Culture · Flagstaff

Museum of Northern Arizona

The Museum of Northern Arizona is the best introduction you will find to the Colorado Plateau — the vast, high-desert region that surrounds Flagstaff. Tucked among the pines just north of downtown, its handsome stone-and-timber buildings house thoughtful exhibits on the area's Native cultures, geology, biology, and fine art.

It is an ideal first stop for making sense of everything else you will see on a Northern Arizona trip, from the canyons to the volcanic peaks. Throughout the year the museum also hosts wonderful heritage festivals celebrating the region's Indigenous communities, with artists, music, and craft on display.

From a Flagstaff rental it is a quick, easy visit and a great option for a cooler or rainy afternoon. Allow an hour or two, and check the calendar — timing a trip to coincide with one of the heritage festivals is well worth it.