Arizona Historical Society Seeks Community Support to Help Repair Tempe Museum

The Arizona Historical Society (AHS) has announced the temporary public closure of the Arizona Heritage Center in Tempe beginning November 10, 2025, through January 5, 2026, while critical repairs are made to restore the building and safeguard the collections. Staff will remain onsite and available for public outreach and questions, and may be reached at their regular phone numbers and emails. The Heritage Center building is facing numerous maintenance issues following the recent storms that hit the Valley and a break-in attempt in August, both of which caused significant damage to the building. Extensive water damage has affected several areas of the museum, including some exhibit galleries, the Steele Auditorium, and the front entrance and lobby. The attempted break-in and vandalism at the end of August contributed to the flooding. These extensive repairs and other critical maintenance are necessary to bring the facility back to a suitable standard for public operations, thus necessitating the temporary closure of the museum exhibits to the public.

“We are responding to the recent storms, but also taking this as an opportunity to address other concerns while shut down,” according to AHS executive director David Breeckner. “Coming out of the shutdown, we will have restored our ability to fulfil our mission of preserving Arizona’s history and provide the public with an improved museum experience.”

Among the most substantial repairs needed are to the building’s HVAC system to maintain proper climate control for the museum’s collections and archives. The cost of these repairs is estimated to exceed $308,000. Additionally the auditorium’s AV system, vital for community events, lectures, and programming, needs to be replaced and upgraded, which is expected to cost between $100,000 and $200,000. Other needed repairs include correction to cracks, uplift, and subsidence in the flooring of the museum’s exhibition galleries; inoperable elevators; damaged wall and ceiling panels; and crumbling exterior stone and brick facades.    Most significantly, to allow for the repairs, some exhibits will need to be demolished or moved. AHS is using this as an opportunity to begin improvements and alterations to the museum’s permanent exhibition spaces. Long-term updates are currently estimated to cost over $600,000 to complete. Repairs to the most immediately affected areas will be completed by the shutdown’s conclusion.  Located on College Avenue in Papago Park, the Arizona Heritage Center first opened to the public in 1994 after a decade-long effort of public fundraising and private and corporate sponsorship. The building houses a museum focusing on the history of Phoenix and central Arizona, a research library, event space, and an extensive collections storage area that safeguards many of Arizona’s historic treasures. During the closure, AHS staff will remain onsite to continue critical operations, and researchers and volunteers will still be able to access the archives by appointment. However, they will require a staff escort due to limited building access. Educational programming will be paused, with the exception of previously-scheduled field trips.

Some repair work on the building has already begun, particularly in Steele Auditorium, but much work remains to be done around the building. The Arizona Historical Society is thankful to the State of Arizona Department of Administration and Risk Management for its support and aid in addressing the flood damage.  The Arizona Historical Society is asking the community for support to help address these unexpected repair costs and improve the Arizona Heritage Center’s mission of connecting people through the power of Arizona’s history.  Monetary donations will directly fund repair and exhibition-upgrade efforts and ensure the museum’s timely reopening. Those wishing to contribute can do so through the AHS website at arizonahistoricalsociety.org/support/donations, or click the donate button below, designating their gift to the Arizona Heritage Center. AHS is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and all donations are tax-deductible. The Arizona Historical Society anticipates reopening the museum to the public on Tuesday, January 6, 2026. Updates about progress and reopening events will be shared via AHS social media and email newsletters.