Heard Museum.

Getty Images/Lonely Planet Images

Heard Museum

Top choice in Phoenix


This extraordinary museum spotlights the history, life, arts and culture of American Indian tribes in the Southwest. Visitors will find art galleries, ethnographic displays, films, a get-creative kids' exhibit and an unrivaled collection of Hopi kachinas (elaborate spirit dolls, many gifted by Presidential nominee Barry Goldwater). The Heard emphasizes quality over quantity and is one of the best museums of its kind in America.

The moving Boarding School Experience gallery examines the controversial federal policy of removing American Indian children from their families and sending them to remote boarding schools in order to 'Americanize' them. Keep a lookout for occasional events that enliven the grounds, such as Indian fairs and competitions of spectacular hoop dancing. Free guided tours run throughout the day and are recommended. Overall, you can easily beguile two to three hours exploring. Also check out the well-stocked bookstore and superb gift shop.

Parking is free. The Valley Metro light-rail stops beside the downtown museum at Encanto/Central Ave.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Phoenix attractions

1. Phoenix Art Museum

0.4 MILES

Arizona's premier repository of fine art includes works by Claude Monet, Diego Rivera and Georgia O'Keeffe. Make a beeline for the Western Gallery, to see…

2. Westward Ho

1.2 MILES

A beloved Phoenix landmark, this beautiful 15-story hotel has weathered the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune since its construction in 1928. Once…

3. Rosson House

1.56 MILES

This painstakingly restored, 2800-sq-ft Queen Anne mansion is a glimpse of an old-fashioned Phoenix nearly entirely swept away by the tide of modernity…

4. Children's Museum of Phoenix

1.56 MILES

Designed to encourage active involvement rather than passive contemplation (text-heavy signs are ditched in favor of interactive exhibits and invitations…

5. Heritage Square

1.58 MILES

This cluster of late-Victorian and early-20th-century homes stands in stark contrast to the soaring modernity of downtown Phoenix. With the buildings now…

6. Arizona Science Center

1.65 MILES

At the popular Arizona Science Center, play with 300-odd hands-on exhibits, watch live demonstrations or take in the mysteries of the universe at the…

7. Chase Field

1.83 MILES

The home field of Major League Baseball's Arizona Diamondbacks, Chase Field is a technological and environmental wonder, with a retractable roof to keep…

8. Pueblo Grande Museum

5.36 MILES

The O'odham Indians use the word 'Hohokam' ('all used up') for the ancestors who mysteriously abandoned this adobe city and the intricate irrigation…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "usa/arizona/phoenix/attractions/heard-museum/a/poi-sig/1251362/1342782",
      "destination": "Phoenix",
      "continent": "North-America",
      "country": "USA",
      "region": "Arizona",
      "city": "Greater-Phoenix",
      "neighborhood": "Phoenix",
      "position": "superzone"
    }