Published August 2, 2022, for State 48 A2Z
If you have ever been to Wickenburg, or maybe just driven through it, you surely have seen one of its prized possessions, the Desert Caballeros Western Museum located on the corner of US-60 and Frontier Street. Touted as “Arizona’s Most Western Museum”, Wickenburg’s Desert Caballeros Western Museum houses more than 400 works of western art as well as artifacts that present an amazing depiction of what frontier life was like in the town’s early days. Caballeros is the Spanish word for Knights
Founded originally by Morton Bodfish, Roy Coxwell, H. K. “Mac” MacLennan, Katherine McCrady, William Weeks as a non-profit institution in 1960, its name was legally changed to Maricopa County Historical Society, dba Desert Caballeros Western Museum. The museum opened to the public on May 8, 1969, and was housed in the former Bayton’s Commercial Company building until a fire in December 1972 destroyed the entire building.
Following the fire, fund-raising efforts helped raised the needed money to rebuild the museum with its reopening exactly three years to the date of the fire, December 21, 1975. The Elenore Blossom Memorial Library was added adjacent to the museum in September 1985, along with new office space, and a gift shop renovation.
Among the two-level museum’s collection are prized works of George Catlin, Albert Bierstadt, Thomas Moran, Frederic Remington, Charles Russell, Cowboy Artists of America, and Taos Society of Artists, in addition to other works by Bill Owen, Maynard Dixon, Alan Houser, Mirna Harrison, and more on the first level. The Museum’s lower-level houses life scale recreations of 1915 Wickenburg as well as dioramas of area life from the 1800s and early-1900s.
Tours are self-guided with the use of headphones that will provide you with information on exhibits as you tour the museum building. Through these exhibits, you can experience the life of the early Central Valley settlers, discover local gold mining history, and learn about the American Indian tribes of the southwest. There is also an “Out on The Ranch” exhibit for children of all ages.
Sitting adjacent to the museum (on Tegner Street), the Cultural Crossroads Learning Center houses exhibits, presentations, workshops, and more throughout the year. And, in front of the entrance is a life-size bronze sculpture by Joe Beeler, the late founder of the Cowboy Artists of America, titled “Thanks for The Rain”.
In addition to its regular art and exhibits on display, Desert Caballeros Western Museum also hosts featured events and exhibitions such as the annual “Cowgirl Up” exhibit, which is currently running through September 4, 2022. Another ongoing exhibit is Apache Stories which runs through October 2, 2022.
Desert Caballeros Western Museum is open 7-days a week, except for New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas. With a 4.7-star rating on their Facebook page as well as a 4.4 on Trip Advisor, this Museum is a must-see when visiting Wickenburg or surrounding areas. It really is an amazing collection of quality western art and exhibits.
On a personal note, I really love this museum. It is so well curated with amazing art and artifacts and is, without a doubt, one of the finest in the country. Plan on spending at least 3-4 hours making your way through the museum and the Cultural Crossroads Learning Center. You could easily spend a whole day here.
That’ll wrap things up for this week, as we head back down US-60 to Surprise and call it a night. As always, thanks for reading, stay safe, and happy travels. Peace!
That’ll wrap things up for this week. As always, thanks for reading, stay safe, and happy travels. Be sure to like and follow us on social media (links below), share our blog posts, and feel free to give us your feedback. And, if you go somewhere in Arizona that you think others should know about, please let us know so we can add it to our travel list. We’d love to hear from you. Peace!
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