Sharlot Hall Museum

Sharlot Hall is the reason this collection exists. Born in Kansas in 1870, she came to Arizona Territory at age 11 and grew up on a ranch on Lynx Creek. She became a poet and journalist, and in 1906, when Congress considered admitting Arizona and New Mexico as a single state, she campaigned against it, and her poem "Arizona" was placed on the desk of every member of Congress. In 1909 she was appointed Territorial Historian, making her the first woman to hold a salaried office in the territory. In 1925 she attended the Electoral College in Washington in a dress made of copper.

She also collected everything she could find about Arizona's pioneers and its prehistoric peoples. She persuaded the City of Prescott to buy the log building that had served as the first territorial governor's residence and offices, began restoring it in 1927 and opened it as a museum in 1928. It was renamed for her after her death in 1943.

The result is an open-air museum of almost four acres, with 11 exhibit buildings. The 1864 Governor's Mansion, built on this spot, is the centerpiece and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places; it is closed for rehabilitation and expected to reopen in early 2027. Fort Misery is thought to be the oldest surviving log cabin in Arizona. The 1875 Frémont House was home to John C. Frémont, the explorer who served as fifth territorial governor, and it was moved here in 1971. The Bashford House, an 1875 Victorian home, now holds the museum store.

Other buildings hold more recent displays. The Sharlot Hall Building, built in 1936 as a Civil Works Administration project, is the main exhibit hall, the Lawler Exhibit Center covers prehistory, and the Transportation Building holds a stagecoach and other vehicles. A replica recalls Prescott's first schoolhouse, and the Territorial Women's Memorial Rose Garden honors more than 500 women. Researchers can use the separate Library and Archives across the street on McCormick Street.

Outdoor walks between buildings make up much of the visit, so dress for the weather. Living history days and a holiday Frontier Christmas event have been regular fixtures. The museum is closed on Mondays, and an adult ticket is good for two consecutive days.