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Pioneer Arizona Living History Museum Description

Young visitors meet the Old West at this re-created pioneer village, where your family can explore life as it was in Arizona a century ago. Stroll past historic buildings that range from a schoolhouse to the blacksmith's shop to an opera house. Since this was rancher country, there's plenty of livestock on hand to capture your kids' attention. Arrive in time for the re-enactment performed daily at 11:30 a.m. and you'll even have an encounter with the sheriff, his deputies, and the bank robbers they're pursuing. The show culminates with a shoot-out, after which the actors sign autographs.

Planning Notes

Get going. The property was planned to accommodate 80 buildings, so things are spread out. Plan to do a lot of walking during a two-hour visit.

Get gussied up. Keep an eye out for Tumbleweed Tilly, a professional photographer who'll take photos of your kids dressed in old fashioned clothing.

Get some grub. A restaurant on the grounds lets you take a lunch break in this old-fashioned atmosphere.

Reviews of Pioneer Arizona Living History Museum

Real Life in the Old West

By WillyCaraFridays July 25, 2012

School-Age Kids

Pre-Teens & Teens

What we loved:
The re-creations of the real buildings

What we didn't love:
We missed the "shows" and characters and no tour guide

My Girl Scouts made aprons and bonnets to really get into the Pioneer spirit before our trip up to the Arizona Living History outdoor museum, to see how they lived in the west before bathrooms, water faucets, grocery stores, phones, radios and classes with different teachers. Unfortunately, there were no tour guides available for us and no shows available the day we went. It was really hot-good for teaching the girls how to appreciate our air conditioning but they were tired and uncomfortable very quickly. The Blacksmith was there and they enjoyed talking to him and asking questions but were hoping for the sheriff and bad guys, etc. We ate lunch in the restaurant and it was very good with reasonable prices for the portion sizes. We took lots of pictures and helped the girls "step back in time" for the day. Several said they didnt like it very much, but a few years later they are now asking if we can go back again when its not too hot. I had called and said we were coming to schedule a tour and get the show times but was told it was a regular event-we just had bad luck. The leaders read the signs for all the buildings, we made up questions for the girls to think about and then found our own points of interest to engage them. We would like to go back and try for a full experience! Read More