The two museums we wanted to visit in Phoenix were the MIM, Musical Instrument museum and the Heard which is devoted to the art and culture of the native Americans.  The Heard is eighty years old and has twelve galleries devoted to many of the individual tribes that have lived in the southwest for centuries.
We were much interested the a special exhibit that shows the impact the Santa Fe Railroad and the Fred Harvey Company had in attracting people to the southwest in the late 19th century.
The promotions these companies conducted brought many thousands of 'easterners' to see the southwest Indian country.
Little known is the fact that the Federal Government forced Indian children to attend residential boarding schools often far from the home reservations.  And then insisted that the learn English and abandon their native language and culture.  There is a dramatic exhibit that tells this story at the Heard.
Heard Museum is located in downtown Phoenix and open seven days a week at 2301 N. Central Avenue.
Call 602 252-8840 for information or the web at www.heard.org.
There is nothing like the MIM,Musical Instrument Museum anywhere else in the world.  It exhibits the musical instruments used everywhere on the globe.  There are separate exhibition halls for Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and Australia.
We loved the the audio and video equipment that allows each visitor to hear the instruments on exhibit playing by just walking up to a sign.
The U.S. is especially well covered with separate exhibits for jazz, blues, country, hip hop and many others.
Asia is has separate exhibits for south, east and southeast parts of the continent.
The MIM Museum is located at 4725 E. Mayo Blvd. Phoenix. It is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information the web at www.mim.org, telephone 480 478-6000.