Monica E.
Yelp
Part of the Arizona Historical Society, the museum is a preeminent source for information about the region's past.
Grab your visiting seniors and tiny children. It's going to be hours of a brain-expanding, educational experience!
To do -- do not use street parking, unless you are planning on a 30 minute visit. Instead, park down the street (heading west, one block) in the UA's Main Gate Garage off of Second and Euclid. There is a lot specifically for museum visitors and, once you pay your fee at the museum counter, you will be provided a slip to exist the parking garage at no cost.
Now to the goods.
The museum is situated on mostly the ground floor, with an extra mezzanine level. Both are wheelchair and carrier accessible. But, for some reason, you have to ask the receptionist in the lobby if you would like to use the elevator to get to the mezzanine.
Back to the offerings.
The museum has more than one dozen small sections. You can learn about:
John T. Joelser, an architect who designed the original museum, and the 150+ year history of the museum, with a collection of Spanish Colonial silver, photographs, personal items and artwork.
The Mexican revolution, and Geronimo. The museum even has several guns Geronomi owned.
The Silverbell Artifacts, a collection of several dozen pieces found in the 1920s. The origins of these artifacts are unknown. Some say they provide evidence that a colony of the Holy Roman Empire must have been in the Tucson area during the 8th or 9th century. Fascinating.
Arizona's mining history, with an actual replica of an underground mine that is creepy as all get out! With mannequins hiding in the cut and everything! My favorite, though, were the minerals on display. Wulfenite, cerussite, malachite and more. What a treat!
How people lived decades upon decades ago. What is apparently obvious is that native folk and the early settlers were teeny-tiny people. The shoes, the beds, the desks -- everything is child sized.
The exhibitions obviously have not been updated for years upon years. But it is a treasure trove for researchers and curious minds.
The museum's Research Library and Archives is available Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Also know that this is only one of the Arizona Historical Society's museum. Others are found in other parts of Tucson and also in Tempe, Flagstaff and Yuma. Others in Tucson include the Fort Lowell Museum and the Downtown History Museum.
Interested in signing up for or gifting a membership? Fees are $50-$1,000, depending on the level you prefer. There's even a household level. Students can sign up for a $25 membership.
And bonus: The museum has a lovely courtyard area that is perfect for reading, quiet time and meditation. There is a water fixture that makes a lovely sound, and a small watercourse said to hold Arizona pupfish. I did not spot any during my visit.