Best Museums in Scottsdale

McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park is a train-lover's haven located in the heart of Scottsdale, Arizona. The park offers train and carousel rides for all ages, open green space for family picnics, historic Arizona railroad artifacts, model railroad displays in a new 10,000 square foot building, a train museum, and popular events throughout the year. Hartley's General Store offers hand dipped ice cream, food and drinks, and Thomas the Tank toys, while Snackstop offers a variety of snack food and drinks. Whether you're looking for a perfect picnic destination or simply take the kids on a one-mile train ride around the park, McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park is a great family-friendly attraction located just north of the city center.

Tucked away inside Paradise Valley Mall is a pop culture-lovers paradise. The Arizona Pop Culture Experience is both a comic book store and museum of pop culture featuring an exhaustive catalog of movie posters, hard-to-find comic books, action figures and other pop culture ephemera. Even guests with a passing interest in comic books, superheroes, sci-fi and fantasy will find something to ooh and ahh about in this fun museum. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for teens and children, and free for children under the age of five. Active military personnel, police officers, and fire department receive free admission with ID.

Presenting the world's largest display of firefighting equipment, this museum highlights 100 restored pieces of hand-to-hand, horse-drawn, and mechanized firefighting equipment from 1725 to 1961. Additional exhibits include a fire truck for children to climb on and several other restored fire engines. A firefighter wannabe can dress up in official-looking coats, hats, and other gear, just like the real thing! The Hall of Flame is located near the borders of Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe in the Phoenix Papago Park area, across from the Phoenix Zoo and next door to Phoenix Municipal Stadium. It makes for a convenient stop if you're checking out these other attractions.

Butterfly Wonderland in Scottsdale is an unique facility featuring an indoor rain forest environment that is home to the largest butterfly pavilion in America. The museum features a 3D theater, butterfly emergence gallery, conservatory, a live ant colony, honey bee exhibit, cafe and gift shop. The state-of the art facility features a large glass atrium that creates a tropical rain forest habitat for thousands of butterflies from around the world. Along with the butterfly atrium, you can also pay a visit a real-life ant colony, and take a peek at the fascinating honey bee beehive exhibit. Of course, there's a gift shop where you can pick up butterfly-themed souvenirs.

Located in northeast Scottsdale on the beautiful foothills of the McDowell Mountains, Taliesin West is Frank Lloyd Wright's desert masterpiece. This was the architectural master's personal winter home, studio, and architectural campus. Public tours are available year-around, offering visitors insight into Wright's singular ability to fuse indoor and outdoor spaces. There are several tours available, offered all year long except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, from 9 am to 4pm. Tours range from one to three hours long, so make sure to bring comfortable walking shoes. With advance booking, individuals and small groups can schedule a private tour by an architect or personal guide.

Scottsdale's new Museum of the West celebrates the spirit, history and culture of the American West. The museum calls itself a "study in the west," featuring Western art, storytelling, and historical artifacts that help convey the story and history of the American west. The state-of-the-art museum will feature artwork from well-known artists like Charles M. Russell, Georgia O'Keeffe, Fritz Scholder and Allen Houser. Visitors will also get an eyeful of fascinating artifacts such as John Wayne's signed business card, Navajo chiefs' blankets and personal items belonging to Kit Carson. There is also an outdoor amphitheater, cacti garden, and large open courtyard with a sculpture garden.

Heard Museum North is the Scottsdale extension of the world-famous Heard Museum in Downtown Phoenix. The North Scottsdale facility features two exhibition galleries, a gift shop, and a garden cafe. The world-renown collection of the Heard Museum is on continuous display at the Heard Museum North galleries in both changing and ongoing exhibits. The Heard Museum North has one permanent gallery and one changing gallery, which means there is always something new. The Heard Museum North Shop offers visitors a large selection of one-of-a-kind traditional and contemporary handmade artwork purchased directly from American Indian artists. Free public guided tours with knowledgeable museum docents are offered Saturdays and Sundays from 1 to 3 p.m.

Many visitors to Old Town Scottsdale stroll right past this local gem, located on the grassy pedestrian mall in the downtown district. The Scottsdale Historical Museum seeks to present, preserve, and interpret local Scottsdale and the cultural heritage of the Southwest through research, exhibits, and educational programming. Permanent exhibits include the Winfield Scott Exhibit, displaying personal artifacts and celebrating the life of Scottsdale's founder. The One Room Schoolhouse, also known as the Little Red Schoolhouse, which displays what one of the city's first schools might have looked like when it first opened in the 1800s. Admission is free to the public.

The Musical Instrument Museum, also known as the MIM, celebrates art, music and culture by documenting the history of musical instruments from around the world. Everyone from Carlos Santana to Tony Bennett have sung the praises of this bright, open museum, which also hosts a full calendar of live music events. The museum collection includes instruments from 200 countries from around the world, with emphasis on ethnic, folk, and tribal music. Guests are given wireless headsets so they can hear instruments being played at each display, and flat-panel monitors throughout the museum give guests the opportunity to see instruments being performed live. Whether you love Chinese opera or Big Band jazz, the MIM celebrates the joy of musical expression in all its forms.

Five galleries and a sculpture garden make up the nucleus of this facility. Additional exhibits of interest include displays of international art, architecture and design, with a predominant focus on hometown attributes. The focus of the SMoCA is not on art from the past, but rather cutting edge contemporary art that deals in the thoughts and concerns of today. The museum is also home to the new SMoCA Lounge--designed as an accessible community space for creativity, imagination and contemplation. The Lounge features a film series, Lit Lounge events that bring together local writers and musicians, and a popular Brown Bag lecture series.