Interested in the history of Phoenix or the culture surrounding it? Or are you just looking for a good, educational and interesting time? Check out one of many Phoenix museums, focusing on everything from art and music, to science and history.

With so many from which to choose, here are five well-known museums located throughout Phoenix and the state:

Arizona Science Center

Located in the heart of downtown Phoenix, the Arizona Science Center is one of the more well-known Phoenix museums. With more than 350 permanent exhibits, as well as a number of nationally traveling exhibits, the Arizona Science Center gives visitors a great hands-on look at science, nature, the human body and other subjects.

The experience is constantly changing thanks to the traveling exhibits that stop by; even if you’ve visited once before, there’s always something new to experience and explore. The Arizona Science Center also features a planetarium, an IMAX theater and a series of multimedia classrooms.

[stextbox id=”grey”]600 E. Washington St.
Phoenix, AZ 85004
(602) 716-2000[/stextbox]

Heard Museum

The Heard Museum doesn’t focus specifically on scientific exhibits; rather, this is the place you want to see if you’re interested in the history and culture of Native Americans in Arizona. This isn’t just a history museum, either. It features both ancient and contemporary art and literature, as well as a collection of exhibits about Native American history.

[stextbox id=”grey”]2301 N. Central Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85004
(602) 252-8840[/stextbox]

Phoenix Art Museum

If it isn’t science or culture you’re looking for, then what about art? The Phoenix Art Museum is another one of the great Phoenix museums … so great, in fact, that it just might be one of, if not the biggest art museum in the southwestern United States.

The museum features, among other things, more than 18,000 works of art from all over the world, as well as the occasional festival, live performance or other event.

[stextbox id=”grey”]1625 N. Central Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85004
(602) 257-1222[/stextbox]

Pueblo Grande Museum Archeological Park

This one isn’t the kind of museum that most people would think of when they hear the word “museum”; it’s actually a preserved site that is thought to be where a group of Native Americans settled as far back as 450 AD.

These ruins of a platform mound and a series of irrigation canals offer visitors a unique look at ancient Arizona and the people who lived there long before we did, and they’re definitely worth a look.

[stextbox id=”grey”]4619 E. Washington St.
Phoenix, AZ 85034
(602) 495-0900[/stextbox]

Musical Instrument Museum

Probably the most recent of the Phoenix museums on this list, the Musical Instrument Museum is a place any music lover should visit at least once. It has a collection of more than 13,000 musical instruments from all places and times; nearly 200 countries and territories are represented in its collection. Guests are given a wireless headset as they explore the museum, allowing them to hear the music of an exhibit as they approach it. A system like this gives visitors a unique experience.

[stextbox id=”grey”]4725 E. Mayo Boulevard
Phoenix, AZ 85050
(480) 478-6000 [/stextbox]

What other Phoenix museums do you like?
Let us know in the comments section.