If you dig history, you’re in luck! You’ll find seven museums nearby for an opportunity to steep yourself in Arizona’s colorful past.
The Henry F. Hauser Museum preserves and displays artifacts for the City of Sierra Vista and nearby areas. Drop in and see the newest collection of memorabilia, along with short films and oral history tapes.
Thanks to a grant from the Arizona Humanities Council, the museum, along with the Sierra Vista Public Library, hosts Amazing Arizona, a speaker series that educates and entertains. Click here for upcoming presentations.
Kids—even out-of-town visitors—are welcome to join Henry, the Inquisitive Pack Rat, and become a Junior History Detective! Investigate the story of Sierra Vista’s extraordinary past, take part in the Scavenger Hunt for Kids, and win prizes!
Fort Huachuca has played a vital role in national defense since its establishment in 1877. Fort Huachuca has served as a cavalry post, infantry training center, test center for electronic equipment, and a major signals installation. Today, the Fort remains an important center for communication and electronic technology development in its central role as the home for the U.S. Army Military Intelligence Corps and a training center for soldiers working in intelligence and unmanned aerial systems operations.
See the Fort’s past, housed in an historic building on Post within the National Historic District. Click here for information about accessing this active military installation. International visitors should contact the City of Sierra Vista Public Information Office at least 3 weeks prior to visiting.
Tucked in the back of the academic library on Fort Huachuca, this museum gives tribute to military intelligence beginning with our nation’s birth. Learn about Revolutionary War espionage, whether invisible ink was really used, how messages were carried during the Civil War, and Fort Huachuca’s role in the Mexican American War. This walk through military history examines communications across time—from the Revolutionary War through current conflicts. Learn about invisible ink, early turn of the 19th Century surveillance tools, an Enigma machine, Cold War gadgets, and more.
Click here for information about accessing this active military installation. International visitors should contact the City of Sierra Vista Public Information Office at least 3 weeks prior to visiting.
Bisbee was the former “Queen of the Copper Camps” and, over nearly a century, her mines produced nearly 8 billion pounds of copper, plus millions of pounds of lead, zinc, manganese, silver, and gold. Although the mines closed in the mid-1970s, Bisbee’s mining legacy lives on in its architecture and landscape—and a museum in the heart of the historic district.
Housed in the former corporate headquarters of the Copper Queen Consolidated Mining Company, the museum tells the story of Bisbee’s mining past.
Since 1937, the Amerind Foundation and Museum serves to preserve history of the Native Peoples of the Americas and promote knowledge and understanding through research and conservation. Exhibits tell the story of America’s first peoples, from Alaska to South America, starting from the last Ice Age to present day. See artifacts and art by such artists as William Leigh, Frederick Remington, and Andy Tsihnahjinnie, and others. You may even find Indian artists demonstrating their skills in the museum’s main gallery. The Amerind also has a comprehensive, hands-on education program for children of all ages.
Set in Texas Canyon off of I-10 near Benson, the rock formations, native plants, birds, and solitude of the high desert add to your visit. Bring a picnic and enjoy a day at the Amerind!
Take a step back in time at the John Slaughter Ranch, former home of lawman “Texas John” Slaughter near Douglas. Restored historic buildings, including the ranch house, an ice house, wash house, granary, commissary, and car shed, serve as museum exhibits, along with authentic furnishings and tools of the mid- to late-1800s. Now a National Historic Landmark, Slaughter Ranch is home to native plants, birds, and wildlife.
Known as the Arizona Cowboy, Rex Allen memorabilia is on display in his hometown of Willcox, the Cattle Capital of the World. Inside, find treasures from Rex’s life as a cowboy, radio personality, and movie and television star. You’ll also learn about other local cowboys who have worked in the livestock industry and served as good stewards of natural resources.