Museum of Northern Arizona — Attraction in Flagstaff

I give 2 stars not because this museum is “bad” but due to the fact that it caters to one specific area of Northern Arizona history. Given that, I think this museum is improperly named and misleading. This museum caters to the history of native and indigenous peoples of Northern Arizona but even so there isn’t much information on their actual history. There is a plethora of wonderful and beautiful native artifacts such as jewelry, pottery, cradle boards, dolls, etc. but unfortunately there is very little in the way of giving a detailed history of these tribes or even how they used these artifacts. I would’ve loved to see plaques/signs that are dedicated to their history where you can learn how the various tribes interacted with one another, how they got along in everyday life, survived etc. This at least would have given us some information in exchange for the price of admission. If you want to learn a true overarching history of northern Arizona this museum will not get you there. There was a nice exhibit on the prehistoric era and then a TINY token sized room with a little information on Glenn Canyon and the archaeological attempts that occurred in I believe 1959 and then again in more recent times, aside from this room there was a room for photography that showed some really beautiful photos taken on the Wesley Powell expedition but again no information on the expedition itself. There’s no information on the forming of Northern Arizona towns and the history that eventually led to todays world in these towns. What I think the museum does really well is; cleanliness, friendliness, and being kid friendly. Any family with a young toddler knows how daunting it can be to go to an adults museum hoping your kiddo will be on point. Thankfully this museum is wonderful for kids in that they have a dedicated kids corner with toys, books, coloring, and information that is engaging for little minds. Additionally there is space for kids to run around while not being disrespectful to other museum goers. All in all not a bad museum necessarily I just wish I would’ve walked away having learned new information and about various aspects of N Az...

Museum of Northern Arizona (MNA) is situated on the outskirts of Flagstaff but has a city bus stop right in front of it. Free Wi-Fi is available yet password-protected (they should post this info in the galleries). There is no café onsite or in the surrounding area.

MNA advertises itself as a place-based museum, that is, "a gateway to understanding the Colorado Plateau". While its mission is executed nicely on the local culture side, I think that its treatment of regional natural history is inadequate. In my visit, I encountered very few taxidermies showcasing the flagship or commonly seen wildlife in northern Arizona, let alone dioramas of different habitats of the Plateau (e.g., shrublands and pine forests).

As for the culture-themed exhibitions, the archaeology and ceramics galleries are oldie but goodie—both are rich in information, though this text-heavy approach can be overwhelming to non-specialist visitors at times. On the other hand, the Native American gallery feels fresh, however, it is presented entirely from the point of view of Indigenous people. As I often say, while it is true that the lack of their voice has long been a problem in Western cultural institutions, the answer cannot be the complete removal of the museums' own curatorial perspective.

Taken together, it seems to me that what MNA has to offer cannot justify its general admission of $18. That being said, it still provides an educational escape from the summer crowds in Sedona and the South Rim of the Grand Canyon NP (and it is open seven days a week). You will most likely have a relaxing experience here no matter if you combine your museum visit with a stroll in the woods nearby, or if you just pick up a book from the Museum's reading area, sit on one of the ample benches inside, and let your...

Small "museum" with seemingly more than half of the building devoted to gift shops selling overpriced jewelry and art. A couple of dinosaur displays, a kid's room off to the side (only one as far as I could tell) that focused on ants(?) Not sure what that was about, but our daughter had fun there and no other kids were there, so she had the room to herself. I got the impression the museum isn't very kid friendly.

Good displays on Native cultures. Would have been nice to see a few Natives working there to add more authenticity to the otherwise only white staff. Why no Native guide to answer questions on the Native displays?

We spent about 90 minutes here, including walking around the outside grounds a bit. Had planned to go on the nature trail near the museum, but the weather didn't cooperate with us today! $12 admission per adult and our 3-year old was free. Price is decent I guess for 90 minutes. Our daughter spent 30 minutes in the aforementioned "ant room" otherwise this would have been less than an hour for us, so I get why some reviews said it was overpriced.

One of the gift shops has pretty expensive breakable items (like small Native pottery) within hands reach of toddlers. Obviously, those should be out of reach of little ones, especially since you stuck the shop right in the middle of the "museum." I didn't realize what it was until my daughter had run in there.

No plans to go back here, but if you're in the area and need to kill an hour or so, it's okay. We'll probably drop by to try the nature trail or have a picnic on a future trip, but unless they change displays, I don't see touring...