The Western History Museum in Scottsdale, Arizona
If you want to understand American history and culture, the Western heritage museum is the place to go. It contains some of the world’s most impressive collections of art, historic horse-drawn carriages and wagons. It also features some of the nation’s most renowned Western art exhibitions. The Western history museum also includes a children’s room. It contains a variety of activities for kids, including costumes and hide painting.
In the early days of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, or the National Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Center as it was originally called, the institution possessed a mere handful of objects. It was forced to borrow materials in order to mount its inaugural events. Over time, with a combination of new professional leadership and the steadfast support of dedicated patrons and sponsors, the museum grew into what many consider to be one of the world’s premier repositories for understanding a vital American culture.
Founded in 1955, the museum houses a world-class collection of Western art and artifacts, and sponsor dynamic educational programs to stimulate interest in the enduring legacy of the West. Today, more than 10 million visitors have sought out the Museum to learn about a region and a culture that permeates our national life.
In order to better understand the western history museum, it is important to understand its beginnings. The founding of the museum is the result of a series of events that occurred during the late 1950s. During this period of time, a museum that was named after Buffalo Bill was gaining success in Cody, Wyoming. As a result, Scottsdale’s leaders began looking into the possibility of opening their own western heritage museum.
It was during this period of time that the concept for the Western Spirit Museum was first conceived. The museum’s name was derived from the Western ideal that the city was selling to residents and tourists. The slogan “The West’s Most Western Town” has been a cornerstone for the city of Scottsdale.
The museum’s initial years were marked by a series of financial crises that threatened the survival of the museum. Then, in 1960, Fredrick J. Dockstader became the museum’s director. He continued trends begun by Heye, refined the collections through deaccessions and sales, and published a number of books.
He and his staff also developed a system for archiving the museum’s collections. This system allows the collection to be safely accessed by both Native and non-Native scholars and artists.
In addition to the permanent collections, the museum offers a range of exciting temporary exhibitions that explore contemporary and modern western themes. It also hosts numerous special events. One recent special event was an exhibit honoring the victims of the 1865 Battle of Red Buttes. This was a significant clash between the Cheyenne, Arapaho and Lakota people against the United States Cavalry forces led by Lt. Caspar Collins, who died in the fighting. The fight was a retaliation for the massacre at Sand Creek in November 1864.