Tempe History Museum was founded in 1972 by Tempe Historical Society, a private non-profit group of citizens. The group turned over the responsibility for the museum and its collection to the City of Tempe in 1985. The museum was remodeled in 2010 to include a children’s area, community room and permanent exhibits based on four themes: Surviving in the Desert, Building Our Community, College Town and Living Together. There is also space for annual changing exhibits featuring topics of local interest.
New Featured Exhibitions open each year. Past exhibits include “Trains of Tempe,” “Legend City,” “The Tempe Sound” and “Made in Tempe.” For more information on our exhibitions, go to www.tempe.gov/museumexhibits.
Admission is free at Tempe History Museum; donations are always welcome and help support our mission to be a place were the community comes together to explore Tempe’s past, share its present and imagine its future. Open hours are Tuesday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and during certain evening events. The museum is closed Sundays, Mondays and Major Holidays. There are often free evening and weekend events at the museum. See the Events Calendar for a current listing.
Tempe History Museum is located at 809 E. Southern Avenue in Tempe, Arizona.
