Valley Museums Celebrate!
Join us for International Museum Day
May 18, 2010
Valley Museums Celebrate International Museum Day
Celebration Features Special Offers and Admission Discounts Around The Valley
Central Arizona is home to nearly 100 diverse museums in the Gila, Maricopa, Pinal and Yavapai county area. Each year, the Central Arizona Museum Association and Valley Museums celebrate International Museum Day on May 18th with special promotions, programs and discounts.
International Museum Day aims at raising public awareness about the vital role museums play in their communities. In 2007 for the 30th anniversary of International Museum Day, over 20,000 museums in 70 countries participated with special programs for the public.
Museums are not just a place to visit when you are on vacation. They are an excellent place to spend time with family and friends, to gain educational experience, and for socializing. Many museums offer programming for adults and children ranging from lectures to coffee and tea social hours, free events, workshops, demonstrations, van trips to other destinations and so much more. For a list of Museums throughout Central Arizona please visit www.azcama.com and click on “By Name” or “By Location” to see what museum is near you!
Although International Museum Day is typically celebrated on May 18, this year local museums have chosen different days and times around the 18th to have special offers in observance International Museum Day. Here are a few opportunities from various museums that visitors can take advantage of in celebration of International Museum Day:
Arizona Military Museum
5600 East McDowell Road
Phoenix, AZ
602-267-2676
www.azguard.gov/museum/museum.htm
Free Admission: May 21, 22, and 23, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.
The museum will be open to the public to view artifacts, uniforms, weapons and view narratives of Arizona’s military history from the Conquistadors through territorial days through WWI and II, Korea, Viet Nam, and the Middle East wars. The admission is FREE to all attendees. The museum is located on the Papago Military Reservation.
Arizona Museum for Youth
35 North Robson
Mesa, AZ 85201
480-644-2467
www.ArizonaMuseumforYouth.com
$1 off Admission with mention of CAMA: Tuesday, May 18
$1 off admission for each person that asks the cashier to receive the “Museum Day Discount Offer” upon entry into the museum.
This offer does not apply to groups or tours and cannot be combined with other discounts or promotions.
Deer Valley Rock Art Center
3711 W. Deer Valley Rd
Phoenix, AZ
623-582-8007
www.asu.edu/clas/shesc/dvrac
Two-for-one museum admission: Tuesday, May 18, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Buy one regular admission and a second admission of equal or lesser value is free.
The Deer Valley Rock Art Center has the largest concentration of Native American petroglyphs in the Phoenix Valley. Visitors hike a ¼-mile trail to view over 1,500 petroglyphs made between 800 and 5,000 years ago. Our museum aims to promote preservation, connection and respect for the site and we are a destination for families to learn about archaeology in their own backyard! The Center is managed by one of the top archaeology programs in the country at Arizona State University and is a Phoenix Point of Pride.
Desert Caballeros Western Museum
21 N. Frontier St.
Wickenburg, AZ,
928-684-2272
www.westernmuseum.org
Free admission: Tuesday, May 18, 2010, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Also, purchase one Cowgirl Up! 2010 poster and get a second one free on May 18.
Heard Museum
2301 N Central Ave.
Phoenix, AZ
602-258-8848
www.heard.org
Phoenix Art Museum
1625 N Central Ave.
Phoenix, AZ
602-257-1222
www.phxart.org
Get 2 museums for the price of 1: May 15 & 16.
Purchase admission at either the Phoenix Art Museum or the Heard Museum and you'll receive free same-day admission to the other museum. Plus, you can ride light rail between them! In celebration of International Museum Day, Valley residents can enjoy two of the Valley’s largest museums for the price of one. The Heard Museum and Phoenix Art Museum are partnering to give visitors two museums for one price. Just show your receipt for complimentary admission to the other museum. Complimentary admission valid only May 15 & 16.
Members of the Heard Museum and the Phoenix Art Museum will receive FREE admission to both museums during this weekend. Members can show their membership card at the non-member museum to receive free admission. Membership card valid for person on card and one guest.
Phoenix Art Museum – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday;
Heard Museum – 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
Pueblo Grande Museum
4619 East Washington
Phoenix, AZ
602-495-0901
www.pueblogrande.com
Free admission, children’s activities and photo preservation workshop: Tuesday, May 18, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Museum will be offering free admission on May 18th as well as children’s craft activities and a free brown
bag lunch workshop at noon on how to preserve your family's photos and documents by Curator Steve Hoza of the Huhugam Ki Museum.
River of Time Museum
2901 N. La Montana Blvd.
Fountain Hills, AZ 85268
480-837-2612
www.riveroftimemuseum.org
Free admission: May 18, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Rosson House Museum
7th street and Monroe
113 N. 6th Street
Phoenix, AZ 85004
602-262-5070
www.rossonhousemuseum.org
Special Tours: Tuesday May 18 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For this day only Tour Prices will be $4.50/person. There will also be a behind the scenes tour of the Rosson House at 2pm for $6.00/person.
This tour will be an hour long and will show just how the Rosson House works!
Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art
7374 East 2nd Street Scottsdale, AZ 85251,
480-874-4666
www.smoca.org
Free Admission: May 18, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Superstition Mountain Museum
4087 N. Apache Trail
Apache Junction, AZ 85119
480-983-4888
www.superstitionmountainmuseum.org
Free Admission: May 18, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Free Admission to the Museum and an opportunity to view the original Peralta Stone Maps, thought to be treasure maps leading to a vast fortune in gold hidden in the Superstitions. Enjoy Treasure Hunt hosted by Jack San Felice, author of several books including When Silver Was King, and Dan and Cyndi Ware of Pro Mack Treasure Hunting, Apache Junction. The hunt begins at 10:30 a.m. Instructions will be available in the gift shop before the treasure hunt.
Surprise Historical Society
20004 N. Window Rock Drive
Surprise, AZ, 85374
602-266-0988
www.thesurpriseazhistoricalsociety.com
Special event: Tuesday, May 11, 2 p.m.
Marshall Trimble, Arizona State Historian, author, lecturer and performer will appear at the Sonoran Plaza, Sun City Grand, Surprise, Arizona.
Tickets will be available at $10 each, general seating, and will be able to be purchased through www.grandinfo.com by clicking "buy tickets" or at the SCG ticket desk, Sonoran Plaza. Also, by calling 623-266-0988.
The Bead Museum
5754 W. Glenn Drive
Glendale, AZ, 85301
602-931-2737
www.beadmuseumaz.org
Free Admission: Sunday, May 16, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Click here to read official press release.
Click here
to read about Museum Day opportunities for CAMA members.
Local Museum Facts:
- Central Arizona (Gila, Maricopa, Pinal and Yavapai counties) is home to nearly 100 diverse museums. The largest museums include the Phoenix Zoo, Desert Botanical Garden, Arizona Science Center, The Heard Museum and The Phoenix Art Museum. Smaller institutions include: Ak-Chin Him-Dak Museum in the Ak-Chin Indian Community, Scottsdale Historical Museum, Phoenix Police Museum, Arizona Military Museum in Phoenix and the Cave Creek Museum. To learn more, visit http://www.azcama.com/ and click on "By Name."
- Economic impact of Museums: $57 million combined operating budget, based on a 2006 CAMA survey.
- Combined number of full-time museum employees: 762 employees, based on a 2006 CAMA survey.
- Combined annual museum visitation: 4.5 million visitors, based on a 2006 CAMA survey. (This number is greater than the combined annual attendance of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Phoenix Suns, Arizona Cardinals and Phoenix Coyotes, per the Greater Phoenix Economic Council.)
About CAMA
Central Arizona Museum Association (CAMA) is a regional organization dedicated to fostering collaboration among museum professionals, encouraging professional development, improving professional practices and promoting the value of member museums to the greater community.
To learn more, contact Mitch Menchaca, CAMA President, 602-771-6529 or Sarah Weber. Digital images of some Central Arizona museums are available at CAMA Museum Images.
