Arizona is home to over 200 historical societies, preservation organizations, and heritage groups. From major institutions in Phoenix and Tucson to small-town societies preserving local heritage, these organizations maintain vital connections to Arizona's rich past.
Featured Historical Societies
Arizona Historical Society
Location: Tucson, AZ
Founded: 1864
Arizona's oldest historical organization, operating museums and research facilities across the state. Maintains extensive archives, photographs, and artifacts documenting Arizona from territorial days through modern times.
Website: arizonahistoricalsociety.org
Phoenix History Museum (Arizona Museum for Youth)
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Founded: 1928
Explores Phoenix's transformation from desert outpost to major metropolitan area. Features exhibits on water management, urban development, and the people who shaped the Valley of the Sun.
Website: phxhistory.org
Sharlot Hall Museum
Location: Prescott, AZ
Founded: 1928
Preserves territorial Arizona history in the former territorial capital. Features historic buildings, extensive archives, and collections documenting pioneer life, mining, and territorial government.
Website: sharlothallmuseum.org
Heard Museum
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Founded: 1929
Internationally renowned museum dedicated to American Indian art and culture, particularly Southwest tribes. Extensive collections of pottery, textiles, katsina dolls, and contemporary Native art.
Website: heard.org
Pueblo Grande Museum
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Founded: 1929
Archaeological site preserving ancient Hohokam civilization ruins. Explores pre-Columbian canal systems and settlement that flourished in Salt River Valley 450-1450 CE.
Pioneer Arizona Living History Museum
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Founded: 1969
Open-air museum with 90 acres of Arizona territorial history. Features authentic buildings relocated from across state, costumed interpreters, and living history demonstrations.
Sharlot Hall Museum
Location: Prescott, AZ
Founded: 1928
Preserves Arizona territorial capital history through historic buildings, archives, and exhibits. Founded by pioneering historian and poet Sharlot Hall to document Arizona's frontier era.
Website: sharlothallmuseum.org
Arizona Historical Society
Location: Tucson, AZ
Founded: 1864
Statewide historical organization operating museums in Tucson, Tempe, Flagstaff, and Yuma. Collections span Native American cultures, Spanish colonial era, territorial period, and modern development.
Website: arizonahistoricalsociety.org
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Submit a Society →Additional Arizona History Resources
- Arizona Historical Society - Statewide history organization
- Arizona State Historic Preservation Office - State historic preservation programs
- Arizona State Archives - State archives in Phoenix