According to the Museum Association of Arizona, there are more than 350 museums throughout the state highlighting stunning works of art and the rich culture of the state. They are also venues for vibrant educational opportunities. Listed below are Arizona’s top ten museums that you shouldn’t miss.

1. Heard Museum. The Heard Museum of Native Cultures and Art in Phoenix showcases Native American art and cultures. It aims to educate people about the heritage and traditions of Native Americans, especially those of the Southwest. In addition, the festivals feature native art forms, authentic jewelry, and folklore.

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2. Sonora Desert Museum. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in southern Arizona. The book examines the natural history and evolution of plants and animals of the Sonora Desert. There are more than 230 animal species and 1,200 plant varieties on the 98-acre plot, which includes a zoo, botanical garden, art gallery, and natural history museum.
3. Phoenix Art Museum. The museum has more than 18,000 pieces of classical and contemporary art from America, Europe, Asia, and other continents on display. The Phoenix Art Museum, the largest art museum in southwestern America, hosts an array of cultural events and festivals that include live performances, educational programs, and art films.
4. Pima Air and Space Museum. Premier Air & Space, the world’s largest aerospace museum, houses a collection of about 300 aircraft and offers a hall of fame for Arizona aviation. The museum is a private museum located in Tucson and it has exhibited all about aerospace and aviation.
5. Western Spirit. The Museum of the West is a museum dedicated to the art, culture, and history of Western America. Western Spirit is a museum of ideas and objects located in Old Town Scottsdale, Arizona.
6. Musical Instruments Museum. The Musical Instruments Museum is the world’s only global musical instruments museum. Here, you can explore a world of music and connect with your heritage. You can also see over 4,300 instruments on display from every corner of the globe.
7. Arizona Museum of Natural History. The Arizona Museum of Natural History exhibits the natural and cultural history of the Southwestern United States. It has a collection of about 60,000 objects of natural history, history, art, and anthropology, with approximately 10,000 historic photographs.

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8. O.K. Corral. The O.K. (Old Kindersley) Corral was a livery and horse corral in the mining boomtown of Tombstone, Arizona Territory, from 1879 to about 1888. You can see the historic photos of the Apache warrior Geronimo. The long-simmering conflict between the Earps and the Clanton-McLaury gang erupted on October 26, 1881, in the vacant lot behind the OK Corral. Three men died and three were wounded in the Gunfight at the OK Corral in a fateful thirty seconds. Today, the OK Corral evokes images of black and white – lawmen and cattle rustlers, heroes and villains, an iconic example of Western vigilante justice. As a land of independence, self-reliance, and hard-won achievement, the West represents an almost mythical place where pistol-packing, high-spirited adventurers pushed our nation forward.
9. The University of Arizona Museum of Art. On this display at this museum operated by the University of Arizona is a collection of more than 6,000 works of art, including those of artists Pablo Picasso and Georgia O’Keefe.
10. Museum of Contemporary Art, Tucson. The museum celebrates contemporary art and features exhibitions of established and amateur artists, including works of Takashi Murakami, Gary Panter, Roman Signer, and others.

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