On September 22, many museums across the U.S. are offering free admission and/or planning special events as part of Smithsonian magazine Museum Day. You can search their list and then download a ticket for a free general admission (good for 2 people) to the participating museum of your choice.
I found 5 Arizona museums – 1 in Tucson and 4 in the Phoenix area – that I’ve visited and would recommend. They’re listed below in alphabetical order, followed by a few bonus suggestions from Indiana, Seattle, and Washington D.C.
While not a museum in the traditional sense, the Desert Botanical Garden participates in Museum Day and was actually where we went last year.
There are cactus and succulent galleries, a wildflower trail, a contemplation garden, exhibits on historical peoples of the Sonoran Desert, cafes with patio seating, and art sprinkled throughout. Located in Papago Park near the Phoenix Zoo, it beautifully showcases the plants of the Arizona desert and is one of the top places I recommend to Phoenix visitors.
Another place at the top of my Phoenix must-see list is the Heard Museum!
It’s an extensive museum of American Indian art, culture, and history, focusing on the tribes of the Southwest. They display both traditional and contemporary art, including jewelry, ceramics, katsina dolls, and textiles. There is also an immersive exhibit on the Indian boarding school experience.
Formerly known as the Arizona Museum for Youth, the i.d.e.a. Museum is an art and science museum with interactive activities and exhibits for kids.
It’s also where I’ve given my journal workshop during Southwest Maker Fest the last few years.
Tucson’s MOCA hosts rotating contemporary art exhibitions in an airy space converted from an old fire station. They also have a fabulous little gift shop with jewelry, prints, and gift items by local artists.
It’s located in Downtown Tucson, just across from the Tucson Convention Center (and Tucson Music Hall, where we saw Riders of the Purple Sage).
SMoCA is an art and event space with a permanent collection and exhibitions in the areas of contemporary art, architecture, and design.
Bonus non-Arizona recommendations:
Fishers, Indiana–
Conner Prairie in Central Indiana is a living history museum that I loved visiting as a kid! I remember candle-dipping demonstrations and sitting in on a lesson in an old-timey one-room schoolhouse. Even though I haven’t been there in years, it made me smile to see it on the Museum Day list.
Seattle, Washington–
The Experience Music Project (EMP) was recently re-named the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP). It makes sense, because, while they do have an atrium devoted to constantly-playing music videos (“Sky Church”), a towering guitar sculpture, and galleries for Seattle legends like Jimi Hendrix and Nirvana, there are also exhibitions on sci-fi, video games, fantasy genre archetypes, and other subjects besides music.
Housed within a striking building designed by Frank O. Gehry, MoPOP is located at Seattle Center, near the Space Needle.
Washington, DC–
I think DC’s lesser-known museums can sometimes get lost in the shadows of the more imposing, free-admission Smithsonian Museums on the National Mall. If the cost of admission is what’s keeping you away, then Museum Day is a great opportunity to finally visit!
My mom and I loved participating in a National Museum of Women in the Arts community day. I hope to visit again and check out more of the artwork!
I very much wanted to visit the Newseum while we were in DC, but I just couldn’t fit it in. It’s a museum about the news, specifically how breaking stories are covered and the importance of a free press.
For more exhibitions and museum events, check out this fall’s Happenings List!
At the Museum of Pop Culture/EMP, we were guests of Visit Seattle.
