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Heard Museum
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2301 N Central Ave
Phoenix, AZ 85004
(602) 252-8848
Phoenix, AZ 85004
(602) 252-8848
Community Second Sunday
Visit the Heard Museum in Phoenix or North Scottsdale…
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- Hours:
Mon-Sun. 9:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
26 reviews for Heard Museum
against proper review etiquette, this is long, but it's art goddammit, paraphrase is heresy!
the museum really exceeded my expectations, and as a student only cost 5 bucks! my experience of native american art is usually confined to an awkward wing within a larger museum where the explanatory placards of the history behind pieces tends to politely gloss over or downplay america's brutality towards indigenous cultures, as though the exhibit were placed there as an obligatory afterthought.
as a museum dedicated entirely to native american art, this place really made their experiences, culture, and struggle palpable. it does a great job blending authentic indian artifacts, like hand woven baskets and jewelry, with contemporary indian art clearly influenced by modern american styles, traversing the complicated, often contradictory relationships between assimilation and tradition. throughout the varying exhibits was this overarching educational narrative that told a deeply human story.
particular pieces that directly depicted or confronted the deep tragedies caused by forced american assimilation were the ones that struck me the most because, as an american, i find a sense of redemption from facing openly the dark history i benefit from. there were positive pieces as well that don't speak toward such loss, refusing to allow a sense of victimization.
but behind everything you could taste blood, especially the current boarding school exhibit that vividly recreates, through firsthand accounts, the experience of indian children being kidnapped from their homes and sent away for years to destitute boarding schools to become "civilized." you walk through different boarding school themed rooms; a dormitory, a classroom, a barber's chair where their long hair was shaved, replete with chopped braids all over the floor, etc. it's eerie as hell, and the whole while black and white photos of the children, most dead, stare at you in desperation. it feels like a haunted house only you know the unsettling emotion is not sourced in superstition.
alas, it's depressing as hell but beneath it all is that undying optimism and story of survival. in the end, it's about how much we lost, as a nation, in our bloodthirsty conquest that could've learned so much from these people. you leave with a sense of sympathy, understanding, and appreciation.
the museum seems small but the space is maximized. when i thought i'd seen everything, i kept stumbling into new rooms. you could probably view it all in 2 hours. check it out!
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We got this note from Allan Houser's estate this morning:
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"The Heard Museum in Phoenix, Arizona will present a major retrospective of Allan Houser's paintings, watercolors, book illustrations, drawings, and sculpture as a tandem exhibition with that of the Desert Botanical Gardens. The Heard Museum exhibition will draw from the extensive collection of Allan Houser artworks (41) in their permanent collection, but will be augmented by 37 works on paper as well as wood, steel, and bronze sculpture on loan from the Allan Houser archives.
"Allan Houser first exhibited at the Heard Museum in 1948 while the earliest dated work in their collection is a tempera painting from 1952 titled "Indian Retreat". In succeeding years they have acquired through purchases and gifts the most extensive institutional collection of Allan Houser's work. Trademark sculptures such as "Earth Song" which sings over the museum's central courtyard, "Heading Home" which has graced the original museum courtyard, and the classic unique steel creations "Buffalo Dancer" and "Navajo" are renowned as some of the Heard collection's major works .
"On loan from the Allan Houser Archives will be exquisite and rare works on paper done by Allan Houser in the 1950's while he was an instructor at the Intermountain School in Brigham City, Utah. These include 8 watercolor paintings and 11 tempera paintings and pen and ink drawings done as book illustrations. These illustrations are among over 150 such works in the Allan Houser archives which originally graced the pages of 7 different children's books published between 1954 and 1962.
"The exhibition shows the explorations and evolving styles of Allan Houser over the course of his 60-year career. Exemplary drawings and sculpture of his later figure studies as well as abstract forms relate his perspective and reference to international influences and modernist sculptors whose aesthetics he absorbed. Works in the exhibition will be on display in the Lovena Ohl Gallery and throughout the museum's public and courtyard spaces. The exhibition continues through August of 2010."
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Since this show hearkens back to the old days, before the Heard lost its way, back when this museum had a unique mission and a well thought out plan, and it involves digging real masterworks by a real master out of the Heard basement, I will up my rating provisionally.
Heading Home is one of the loveliest pieces ever made by anyone. And its in a nice setting, unchanged from the old days. Now it will have a lot of company.
Three Stars
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3 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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7/17/2009
Wow. Three weeks ago, a yelper who is also an employee of the Heard Museum wrote me a note, saying… Read more »
They have some Native American, American, Chinese and European art, but unfortunately they devote far too much space to the modern crap.
I'm sorry, did I say crap, I meant modern "art"? A bunch of colors randomly thrown on a canvas is not art. A bunch of cans or piece of metal welded together to symbolize anger or oppression, is not art. the arts and crafts I did in kindergarten should not be up on the walls of museums. Give me a call when you get some real art
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The Heard Museum is much much bigger than you expect. Well, okay, it was bigger than I expected. Especially after watching a tour go around the native artifacts sections. I kind of followed the tour today and after it was done (~45 minutes) I thought, "Is that all there is here? How sad :("
Yes, I actually thought the frowny face.
Well, then I turned around and saw the gallery that went to Everything Else. Beyond the native artifacts (which are very cool), there is a wonderful gallery of mixed media art, photography, and activities for kids. Even the grounds themselves are wonderful to walk around.
That last part I found out because I was there 45 minutes early. It opens at 11am on Sundays. Ah well, it was all still worth it.
Small, serene, and a good meatloaf sandwich.
Let me just say I realize one does not usually go to a museum, skip the art, and head straight for the cafe.
However, I like to find little retreats from all the craziness. I found this quiet place at the Heard Museum Cafe.
The Heard Museum Cafe is tucked away in the back of the courtyard. The cafe itself is small. The patio dining next to the fountains looks serene. My server was friendly.
The southwestern menu has a variety of items, from appetizers to sandwiches to dessert. There's also a wine list.
I had the rustic meatloaf sandwich with roasted tomato sauce, red onions, and thick sliced white bread. The sandwich was good, but really it was the only thing that stood out.
My overall experience was kind of ordinary. And honestly, that was the best part. I know people don't normally line up for 'ordinary' but what's wrong with a little simplicity in life??
I'll go back another time and try something different, because I'm always in the mood for a quiet getaway in the city.
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I stumbled across this museum while on the way to PAM. With a few hours to kill before our flights, my friend and I decided to stop here instead.
It was a great find and I learned so much. Unfortunately I hadn't learned very much about Native American culture or art in school, but I felt like my visit to the Heard made up for that a little. We had an excellent tour guide who was part Navajo and part Hopi. In addition to giving us a broad overview of Native American history, he also gave us many insights into growing up on a reservation and cultural traditions. As we toured through the galleries filled with basketry, ceramics, and Navajo blankets, he explained that a lot of the names "given" to the tribes by white settlers were simply the result of the two groups not understanding one another. For instance, the Pima tribe is so called because in response to the question, "What are you called?" the people answered, "Pima," which means "I don't know"--as in, I don't know what you crazy people are asking me!
My friend and I had a wonderful time, and I would definitely recommend visiting if you're ever in Phoenix.
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I had so much fun at NU last night! There was an live auction where you could bid on pieces created by the Crafty Chica (Kathy Murillo). Participation was free and you got a vial of Crafty Chica glitter and a glitterific auction paddle just for registering! My favorite part of the night was watching a lady outbid herself (3x) to win the Glitter Bull Dog..lol. Best of all proceeds went to benefit Valle del Sol. NU is by far my favorite event at the Heard!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/16/2009
I love going to the Heard especially for their Native + You event every 3rd Friday. The Heard honors… Read more »
Before you read my review, read David B's. It's much better and more informative. After you finish his, then read mine. Ok? It's because I'm going by memory from 4 years ago and David B. lives in Phoenix and has just been there.
I was born in Scottsdale, went to school in Phoenix and go to Giant's/A's/Angel's/Padre's/Brewer's/Mariner's and now the Dodger's for Spring Training. The desert is in my blood with all of the red sandstone rocks, cactus, roadrunners, and bluebelly lizards. As a child, I would go out and collect boys things... like snakes, crawdads, eggs, aquamarines, agates, spiders, then bring them home to an unhappy Mother. But I also went to school with actual Native-American kids who would wear their cool native clothes and so I got hooked on everything-Indian. Plus, we would go on amazing school field-trips to the local museums. Yea, for getting out of school...
The Heard is known as the other major Phoenix destination besides the Phoenix Arts Museum but I personally feel it is much better. It is world-class in its exhibits of Native American artifacts, such as pottery, katsina dolls, sand paintings, rugs, baskets, textiles, jewelry, blankets, it's all here. If you love American history, especially Indian, you have to come here and soak it all in.
The founders, Dwight and Maie Bartlett, loved their Southwest and therefore collected as much as they could afford, then fulfilled their ultimate dream to share it all with the public in 1929.
Most people don't realize it because not much is taught about them, but our native Indians were so creative and amazing people who had such an artist's heart and desire to express themselves and the Heard really shows their work off to the highest degree. There are 39,000 items of cultural and fine art, including drawings, painting and sculpture. Of all of the possibilities to see when you visit, the core of the collection includes 500 simply incredible Hopi katsini dolls that were on loan from the exclusive Goldwater and Harvey Companies. Ritualistic, religious, complex and often hidden meanings are withheld in each individual katsini and I love them for their mystery. Another exhibit that I love because I am just a big kid is the full-sized Navajo Hogan, the Hopi piki room, the Yaqui ramada and the Pueblo oven. Maybe someday I can sneak in and stay over night.
So, in summary, if you ever visit Phoenix, you have to go to both the Heard and the PAM plus the Taliesin West (I always spell that wrong) building by Frank Lloyd Wright. It isn't all pools, spas, baseball and golf after all.
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I had some time to kill before leaving the desert, and thought I may as well spend the last few hours staying cultured--thus, a trip to The Heard.
I've never been big on museums, but I've come to appreciate them over the years. I can see how walking around looking at paintings and artifacts can be dull to a lot of people, but the history and stories that stand behind them is what's intriguing.
The Heard Museum focuses on Native American culture, a culture that's often been neglected in this country. There are several ongoing exhibits, but I thoroughly enjoyed the one on the boarding school experience; it gave a good glimpse into what young Native Americans had to endure to help them become "Americanized".
The building itself and the grounds are lovely. Maybe I missed something, but the museum portion seemed awful small. I had already gone upstairs and back down, wandering around wondering if there was more. I'm sure it's better if you're not pressed for time. But any visit, regardless of the length, isn't complete without a trip to the their museum shop. It is the place to pick up handcrafted items, including jewelry, from local American Indian artists.
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Almost every major city has an all-purpose art museum showcasing everything from Renaissance painting to contemporary multimedia installations. The Phoenix Art Museum fills that niche admirably. Fewer cities are lucky enough to have a second art museum with a distinctive regional focus. Fortunately, the Heard Museum puts Phoenix in that elite category. The Heard is often stereotyped in terms of pottery, katsinas, blankets, and turquoise jewelry. All of those items are on display at the Heard, but they're only the beginning of the experience.
Since its founding in 1929, the museum has expanded not only in terms of space, but also in terms of mission. The latest expansion not only added several galleries, but also gave the museum a prominent entry along Central Avenue. The previous main entrance on Monte Vista Road fit well with the historic character of the surrounding neighborhood, but was invisible to many locals and tourists alike. With more room and more visibility from the city's major north-south artery, the museum has become bolder and more contemporary. Exhibits of traditional Southwestern native arts and crafts now stand side-by-side with native arts from other regions. One of the most interesting exhibits right now features prints, drawings, and sculpture from the Arctic.
Even art from the museum's home region, the Southwest, is often contemporary at the Heard. A current exhibit features the work of young Native American jewelers who blend their communities' traditions with modern design. There's also a display of striking murals by a contemporary Navajo painter. Thankfully, none of this modern emphasis works against the museum's collection of traditional works. Those looking for the type of Southwestern art collected by the Heards themselves or Barry Goldwater can find plenty of history to keep them occupied.
As the Phoenix Metropolitan Area has grown in all directions outward from the museum's central location, the Heard has done an admirable job of reaching out to the suburbs without compromising its commitment to the core of the city. Satellite locations in Surprise and far north Scottsdale bring a slice of the Heard to those unwilling or unable to make the trip to Midtown, but the museum's allegiance to its main location, which incorporates the original home of museum founders Dwight and Maie Heard, remains intact. This location will become even more accessible in late December 2008, when light rail will stop at Central and Encanto, just a short walk from the museum's entrance.
One personal note about the Heard: The museum's gift shop is a good place for moderately priced jewelry. My original wedding band came from the Heard Museum, and although my ring was replaced with an upgraded model from a name-brand jeweler upon our 10th anniversary, I still keep the original Heard ring as a fond memory of frugal times. Likewise, George Takei, the actor best known for portraying Mr. Sulu on the original Star Trek, and his partner, Brad Altman, recently bought their wedding bands at the Heard as they prepared to take advantage of California's legalization of same-sex marriage. If the Heard is good enough for the helmsman of the Enterprise, it's good enough for me.
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When I have a friend or relative visit from non southwest places they all want to come here and they all love it.
It is set very nicely with good displays and explains a lot of what one might not know.
The gift shop too is a nice stop before we continue on our day.
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Oh for the love of God this place is boring. Pottery and pictures of pottery.
I came here for some tour a few years ago. I was so bored I went outside and took a nap next to giant flower pot. Then I came back here last month for a charity event and also took a nap, this time in the bathroom.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...
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**This place looses a star because I got hasseled for writing this review!!*
The Heard is many things to many people.
For Non-natives it is a place to learn about the various cultures of ancient, recent historical and modern Native Culture.
For Natives of the southwest - it is a place where we are understood and celebrated.
There are so many things I love about this place and I am pleased to share with you my favorite spots in the museum.
- The Navajo Sand painting that is displayed the Navajo Hogan in the Homelands Exhibit. It depicts the Navajo Creation Story and is intricate and beautiful.
- The Hopi Wedding Dress inside the Homelands Exhibit
- The Photograph of the Grave yard outside the Indian School in the Boarding School Experience.
- The Statue of Native women outside the museum.
- The Yazzie Mural inside the We Are exhibit. It depicts the story of the Navajo and Yaqui Tribe's modern history.
-The beaded chucks in the Shoes exhibit! I want a pair!!
When it comes to the Heard's Gift shop: now this place is amazing!! Many of their pieces are authentic and hand crafted. BUT THERE ARE FAKES AMONG THEM!!! Feel free to ask a lot of questions. Even try to negotiate prices. You never know, some of those pieces have been there for YEARS! Demand certificates of authenticity. Ask to know the meaning of symbols and designs. Know what materials they're made out of!
There could be two bracelets that almost identical and one could be silver plated and one could be solid silver. And they could both be priced the same. ASK QUESTIONS!! Ask to try to stuff on. They are usually pretty nice about this, except when it comes to earrings. Many hard to find books can be found here. Whenever someone is doing a research project, the Heard is one of the first places I recommend. I recommend the photography books.
Their exhibits are always changing. So check the website and see what's new. Have fun, bring a friend, and open your mind and see the many wonderful facets of Native American Culture.
****UPDATE****
One of our fellow yelpers Deb K. http://www.yelp.com/us... has sent me private messages asking me to edit my review and I am! She believes and knows that all the pieces are authentic at the Heard's Gift Shop.
She has said and I quote: "Hi Cher, Deb K. here--actually, I do work at the Heard and I can tell you that everything that we sell is authentic." and she even goes on to say, "Maybe you're thinking about those dreamcatchers and whatnots in the back? Even those have to come from a Native-owned and operated establishment. [although I do agree they're kind of tacky, but you know the bilagaanas (White People)...they do like their kitschy stuff]" And what really got me was: "I really feel you should go back and change the part about the shop offering 'fake' items".
As a Native American, sometimes it's a love/hate relationship with the Heard. The Heard is the premier launching pad for non-natives in this city to experience Indian Country but sometimes it comes at a price. We are often objectified and practically forced to share that which is sacred to us. But it's allowed and it's a choice that each Native artist that has dealt with has the Heard made for themselves.
There is an unequal representation of Tribes on display at the Heard, the Navajo exhibit is HUGE at the Heard and yet the O'odham exhibit is medium sized. Even though O'odhams have contributed over $1,000,000.00 to the museum. We don't complain, atleast our ways are being shared right? And it's nice to take children to the museum and see their little eyes light up when they see things that reminds them of home. And the Boarding School Exhibit opens MANY eyes to the history that existed just a few blocks north. This slices through me and I'm so grateful this piece of history is no longer being ignored.
Like I said - it's a love/hate relationship. I love the Heard because they give opportunities to Native Artists and share our culture as sensitively as possible. But it's an uphill battle to be deemed good enough to be one of those artists and people who shares our culture. I know of many great people who I personally feel should be "let in" be denied and my heart goes out to them. I love that Natives still get in for free but I hate that the Heard treats AZ tribes like we're obligated to help them to keep their lights on. I love that all the tribes in Arizona have been given the oppurtunity to share a piece of their culture yet I hate that the museum focuses on two tribes.
To my yelpers: Please realize that each tribe has it's own ways and unique culture. Open your heart and mind and take in the colorful culture I grew up in!
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What a great place! I truly enjoyed just hanging out and looking at all the stuff. Cadie had a blast playing in the canoe and I geeked out taking pictures. A great place to spend the afternoon. Might I suggest hitting the light rail and checking out more stuff along the path. It's a great way to get out and about for not a lot of cash. If you don't already, follow @heardmuseum on twitter, they actually read your tweets! :)
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You want to know about the history of Arizona? You want to go to the Heard.
THE premiere anthropological museum on THIS Planet.
And, the gift shop: Authentic stuff at hon estly reasonable prices -- that does not necessarily mean cheap: It means *reasonable* for the authentic quality.
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The Heard Museum is truly awesome. It's not huge, but they make the most of their space, including short films, longer presentations, and a huge display of kachinas in telling the cultural stories of Southwestern Native Americans. Importantly realizing that Native American cultures are not dead, the museum contains modern artwork and filmed interviews with members of today's Native American tribes. The amount of information given is detailed but not overwhelming, and I would say that the museum represents an excellent introduction to Southwestern Indian culture.
One could complain that the Heard Museum doesn't document any of the internal Indian wars or strife, but on the other hand ,considering the racism these groups still come up against, perhaps its for the best that the rest of us just learn about how complex and beautiful these cultures often were and are.
A final note should be given to the beautiful museum itself, which may be the only time I'll ever use the world "beautiful" to describe any building in Phoenix. It resembles images I've seen of Roman villas and its courtyard is very mellow, with a nice cafe and pools of running water. I would even recommend coming just to chill out with an ice tea in a stunning courtyard. I mean, where else can you find that in this town?
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Update: I was contacted by the museum regarding my visit and they cleared up the problem with the security guard. I was very impressed at the amount of care that they took in addressing my situation.
I rarely attend museums, but decided to go because the girlfriend wanted to. I'm an acrylic painter and all the art on display was beautiful and varied. The building itself was gorgeous. The only problem I had was the security guards. We were constantly followed by a heavyset black man and stared at regardless of where we went. I believe in no way did we look suspicious, had the guest stickers visible. We were just two people looking at some great art. Yet, he was hovering around enough to spoil the experience for us.
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Firstly, hat's off to Jenn H. who had the cojones to give this place a lousy review without also coming off as insensitive.
The story of the various Native American tribes is an incredibly solemn one that is all too often glazed over in your average grade school American History course. I was blissfully unaware of it until my wife decided to dedicate the rest of her life to studying indigenous cultures and schooled me on the following - For 200 years, Native Americans were seen as uncivilized beasts in need of strict re-education to meet the white man's version of civility. Not until the 1960's (and as recently as 1990 with the passage of several federal laws including the Native American Languages Act) has the United States finally reversed course and decided to protect the various Native American cultures. Sad, but true, and something your average American probably doesn't know and likely doesn't want to know or care to know.
Thankfully there are places like the Heard Museum which does a brilliant job of telling the story of many of the tribes that were located in the Southwest. I feel it is unduly categorized as an "Art Museum" by many instead of an "American History" museum. Yes, you get the art - in the form of pottery and jewelry and Kachina - but you also get the traditional clothing, the traditional cooking, the language component, and most importantly the history lesson. If you leave here thinking, "that was just a bunch of pottery and dolls" then you've totally missed the point.
The first floor of the museum has a great flow to it with each section dedicated to a different tribe. Obviously there are many similarities, but the most interesting things are the subtle differences between the tribes. It also has changing exhibits on the second floor - when I was there it featured a wonderful exhibit on modern Native American art (sculpture and paintings and jewelry). There is also a heart-wrenching exhibit on the horrific boarding schools the children were forced to attend, often far from their homes and at extremely young ages, to strip them of their cultural heritage. My favorite part has to be the hands-on exhibit, likely meant for children but I couldn't keep away from it. So what if I'm pushing over a 5 year old to get a pipe cleaner and tissue paper to make a flower? There is even a section of the museum dedicated to other non-American indigenous art and garb.
What an excellent excellent museum. You leave much more informed and with a necessary touch of white guilt.
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Been here twice in 8 years and would go again tomorrow if I could. The building is peaceful. The exhibits are informative without being kitchy or preachy. There is a little "native americans are at one with the land and then we came and raped it" kind of stuff but it's in check. It's not a message museum. Pieces range from modern era art by natives, to artifacts from ancient tribes unearthed in the region, to Barry Goldwater's 300+ Hopi doll collection.
Infotainment in the truest sense and the only place in Metro Phoenix that felt authentic.
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If you are looking for local culture, this is it. As a recent transplant to Phoenix, I really enjoyed my visit to the museum and learned a lot about the local Native American cultures. This is also a must visit when people visit you in Phoenix. What I especially love about this museum is that it presents the Native American cultures as living, breathing peoples and not in a museum/"under glass" sort of manner. There is a lot of information here, and it is presented clearly and coherently.
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When I was younger, my aunt who lived in Arizona at the time would take me here. I love going to this wonderful museum, mostly of Southwestern groups but of course that makes sense since that's the region. It was one of my favorite things to do when visiting Arizona. My Arizona trip would just not be complete without visiting the Heard Museum.
There is so much beautiful and famous artwork. Such a beautiful collection of Katsina/Kachina dolls. I loved making cornhusk dolls as a girl. I still have them to this day. It's a great place for kids and adults. I have such great childhood memories here. I haven't gone in years but checking out the website, it still looks great and I will always think of my aunt. 8.) I do plan to go back one day.
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I wasn't completely sure what to expect when I went to the Heard Museum, but I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed myself. We were there for almost 2.5 hours and the time flew by. The permanent exhibit was laid out nicely and I truly learned quite a bit that I did not know previously about Native Americans. In fact, I had no clue how many different tribes call Arizona and New Mexico home and reading the history and how they are now was quite fascinating, but I am a history nerd. The Remix contemporary exhibt was well-done and was my favorite portion of the whole museum, but I'm a sucker for contemporary art and installations. We even wondered about the "children's area" and that was also well done with a variety of hands on crafts and activities for little peanuts (heck, my husband and I even did some of them! hehe). The boarding school exhibit on the second floor was very nicely done and well laid out...the testimonials that played while you walked around were quite touching and at times I felt myself tearing up.
Adult admission is $10 and students are only $5. My husband forgot his ASU student ID and when he mentioned it to the cashier, the guy was like, "oh that's OK" and gave us the student admission anyway. Very nice. There were quite a few people at Heard while we were there, but I never felt rushed or that I was in someone's way, which I think speaks highly of the layout. I definitely recommend the museum if you have an afternoon you are looking to fill and/or just want to learn more about Native Americans.
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As a student and aficionada of Native American culture, I have to say this is by far and away the best Native American themed museum I've ever seen. While it isn't that large, it packs a punch with razor sharp exhibitions and a physical plant that is both cutting edge and serene. Well worth a stop for road-trippers driving between austin and los angeles, or anyone who is doing time in phoenix for whatever reason. highly, highly recommended.
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I have to admit I'm really not a museum fan. I can't get into reading all the little blurbs on whatever the topic is. But I do enjoy looking and the Heard Museum has a lot of Indian artifacts to look at. The museum looks fairly new, or very well kept and is large. One could probably spend a good day in there if they read every little info display. We caught a tour that started when we arrived but slipped out because my nephew was getting antsy. I enjoyed seeing all the pots and dolls, art gallery, and we also caught an Indian dance performance. The performance included a 10 year old boy who performed what is called a Hoop Dance where multiple hoops are used while dancing to form into animal shapes, I was impressed. After the performance Indian fry bread was for sale in the court yard. The bread was made right there in front of you and you had the choice of a taco topping or cinnamon. I would recommend stopping by here for any tourist. There is also an interactive area in the museum for young children to play.
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If you like learning about American Indians and/or viewing artifacts and art from Indians, then you will want to visit the Heard Museum. The thing I love about the Heard Museum is that their exhibits are constantly changing, so you can come again and again without ever getting bored.
Their focus is on traditional and contemporary American Indian art, so you'll see some of the most beautiful jewelry, painting and pottery on display.
I love looking at the Indian artifacts in the museum; I think it's the most interesting part. You'll see pottery, bracelets, brightly colored jars, arrowheads and much more.
They also have classes on jewelry making, basket making, beading and painting here as well as various festivals. Check it out!
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Been here 4 times in the past 6 months. I love bringing out-of-towners here. Excellent art and history exhibits specifically related to Native Americans from the southwestern United States. Reasonably priced entrance fee. Go on the tour - they will tell you really interesting things about each of the exhibits you otherwise wouldn't know - makes the visit much more enjoyable. A must see for visitors to Phoenix!
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