
2301 N Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85004
Wells Fargo History Museum
Learn about Old West history at this Downtown Phoenix museum with a collection of original stagecoaches, gold nuggets, mining relics and the largest collection of Western-themed oil paintings by illustrator N.C. Wyeth. Explore exhibits on the Pony Express and the telegraph, and browse cool old-timey photos and tintypes.
145 W Adams St, Phoenix, AZ 85003