Throughout the state of Arizona a variety of museums can be found. Historians will love the Pioneer Living History Museum, children of all ages can interact with hands-on exhibits at the Arizona Science Center and cowboys can't get enough of the Phippen Museum of Western Art.

Arboretum at Flagstaff
4001 S. Woody Mountain Road, Flagstaff 86001
(928) 774-1442 www.tharb.org
The Arboretum is a 200-acre botanical garden with one of the largest collections of high country wildflowers in America and home to 100 species of birds.

Arizona Capitol Museum
1700 W. Washington St., Phoenix 85007
(602) 542-4581 www.lib.az.us/museum
This historic copper-domed building has served as the capitol since Arizona was a territory. It's historic exhibits attract visitors today.

Arizona Doll and Toy Museum
7th and Monroe St., Phoenix 85004-2351
(602) 253-9337 www.azcama.com/museums/doll&toy.htm
A constantly changing scenario of dolls and toys from yesterday as well as familiar modern collections from today. An authentic schoolroom from 1912 features antique dolls as the students.

Arizona Historical Society Museum
1300 N. College Ave., Tempe 85281
(480) 929-0292 www.arizonahistoricalsociety.org
The Arizona Historical Society has the world's largest collection of Arizona history artifacts, documents, and photographs.

Arizona Museum for Youth
35 N. Robson Street, Mesa 85201
(480) 644-2468 www.ci.mesa.az.us/amfy
The Museum features art and activities that introduce basic aesthetic principles to children and their families. A "first" museum experience-the Arizona Museum for Youth introduces the "Art Museum" concept to kids.

Arizona Railway Museum
399 North Delaware Street, Chandler 85244
(480) 821-1108 www.azrymuseum.org
The Arizona Railway Museum is a community effort towards the acquisition, restoration, preservation and display of railway equipment, artifacts and mementos related to Arizona railways of the past and present.

Arizona Science Center
600 East Washington Street, Phoenix 85044
(602) 716-2000 www.azscience.org
The Arizona Science Center offers hands-on, eye-opening fun with more than 300 interactive exhibits, a state-of-the-art planetarium, five-story giant-screen theater, live demonstrations, and traveling exhibitions.

Arizona Sonora Desert Museum
2021 N. Kinney Rd, Tucson 85743
(520) 883-2702 www.desertmuseum.org
Explore the desert paths while you encounter desert animals, hummingbirds, boojums, and much more amidst the beautiful Tucson mountains. Learn how people live in harmony with the natural world by fostering love, appreciation, and understanding of the Sonoran Desert.

ASU Art Museum/Ceramics Research Center
ASU Main Campus - Nelson Fine Arts Center 10th St. & Mill, Tempe 85287
(480) 965-2787 http://asuartmuseum.asu.edu
As part of the Herberger College of Fine Arts at Arizona State University, the museum serves a diverse community of artists and audiences through innovative programming that is interdisciplinary, educational and relevant to life today. The museum was named "the single most impressive venue for contemporary art in Arizona" by Art in America magazine.

The Bead Museum
5754 W. Glenn Drive, Glendale 85301
(623) 931-2737 www.beadmuseumaz.org
Home to more than 110,000 beads, the Bead Museum features beadwork as well as the extensive history of beads. Appealing to men, women and families, everyone will enjoy this fascinating experience as permanent and changing exhibits reveal the bead story.

Biosphere 2 Center
32540 S. Biosphere Road, Oracle 85623
(520) 838-6200 www.bio2.edu
In addition to research and education, the Biosphere 2 Center offers visitor services on its campus that encompasses more than 250 acres of beautiful Sonoran Desert. Biosphere 2 was privately constructed in the late 1980s to discover if eight people could sustain themselves in a sealed, energy-rich environment. Biosphere 2 Center is one of eight centers in The Earth Institute at Columbia University.

Boyce Thompson Arboretum
37615 U.S. Highway 60, Superior 85273
(520) 689-2811 www.ag.arizona.edu/BTA/
The oldest and most spectacularly situated arboretum and botanical garden in the American Southwest, the Boyce Thompson features a 320-acre collection of desert plants. It brings together plants from the Earth's many and varied deserts and dry lands and displays them alongside unspoiled examples of the native Sonoran Desert vegetation.

Center for Creative Photography atThe University of Arizona
1030 N Olive Road, Tucson 85721-0103
(520) 621-7968 www.creativephotography.org
The Center for Creative Photogrphy is an archive, museum, and research center dedicated to photography as an art form and cultural record. The center's vast collection includes more archives and individual works by 20th-century North American photographers than any other museum in the nation.

Challenger Learning Center
21170 N. 83rd Ave., Peoria 85382
(623) 322-2001 www.challenger.org
Visit the final frontier at this world-class space-science education facility. The center features a mission control room modeled after NASA's Johnson Space Center and offers simulated space missions.

Chandler Historical Museum
178 E. Commonwealth Ave., Chandler 85244
(480) 782-2717 www.chandlermuseum.org
The Chandler Historical Museum houses a variety of interesting displays and archives that link the city of Chandler to its past.

Cosanti Foundation - Paolo Soleri Windbells
6433 Doubletree Ranch Road, Scottsdale 85253
(480) 948-6145 www.cosanti.com
An Arizona historic site, Cosanti is a unique complex of concrete structures designed and constructed by Paolo Soleri. Visitors may browse the studios where the Soleri Windbells are made and sold.

Deer Valley Rock Art Center
3711 W. Deer Valley Road, Glendale 85308
(623) 582-8007 www.asu.edu/clas/anthropology/dvrac
View 1,500 ancient American Indian carvings. Museum, petroglyph site, nature preserve.

Desert Botanical Garden
1201 North Galvin Parkway, Phoenix 85008
(480) 941-1225 www.dbg.org
Nestled amid the red buttes of Papago Park, the Desert Botanical Garden hosts one of the world's finest collections of desert plants. The Garden features 50 acres of beautiful outdoor exhibits, 139 rare, threatened and endangered plant species from around the world and a myriad of lectures, demonstrations, and workshops on a wide range of subjects including desert landscaping, ethnobotany, natural history, natural crafts, art, photography, children and family programming and desert living.

Desert Caballeros Western Museum
21 North Frontier Street, Wickenburg 85390
(928) 684-2272 www.westernmuseum.org
Feel the excitement of the desert frontier like never before. You'll find western art, cowboy gear, and Native American arts, plus period rooms and dioramas from Arizona's territorial era. Come discover the 'West as it was' in Arizona's Most Western Museum.

Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West
12621 N. Frank Lloyd Wight Blvd., Scottsdale 85261
(480) 860-2700 www.franklloydwright.org
Often acclaimed as the greatest architect of the 20th century, Frank Lloyd Wright discovered the Arizona desert in the late 1920's. By 1937 he built a permanent home, studio and architectural campus on 600 acres of desert land in the foothills of the McDowell Mountains. Taliesin West is open to the public for a variety of tours and still serves as a working school for aspiring architects.

Glendale Arizona Historical Society
Manistee Ranch - 5127 W. Northern Ave
Sahuaro Ranch - 9802 N. 59th Ave
(623) 435-0072
Discover Glendale's Best Kept Historic Secrets and enjoy outstanding tours of two National Register sites - the 1897 Manistee Ranch and the 1898 Guest House at Sahuaro Ranch.

Glendale Police Museum
6821 N. 57th Avenue, Glendale, AZ 85301
(623) 937-8088
Tours are free every Monday and Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call for group tours. Information.

Hall of Flame Museum of Fire Fighting
6101 East Van Buren St., Phoenix 85008
(602) 275-3473 www.hallofflame.org
The Hall of Flame Fire Museum and the National Firefighting Hall of Heroes has almost an acre of fire history exhibits, with more than 90 fully restored pieces of fire apparatus on display, dating from 1725 to 1969.

Heard Museum
2301 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix 85004
(602) 252-8848 www.heard.org
Experience the Southwest at this internationally acclaimed museum featuring Native American art and culture. Sources for the Heard Museum's 35,000-piece collection range from prehistoric artifacts to contemporary pieces. Also, visit the Heard Museum North in North Scottsdale and the Heard Museum West in Surprise (opening Summer 2006).

Historic Sahuaro Ranch Museum
9802 N. 59th Ave., Glendale 85302
(623) 930-4200 www.sahuaroranch.org
Enjoy the 1885 homestead that is one of the oldest and best-preserved examples of early ranches in the Salt River Valley. All the original restored buildings are open to the public October-May. The lush grounds and gardens are open each day for walking tours dawn to dusk.

House of Broadcasting, Inc. (Radio & Television Memorabilia)
7150 E. Fifth Avenue, Scottsdale 85251
(602) 944-1997 www.houseofbroadcasting.com
The House of Broadcasting Museum offers a compendium of paraphernalia from Arizona's television and radio industry.

Lowell Observatory
1400 West Mars Hill Road, Flagstaff 86001
928-774-3358 www.lowell.edu
Founded in 1894, the Observatory remains an excellent window into astronomy with informative daytime tours, nighttime telescope viewing, an interactive exhibit hall and multimedia shows. Lowell Observatory was the first astronomical observatory in Arizona. The areas dark skies and high elevation make for ideal viewing conditions. The telescope used in the discovery of Pluto is on display at the observatory.

Marty Robbins Glendale Exhibit House
5804 W. Myrtle Ave, Glendale 85301
(623) 847-7047 www.FriendsofMartyRobbins.org
Visit this unique museum honoring Glendale born and country music legend Marty Robbins. Tours are free Tuesday-Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm.

Mesa Southwest Museum
53 N. Macdonald, Mesa 85201
(480) 644-2230 www.ci.mesa.az.us/swmuseum
Arizona's premier museum of cultural and natural history, the Mesa Southwest Museum explores the Southwest's history from before dinosaurs roamed the Earth to the present day.

Museum of Northern Arizona
3101 North Fort Valley Road, Flagstaff 86001
(928) 774-5213 www.musnaz.org
Let the Museum of Northern Arizona be your gateway to understanding the richly diverse cultures, landscapes, and ecology of the Colorado Plateau through exhibits (in seven galleries), summer festivals, outdoor adventures, and hands-on programs. The museum offers interaction with Native cultures, artistic traditions, and natural sciences (including the secrets of dinosaurs, volcanoes, and prehistoric people) from northern Arizona and the Four Corners region.

Phippen Museum of Western Art
4701 Hwy. 89 North, Prescott 86301
(928) 778-1385 www.phippenartmuseum.org
This museum perpetuates the unique heritage, mythology, and influence of American Western Art. Features rotating exhibits quarterly, educational programs and special interest groups from specialists across the country.

Phoenix Art Museum
1625 N. Central Avenue, Phoenix 85004
(602) 257-1222 www.phxart.org
The largest visual arts museum in the Southwest hosts international exhibitions and features more than 16,000 works of art in its collection.

Phoenix Zoo
455 N Galvin Pkwy, Phoenix 85008
(602) 273-1341 www.phoenixzoo.org/zoo
The Phoenix Zoo, one of the nation's largest non-profit zoological parks, is home to more than 1,300 animals, including 200 endangered or threatened birds, mammals and reptiles from around the world.

Pima Air and Space Museum
6000 East Valencia Road, Tucson 85706
(520) 574-0462 www.pimaair.org
The Pima Air & Space Museum is the world's largest privately-funded aerospace museum. The Pima Air & Space Museum's collection has more than 250 aircraft on display occupying 80 acres of land.

Pioneer Living History Museum
3901 West Pioneer Road, Phoenix 85086
(623) 465-1052 www.pioneer-arizona.com
Visit more than 90 acres of an old 1800's town, with no cars or smog! Just authentic buildings and historically accurate reproductions. See the Opera House where Lilly Langtry sang; look through a rifle port in the actual cabin that survived Arizona's bloodiest range war; laugh your way through a melodrama or browse through an 1890's dress shop.

San Xavier del Bac Mission
1950 W. San Xavier Road, San Xavier District (9 miles from Tucson)
(520) 294-2624 www.sanxaviermission.org
One of the Most beautiful of all Spanish Missions in the American Southwest, San Xavier del Bac (known as the "White Dove of the Desert" is a blending of Moorish Byzantine and late Mexican Renaissance architecture. The church houses many paintings, statuary and other artistic objects.

Scottsdale Historical Society
7333 Scottsdale Mall, Scottsdale 85251
(480) 945-4499 www.scottsdalemuseum.com
The Scottsdale Historical Museum, located in the 1909 Little Red Schoolhouse, chronicles the city's history with photographs, artifacts and changing displays. Group tours and speakers are available.

Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art
7374 East Second Street, Scottsdale 85251
(480) 994-2787 www.scottsdalearts.org
Hungry for art that pushes the boundaries? The newest major art museum in the area does exactly that, with changing exhibits that challenge, entertain and oftentimes mystify.

Sirrine House Historic Museum
160 N. Center St., Mesa 85201
(480) 644-2760 or (480) 644-2230 www.mesasouthwestmuseum.com.
The Sirrine House was built in 1896 and has been restored as accurately as possible to represent the first years after the turn of the century, with actual period piece antiques and collectibles which are authentic to the time. Imagine stepping back into time to visit a Mesa home of more than 100 years ago.

Smoki Museum of American Indian Art and Culture
147 N. Arizona St, Prescott 86304
(928) 445-1230 www.smokimuseum.org
Artifacts and contemporary examples of Native American craftsmanship are being protected and preserved at the Smoki Museum of American Indian Art and Culture. In addition, there is a trading post and library and group tours are available.

Tempe Historical Museum
809 E. Southern Ave., Tempe 85282
(480)350-5100 www.tempe.gov/museum
The Tempe Historical Museum is a center where the community comes together to celebrate Tempe's past and ponder the future.

Titan Missile Museum
1580 West Duval Mine Road, Green Valley 85614
(520) 625-4759 www.pimaair.org
The Titan II is a second-generation liquid fueled ballistic missile and the largest Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) ever developed by the United States. The Titan Missile Museum is the only Titan II site that remains intact after the other 53 sites were phased out. When you visit the Titan Missile Museum, you travel through time to stand on the front line of the Cold War. Learn about the history of the Titan and its deadly nuclear delivery capability; visit the 'hardened' command center and view the once deadly missile crouched on its launch pad.

Tucson Museum of Art & Historic Block
140 N Main Ave, Tucson 85701
(520) 624-2333 www.tucsonarts.com
The Tucson Museum of Art has been a collecting museum for more than twenty-five years with more than 7,000 pieces.

The Vision Gallery
80 S. San Marcos Place, Chandler 85225
(480) 917-6859 www.chandleraz.gov
Serves as a cultural center in the heart of Chandler. It is a non-profit art gallery located in Historic Downtown Chandler and managed by the Chandler Cultural Foundation. The gallery represents more than 200 national, state and local artists, and the exhibits are rotated every six to eight weeks, and all artworks are for sale.

West Valley Art Museum
17420 N. Avenue of the Arts, Surprise 85374
(623) 972-0635 www.wvam.org
Contains more than 4,000 items from more than 90 countries with a key focus on Ethnic Dress, Textiles and Ethnographic Arts.

Wildlife World Zoo
16501 W Northern Ave, Litchfield Park 85340
(623) 935-9453 www.wildlifeworld.com
Since 1984 one of the Wildlife World Zoo's primary goals has been to educate Arizonians about all kinds of animals. They teach them about the importance of animals in our ever growing world and the importance of preserving them. At Wildlife World Zoo you can see Arizona's largest exotic animal collection including penguins, giraffes, zebras, tigers, lions, deer, kangaroos, gibbon apes, monkeys, camels, a rhino, and so much more.

Xeriscape Botanical Garden
5959 W. Brown, Glendale 85302
(623) 930-3596, www.glendaleaz.com/waterconservation
Award-winning garden contains approximately 1,000 trees, shrubs, cactus and more. Listening wands can be checked out inside the library for a self-guided garden tour. Plants are identified by common and botanical names. Many are low-water use and excellent for Arizona gardens. Free landscaping brochures are available inside the library. Check out the water conservation Web site for an online tour of the garden. Open to the public dawn to dusk.

Zelma Basha Salmeri Gallery of Western American and Native American Art
22402 S. Basha Road, Chandler 85248
(480) 895-5396 www.bashas.com/gallery/index.cfm
This private collection features a vast composite of oil paintings, watercolors, acrylics, pastel and charcoal drawings, pen & inks, bronze, wood and natural stone sculptures, wood-turned bowls, basketry, pottery, kachinas and jewelry. There are well over 600 pieces of art depicting numerous mediums displayed throughout the gallery. The gallery is located at the corporate headquarters of Bashas' Grocery Stores in south Chandler.