Make the Drive: 3 of the Best Museums Near Chandler, AZ

If you’re looking for a fun way to spend an afternoon or two exploring the cultural side of Chandler, Arizona, we’ve got you covered. Instead of heading off to Phoenix, Arizona’s #1 museum mecca, we’ve focused on destinations that have a more local flavor, including two with a Chandler zip code and a third in nearby Mesa. Let’s explore three of the best museums near Chandler, AZ!

The Chandler Museum: Discover the Town’s History

Our first stop is the Chandler Museum, where exhibits showcase the city’s growth and development, including the railroad system that brought people and commerce to the area. The museum’s program typically features six to eight exhibits per year, including in-house as well as nationally traveling exhibits showcasing culture, history, and art.

A good example of what to expect is the museum’s current featured exhibit, “Picturing Home: Dust Bowl Migrants in Chandler”, an exhibition that tells the story of Dust Bowl migrants who settled in Chandler in the late 1930s through photographs and stories of their journey. You’ll find it about 4 miles from downtown at 300 S. Chandler Village Drive.

Arizona Railway Museum: Fun for Kids of Any Age!

If you’re a fan of trains (and who isn’t?), don’t miss the Arizona Railway Museum at 330 E. Ryan Road, just 3 miles south of downtown. The museum pays homage to the role of railroads in building modern-day Chandler with its collection of restored train cars from different periods in US rail history. Kids of all ages will love the 1906 steam locomotive, the Pullman passenger cars, and – of course – the caboose.

Make sure you walk through at least a few of the twelve passenger cars, including the Santa Fe “H-Level” coach #708 and “Diablo Canyon”, a private car rebuilt from Santa Fe coach #543. It’s “All aboard!” on Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm.

Arizona Museum of Natural History: Dinosaurs and More!

Located about 8 miles north of Chandler at 53 N. Macdonald in nearby Mesa, this is a must-visit for anyone interested in the natural history of Arizona and the Southwest. An always popular exhibit is the Paleo Dig Pit, where visitors can experience what it’s like to uncover dinosaur fossils. Other notable exhibits include Dinosaur Mountain, which showcases life-sized dinosaurs, and the Ancient Cultures exhibit, which highlights the history and culture of the Southwest’s native people.

With exhibits that showcase everything from dinosaur skeletons to ancient civilizations and geological formations, there’s something for everyone at very reasonable admission prices.

Visit us after your museum crawl, tell us about all that history, and then make some history of your own with a new or pre-owned vehicle. Visit Earnhardt Chevrolet today!

Image via Pixabay

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