Museum of Northern Arizona facts for kids
The Museum of Northern Arizona is a special place in Flagstaff, Arizona, USA. It's like a big treasure chest for amazing things from the Colorado Plateau. This includes items from Indigenous cultures and cool natural history specimens.
The museum was started in 1928 by Dr. Harold S. Colton, a zoologist (someone who studies animals), and his wife, Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton, an artist. They came all the way from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Their goal was to protect and share the history and cultures of northern Arizona and the Colorado Plateau region.
The museum also has a special cultural and research spot called the Colton House. It's located just outside Flagstaff. The museum is part of the North American Reciprocal Museums program. This means if you are a member of one museum in the program, you might get free or discounted entry to others!
Museum History and Growth
Harold Sellers Colton, who was a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, and Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton moved to Flagstaff in 1926. They soon helped create the Museum of Northern Arizona in 1928. Harold became the museum's first director. Mary-Russell took on the role of curator for art and ethnology. A curator is like a manager for a museum's collections.
In 1930, Katharine Bartlett joined the museum. She was a physical anthropologist, meaning she studied human development and culture. Katharine came from Denver and worked as a curator at the museum for 51 years!
The museum started small, in just two rooms at the Flagstaff Woman's Club. But it grew a lot over the years! Now, it has a large Exhibits building that is 24,700 square feet. This is where all the cool displays are. Right next to it are special buildings for research and storing collections.
What You Can Discover
The museum has a special area called the Ethnology Gallery. "Ethnology" is the study of different cultures. This gallery focuses on the history and traditions of several Native American tribes. You can learn about the Hopi, Zuni, Navajo, and Pai tribes.
