Picturing Arizona: Celebrating Early Arizona Women Artists, Writers, Photographers, and Songsters
Artistry in its many forms makes us think, sing, dance, and enjoy the wonders of our surroundings. The arts also allow us to document the lives of our ancestors and […]
From “Chief” to Code Talker: Four Profiles of the Navajo Code Talkers
During WWII a group of young Navajo men enlisted in the Marines without knowing that they would be called on to develop a secret code against the Japanese military. This […]
Coded Messages and Songs of the Underground Railroad
Communication and secrecy were key to the successful operation of the Underground Railroad. Safety was more important than quickness. Both fugitive slaves and members of the Underground Railroad learned to […]
Theodore Roosevelt Slept Here
Theodore Roosevelt exhibited a greater influence on Arizona than perhaps any other president. He was the first sitting president to visit Arizona, employed an executive order to preserve the Grand […]
The Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) of WWII
During World War II over one thousand women served as Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), freeing male pilots for combat roles at a critical time during the war. The WASP […]
Chiles & Chocolate: Sweet and Spicy Foods in the American West
Come have a taste of the rich and savory history of these food favorites, explore how early peoples used them, and how they have evolved and spread to all corners […]
For the Love of Turquoise
Turquoise has a long standing tradition amongst Native cultures of the Southwest, holding special significance and profound meanings to specific individual tribes. Even before the more contemporary tradition of combining […]
Honky Tonks, Brothels and Mining Camps: Entertainment in Old Arizona
In pioneer Arizona, among the best places to experience the performing arts were in the mining towns. Striking it rich meant having disposable income, and miners, like the well-heeled of […]
How We Survived Prohibition (100 Years Ago)
Arizonans often didn’t play well with others where they’d lived before, and that made them well-suited to survive a society that (supposedly) didn’t serve alcohol. Hear some of the stories […]
The Antiquity of Irrigation in the Southwest
Before AD 1500, Native American cultures took advantage of southern Arizona’s long growing season and tackled its challenge of limited precipitation by developing the earliest and most extensive irrigation works […]
