Mesa is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, just a short drive from Phoenix. Although quite small, the city has many amazing places to offer - and many of them are very educational.
In this article, we're going to have a look at some of the amazing museums you get to discover in Mesa. If you're interested in art or natural history, these museums might be the perfect places for you to visit while you're in Mesa!
So, let's have a look at some interesting museums you can explore in Mesa, shall we? Let's go!
Mesa Arts Center
First of all, let's take a closer look at the Mesa Arts Center - the perfect place for any art enthusiast out there. The Mesa Arts Center Museum has 5 galleries where the visitors get to discover exhibitions that focus on contemporary art. This art is often created by internationally recognized artists, which is pretty cool if you ask me!
The mission statement of the museum can be read on the official website:
"Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum is a visual arts exhibition space committed to the presentation, interpretation, collection, documentation and preservation of contemporary visual arts with a special focus on traditional media. Dedicated to presenting exceptional regional, national and international exhibitions, Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum provides support and advancement to artists world-wide through solo, group and juried exhibitions while promoting educational opportunities within our community."
At the time of writing this article (19th June 2021), there are some fascinating exhibitions taking place in the museum. These include for example "Angel Cabrales", "Docents Select: Indigenous Americas (Selección De Los Docentes: América Indígnena)" or "Rodrigo de Toledo".
When it comes to ticket prices, admission is free, however, your tickets are timed - you have to arrive on time. The Mesa Arts Center Museum is open from Tuesday till Saturday between 10 AM and 5 PM, as well as on Sunday from noon until 5 PM. The museum is closed on Mondays.
If you'd like to check out the museum, head to One East Main Street in Mesa where the place is located.
Arizona Museum of Natural History
If you prefer natural history over contemporary art, I highly recommend you visit the Arizona Museum of Natural History in Mesa. There are many interesting exhibitions as well as collections, which the official website comments on thus:
"The Arizona Museum of Natural History holds approximately 58,000 objects in trust for the people of Mesa and the state of Arizona. The collections focus primarily on the natural and cultural history of central Arizona and the greater Southwest. These objects are acquired mainly through donations and active excavation programs in archaeology and paleontology. Collections in storage are rotated into exhibitions as space permits, and/or are used for educational programs, research and publications. The collections are available by appointment only for researchers and visitors with appropriate credentials."
When it comes to natural history, the museum has for example the Comparative Shell Collections or a Comparative Osteology Collection (which is in development at the moment). There are also collections regarding archaeology, geology, ethnology or even art!
Some of the current exhibitions that you can view at the museum in Mesa include "Cultures of the Ancient Americas" or "Arizona Through Time".
The current ticket prices are 6.50 dollars per adult, senior, and student, 3.50 dollars per child (3-12), 2 dollars per EBT cardholder, and children under 2 can enter the museum for free. Don't forget to reserve your tickets in advance online - these precautions must be taken due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
If you'd like to visit the museum, go to 53 N. Macdonald in Mesa. According to the website, the museum is located just one block north of Main Street in Mesa, so it should be easy to find.
Have fun!