Phoenix Police Museum Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Phoenix Police Museum
Phoenix Police Museum
Established	1995
Location	2nd Ave & Jefferson Street Phoenix, Arizona

The Phoenix Police Museum is a cool place to learn about the history of the Phoenix Police Department. It's located on the first floor of the Historic Phoenix City Hall in Phoenix, Arizona. The museum shows how the police department has grown since 1881, when Henry Garfias became the first city marshal. You can also find out about the "Miranda Rights" and how they connect to the Phoenix Police. Many exhibits are interactive, so you can really get involved and learn a lot!

Museum History: How It Started
Cool Exhibits to Explore
The Ernesto Miranda Case
Gallery of Museum Exhibits
The Memorial Room
See also

Museum History: How It Started

Early Days and Public Interest

In October 1993, a special display about the Phoenix Police Department's history was set up. It was at the Historic Phoenix City Hall. This display was only meant to be there for six months. But people really liked it!

Opening the Museum Doors

Because so many people enjoyed the display, different groups asked for help. They wanted to study old police items. This study showed there was enough stuff to open a small museum. Volunteers and donations from local companies helped make it happen. The Phoenix Police Museum first opened on October 6, 1995. It was in a building called the Old Barrister Place. This building used to be the Old Jefferson Hotel.

Moving to a Special Place

In 2012, the museum moved to its current home. This is the Historic Phoenix City Hall. This building is extra special because it was actually where the Phoenix Police Department worked from 1928 to 1975!

Who Runs the Museum?

The people who work at the museum are all volunteers. Many of them are former Phoenix Police officers or civilian staff. The museum is a non-profit organization. This means it doesn't try to make money. The best part is that it's free to visit! Kids can even try on a real Phoenix Police uniform.

Cool Exhibits to Explore

Museum volunteer staff

Child interacting in a Police Cruiser

The Phoenix Police Museum has many interesting exhibits. Here are just a few things you can see:

The Jail Rock: Long ago, before Phoenix had a jail, prisoners were shackled to a big rock. This was to stop them from running away!
Old Marshal's Office: See a pretend old office made of wood and brick. It has a jail cell and figures of Marshal Henry Garfias and a prisoner.
Arizona Rangers: Learn about the Arizona Rangers and the tools they used.
Vintage Police Cars: Check out a 1919 Ford Model T Police Cruiser. It could go up to 45 miles per hour! There's also a Chevrolet Celebrity Police Cruiser from the 1980s.
Old Police Call Box: See an early 1920 Police Telegraph, also called a Call Box. Police used these to get messages from headquarters.
Police Evolution: Discover how the police department, its officers, and their tools have changed over time.
First Police Helicopter: See the first helicopter used by the Phoenix Police Department. It was a Hughes 300C model.
Original Jail Door: Look at a real prison cell door from the past.
Badges and Patches: There's a display of police badges and patches from different times.
K-9 Partners: The museum also honors police K-9 (dog) partners who served.

The Ernesto Miranda Case

In 1963, a man named Ernesto Miranda was arrested by the Phoenix Police. His case eventually went all the way to the Supreme Court. The court's decision in his case changed how police across the country talk to people they suspect of crimes. This is why we now have "Miranda Rights."

At the museum, you can see Miranda's official police report and his booking photo. You can also learn more about this important case.

Gallery of Museum Exhibits

Phoenix Police Museum

Historic Old Phoenix City Hall

Museum entrance.
The Jail Rock.
Replica of Sheriff Henry Garfias’ office and jail in the Phoenix Police Museum.
Exhibit of the Arizona Rangers and their weapons.
1919 Ford Model T Phoenix Police Cruiser.
Early Phoenix Police Department Switchboard.
Early Gamewell Co. 1920 Police Telegraph (Call Box).
Sheriff Grafias exhibit.
Phoenix Police in the 1920s.
Phoenix Police in the 1940s
The Women Police Officer exhibit.
Chevrolet Celebrity Police Cruiser from the 1980s.
The first helicopter, was a Hughes 300C model, used by the Phoenix Police Department.
Original PPD cell gate.
Police badge display.
Retired "Bomb" Robot

The Memorial Room

The museum has a special Memorial Room. This room honors Phoenix Police employees who gave their lives while on duty. One picture on the wall is of Officer William Hazelton "Haze" Burch. He was the first Phoenix Police officer to be killed while working. This happened on February 5, 1925. Officer Burch was 41 years old.

Memorial Room