Phoenix, Arizona

===Museums===
[[File:Musical Instrument Museum 2, Phoenix AZ.JPG|thumb|The [[Musical Instrument Museum (Phoenix)|Musical Instrument Museum]] features a collection of over 15,000 musical instruments]]
The valley has dozens of museums. They include the [[Phoenix Art Museum]], [[Arizona State Capitol#Arizona Capitol Museum|Arizona Capitol Museum]], [[Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art]], Arizona Military Museum, [[Hall of Flame Fire Museum]], [[Phoenix Police Museum]], the [[Pueblo Grande Ruin and Irrigation Sites|Pueblo Grande Museum Archaeological Park]], [[Monroe School (Phoenix, Arizona)#Children's Museum of Phoenix|Children's Museum of Phoenix]], [[Arizona Science Center]], and the [[Heard Museum]]. In 2010, the [[Musical Instrument Museum (Phoenix)|Musical Instrument Museum]] opened their doors, featuring the biggest musical instrument collection in the world.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/04/18/20100418musical-instrument-museum-phoenix-CP.html |newspaper=Arizona Republic |title=Music Instrument Museum opens in Phoenix |first=Richard |last=Nilsen |date=April 18, 2010 |access-date=March 20, 2016 |archive-url=http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20160515182512/http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/04/18/20100418musical%2Dinstrument%2Dmuseum%2Dphoenix%2DCP.html |archive-date=May 15, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2015 the [[Monroe School (Phoenix, Arizona)|Children's Museum of Phoenix]] was recognized as one of the top three [[children's museum]]s in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.earlychildhoodeducationzone.com/best-childrens-museums/ |publisher=Early Childhood Education Zoon |title=The 25 Best American Children's Museums |date=October 9, 2015 |access-date=February 7, 2019}}</ref>

Designed by [[Alden B. Dow]], a student of [[Frank Lloyd Wright]], the Phoenix Art Museum was constructed in a single year, opening in November 1959.<ref name=Phxart>{{cite web |url=http://www.phxart.org/visit/aboutus/historyandmission |title=History & Mission |publisher=phxart.org |access-date=February 9, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905093835/http://www.phxart.org/visit/aboutus/historyandmission |archive-date=September 5, 2015 }}</ref> The Phoenix Art Museum has the southwest's largest collection of visual art, containing more than 17,000 works of contemporary and modern art from around the world.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.visitphoenix.com/things-to-do/1016/phoenix-art-museum/details.aspx |title=Phoenix Art Museum |publisher=VisitPhoenix |access-date=February 9, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://phoenix.about.com/od/entermus/ss/phxartmuseum.htm |title=Phoenix Art Museum – Permanent Collection |publisher=phoenix.about.com |access-date=February 9, 2014 |archive-date=April 12, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140412222854/http://phoenix.about.com/od/entermus/ss/phxartmuseum.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.phoenixasap.com/arts-museums.html |title=Major Metro Phoenix Area Museums |publisher=phoenixasap.com |access-date=February 9, 2014}}</ref> Interactive exhibits can be found in nearby [[Peoria, Arizona|Peoria]]'s Challenger Space Center, where individuals learn about space, renewable energies, and meet astronauts.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.azchallenger.org/ |title=AZ Challenger Space Center |publisher=Azchallenger.org |access-date=June 24, 2013}}</ref>

The Heard Museum has over {{cvt|130,000|sqft}} of gallery, classroom and performance space. Some of the museum's signature exhibits include a full [[Navajo people|Navajo]] [[hogan]], the Mareen Allen Nichols Collection of 260 pieces of contemporary jewelry, the [[Barry Goldwater]] Collection of 437 historic [[Hopi]] [[kachina]] dolls, and an exhibit on the 19th-century boarding school experiences of Native Americans. The Heard Museum attracts about 250,000 visitors a year.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://heard.org/ |title=Heard Museum: Welcome |publisher=Heard Museum |access-date=March 20, 2014}}</ref>