Phoenix Art Museum

Home to the 1796 oil painting of George Washington that’s featured on the US dollar bill, ancient Japanese samurai armor wear, and works by Monet, the 285,000-square-foot (26,477-square-meter) museum spans four floors and is a great way to escape the Phoenix heat during the day. The art institution also hosts live performances, festivals, lectures, independent art films, and activities for families. The onsite café serves coffee, sandwiches, salads, and pastries. Docent-guided tours are available.

• All museum entrances are wheelchair accessible; you can borrow manual wheelchairs for free from the locker room at the museum’s main entrance.

• Assistive listening devices are available by request on a first-come, first-serve basis.

• You have to store your backpack in a locker or get it tagged by a gallery attendant and wear it as a shoulder bag or on the front of your body during your visit.

• Water bottles and food are not permitted; water fountains are throughout the museum.

The Phoenix Art Museum is within walking distance from central neighborhoods, destinations, and downtown Phoenix. It’s also accessible via the Valley Metro light rail system, with a nearby stop at McDowell Road and Central Avenue. There is also a Valley Metro bus stop at the same intersection.

The Phoenix Art Museum is open daily except Mondays and Tuesdays. Docent-led tours run three times a day, Wednesdays through Sundays, and on some select evenings; they are included with admission to the museum. It’s free to visit after dark during PhxArt AfterHours, which happens four times a year. PhxArt Family Fundays also take place four times a year.

Frida Kahlo’s work, El Suicidio de Dorothy Hale (The Suicide of Dorothy Hale), is the most frequently requested artwork for loan from the museum’s entire collection. Hale was an American actress who committed suicide in 1938; this painting was commissioned by a friend. It is considered one of Kahlo’s most shocking and controversial.