Arizona's Fun Living History Museum To Visit In Phoenix

Packed with history and lots of cool exhibits, museums make for some of the best affordable attractions to visit in Phoenix, Arizona. Equal parts fun and educational, the city's Pioneer Living History Museum is certainly no exception, especially if you're into cowboys and all things Wild Wild West. There's much to see at this 90-acre open-air property, which is dotted with nearly two dozen historic structures dating back to the 19th-century Old West, from reconstructed buildings to original homes. 

Families can take a look back into Arizona's territorial past — the rugged frontier period between 1863 and 1912, leading up to statehood — for just $10 per child and $12 per adult, with kids 5 and under free of charge, at the time of writing. "This Museum does not get enough recognition! And I believe they don't charge enough admission," one visitor shared on Tripadvisor. "You will marvel at many things here and realize our predecessors opening the west for us, really, really, really had a hard life." 

In addition to the Pioneer Village, the entrance fee also covers admission to the Telephone History Museum, located on the property. Talk about bang for your buck. The Pioneer Living History Museum is pretty easy to access, too, tucked away in the northern part of the city, just off Interstate 17 near Phoenix's master-planned suburb of Anthem.

You can tour the residences of some of Arizona's earliest settlers in Phoenix's Pioneer Living History Museum. Admire the elegant furnishings of an original Victorian-style home, built in the 1890s for Confederate Army veteran John Marion Sears and his family. There are several log abodes to explore, too, including the late 1870s Ashurst Cabin, which Arizona's first senator, Henry Fountain Ashurst, lived in as a child. 

Explore a beautiful replica of the St. Paul's Methodist Episcopal Church that stood in Globe, a hidden city near Phoenix with majestic mountain views. See how early pioneers made a living at the reconstructed carpenter, blacksmith, and print shops, which are filled with relics from days of yore. The Pioneer Living History Museum hosts a variety of fun events, such as gunslinger shows and historical reenactments, so be sure to check out the online events calendar to see what's on the schedule when you visit. 

And depending on the time of year, the museum has seasonal costumed interpreters scattered across the grounds to really help bring the past to life. But you can also liven up the experience by dressing up in period attire, too. Before leaving the Pioneer Village, be sure to pop into The Mercantile, where you'll find a charming gift shop stocked with various snacks and Western-inspired souvenirs to bring back home.