Twenty thousand works.
Central Avenue.
Phoenix Art Museum calls itself the largest art museum in the southwestern United States, with more than 20,000 objects on Central Avenue at McDowell. Hours, tickets, the free nights, parking, the train, bags, tours and what is on view, from the museum itself.
Phoenix Art Museum, Central Phoenix
- Where it is.1625 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, 85004. Visitor Services: 602-257-1880. Plan your visit
- What is in it.More than 20,000 objects across Art of the Americas, Art of Asia, Modern and Contemporary, Art of Europe and Fashion, including nearly 9,000 fashion objects and the Thorne Rooms, American and European rooms built at 1:12 scale. The museum says it welcomes more than 300,000 visitors a year. The collection · About
- How it grew.The Phoenix Fine Arts Association formed in 1925 and the museum opened November 18, 1959. Expansions in 1965, the mid-1990s and 2006 added the Katz Wing for Modern Art, the Greenbaum Lobby and the Dorrance Sculpture Garden, and the Kelly Ellman Fashion Galleries opened in 2024. Our history
When to go and what it costs
- Hours.Wednesday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday noon to 5 p.m. Closed Monday and Tuesday, and on New Year's Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Plan your visit
- General admission.Adults $23, seniors 65 and older $20, students with ID $18, youth 6 to 17 $13. Children 5 and under and members are free.
- Free and reduced.Pay what you wish every Wednesday from 3 to 8 p.m. Free general admission on First Friday, 5 to 8 p.m. Special exhibitions still need a ticket on both. Bank of America, Merrill and U.S. Trust cardholders get in free on the first full weekend of each month. Active-duty military and veterans get $5 off year round, and Blue Star Museums makes it free for active-duty families from Armed Forces Day through Labor Day. AAA takes $3 off one adult. Free to see
- Family Funday.Free, twice a year, with a reservation. The next one is Sunday, November 15, 2026. Free to see
Parking, the train and drop-off
- Parking.Free visitor parking is north of the main entrance. Accessible spaces are in the north lot, between Central Avenue and Alvarado Street, and the south lot along McDowell Road. The best drop-off is on Coronado Road near the main entrance. Plan your visit · Accessibility
- Light rail and bus.Get off at Central Avenue and McDowell Road. The main entrance is about a quarter mile north, at Central and Coronado. Bikes and skateboards lock up free at the main entrance. Plan your visit
Bags, photos, kids and food
- Bags.Purses, messenger bags and laptop bags are fine. Backpacks go in a free locker in the main lobby or get tagged, and nothing over 11 by 15 inches comes in. Museum guidelines
- Photos.Personal, non-commercial photos are allowed unless a sign says otherwise. No flash, tripods, monopods or selfie sticks.
- Food and drink.None in the galleries, water bottles included. Baby bottles and spill-proof sippy cups are allowed. Alden, the restaurant, overlooks the Dorrance Sculpture Garden; reservations at aldenphx.com or 602-623-2725.
- Kids and strollers.Strollers and front-worn carriers are allowed, and kids 13 and younger stay with an adult. Kids Day is every second Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.; Create Playdate runs Saturdays 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and Storytime for ages 0 to 5 is the first Thursday at 10:30 a.m., by reservation. Visiting with kids
- Accessibility.Every entrance is wheelchair accessible, and free manual wheelchairs, standard and wide, are in the Greenbaum Lobby locker room. ASL or CART captioning can be arranged with two weeks' notice. Service animals only. Accessibility
- Tours.Free docent tours with admission. Wednesday to Saturday at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. (60-minute highlights) and 12:30 p.m. (30 minutes on a special exhibition); Sunday at 12:30, 1:30 and 2:30 p.m.; and 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday evenings and First Fridays. The Bloomberg Connects app has a free digital guide. Tours and groups
Exhibitions coming up
- Through April 11, 2027.Ed Mell: In the Studio, and George Elbert Burr: The Desert Etchings, both in the Ballinger Wing since September 26, 2026. Ed Mell · Burr
- From November 6, 2026.Sarkar-i-Khalsa: Maharaja Ranjit Singh and the Sikh Empire, in the Khanuja Family Sikh Art Gallery, through November 2027. Exhibition
- From November 13, 2026.Pala Pothupitiye: Mapping a Sri Lankan Consciousness, in the Nagendran Wing. Exhibition
- January 27 to June 6 and July 11, 2027.Setting the Stage: Photography from The Stéphane Janssen Collection, through June 6, and the 2026 Scult Family Artist Award show for Alanna Airitam, through July 11. Janssen · Airitam
- February 24 to June 13, 2027.Into the Canyon: Jim Waid's American West, on the second floor of the Katz Wing. Exhibition
Phoenix Art Museum, answered
What are the Phoenix Art Museum hours?
Wednesday and Friday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday noon to 5 p.m. The museum is closed Monday and Tuesday, and on New Year's Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
How much is admission to Phoenix Art Museum?
Adults $23, seniors 65 and older $20, students with ID $18 and youth 6 to 17 $13. Children 5 and under and members get in free.
Is Phoenix Art Museum free on Wednesdays?
Wednesdays from 3 to 8 p.m. are pay what you wish. Special exhibitions still need a ticket.
Is Phoenix Art Museum free on First Friday?
Yes. General admission is free on First Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. Special exhibitions still need a ticket.
Is parking free at Phoenix Art Museum?
Yes. Free visitor parking is north of the main entrance.
Can you take the light rail to Phoenix Art Museum?
Yes. Get off at Central Avenue and McDowell Road. The main entrance is about a quarter mile north, at Central Avenue and Coronado Road.
Can you take pictures in Phoenix Art Museum?
Yes, for personal, non-commercial use unless a sign says otherwise. No flash, tripods, monopods or selfie sticks.
Can you bring a backpack into Phoenix Art Museum?
Backpacks go in a free locker in the main lobby or are tagged. Shoulder bags are allowed, and nothing larger than 11 by 15 inches is allowed in.
Can you bring water into Phoenix Art Museum?
No. Food and drink, including water bottles, are not allowed in the museum. Baby bottles and spill-proof sippy cups are allowed.
Does Phoenix Art Museum have a military discount?
Active-duty military and veterans get $5 off general admission year round with ID. Through Blue Star Museums, active-duty military and their families get in free from Armed Forces Day through Labor Day.
Are there free tours at Phoenix Art Museum?
Yes. Docent tours are free with admission Wednesday through Sunday, and the free Bloomberg Connects app has a digital guide.
Is there a restaurant at Phoenix Art Museum?
Yes. Alden overlooks the Dorrance Sculpture Garden. Reservations are at aldenphx.com.
How big is the Phoenix Art Museum collection?
More than 20,000 objects in five collecting areas: Art of the Americas, Art of Asia, Modern and Contemporary, Art of Europe, and Fashion.
When did Phoenix Art Museum open?
November 18, 1959, in a building designed by Alden B. Dow.
Central Phoenix is closer than you think
If living near the museums, the light rail and Central Avenue matters to you, I can walk you through the neighborhoods that put you there.
Checked 28 October 2026, all from Phoenix Art Museum. Address, phone, hours, holidays, admission, parking and transit: plan your visit. Free and reduced admission: free to see. Bags, photos, food, strollers and children: museum guidelines. Wheelchairs, parking and drop-off: accessibility. Tours: tours and groups. Kids programs: visiting with kids. Restaurant: dining. Collection: art collection. Size claim and visitors: about. Dates and buildings: our history. Exhibitions: exhibitions and each exhibition page linked above. Left off: re-entry and visit length (not published), Alden's hours (the dining page lists two schedules), the closing dates for the Pala Pothupitiye and Philip C. Curtis shows (the list and the exhibition pages differ), and a map (no county parcel point carries the museum's address). Photo: outside the main entrance, by Tomwsulcer, 2015 (CC0, Wikimedia Commons). The questions answered are ones people search on Google, each answered only from the pages above.
