Where to Play in Prescott AZ: Museums

Sharlot Hall Museum
415 W. Gurley Street, Prescott
928-445-3122

Sharlot Hall Museum is dedicated to preserving Prescott's history and presenting it to the public in an interesting and informative manner. The museum is named after Sharlot Hall who was Arizona's first territorial historian as well as a poet, activist and politician. She began planning for a historial museum as early as 1907 and began collecting information on pioneers and Native Americans in the Arizona territory. She began restoring the first Territorial Governor's home and offices in 1927, and when that was accomplished the following year, she moved her collection of documents, artwork and artifacts into those buildings and opened the new museum to the public. Sharlot Hall Museum archives rare books, original documents, photographs, and maps. The photographs which show Prescott's earliest days are particularly interesting when compared to today's downtown plaza streets and buildings. Sharlot Hall Museum is also home to the Blue Rose Theater which offers a variety of plays and performances based on historical documents along with entertaining musicians and poets. Don't miss the Timeless Treasures Gift Shop! Photo courtesy Sharlot Hall Museum.

Phippen Art Museum
4701 Hwy 89 North, Prescott
928-778-1385

When George Phippen, first president of the Cowboy Artists of America, died in 1966, a group of artists were inspired to create a facility that represents artists of the American West. With the formation of the George Phippen Memorial Foundation in 1974, a core group of volunteers began raizing funds to build an appropriate museum. Today the Phippen rotates Western art exhibits quarterly and presents its annual Western Art Show and Sale on Memorial Day weekend at the downtown Courthouse Plaza in Prescott. The Phippen Art Museum is located on the east side of Hwy 89 North, about 7 miles north of Downtown Prescott. Photo courtesy Phippen Art Museum.

Smoki Museum
147 N. Arizona Avenue, Prescott
928-445-1230

One of the unique features of this museum is it was built of native stone and wood and designed to resemble an Indian pueblo. Constructing it was a joint project of the Civilian Works Administration and the Smoki Pople, a group of Prescottonians dedicated to preserving Native American ceremonies and dances. Along with exhibiting work of various artists throughout the year, including jewelry, rugs, baskets and pottery, the Smoki Musuem hosts a permanent collection of 4000-year old artifacts, yavapai baskets, culture, models of dwellings, katsina dolls and Kate Cory's paintings. Photo courtesy Smoki Museum.