Reviews of Scottsdale Museum of the West (Museum)

David Wynn

Friendly and informative staff, well organized. Lots of artifacts from the Westward Expansion era (everything's cowboy you ever want to see;) paintings, sculptures, videos...it is a nice place to spend few hours when you are in Phoenix. Highly recommend.

Eugene DiCesaris

Excellent! My wife and I were very impressed with the interactive displays, artwork, and statues. The tour was informative. Large emphasis on Native American and Western cowboy culture.

Grant Myers

So much to see. My wife and I stayed there 3 hours.

John Childress

Good experience overall. I had to bite my tongue a few times as to how employees were treating children bieng "close" to the art. I would call it rude. Great site, staff needs attention.

Peggy Schendel

I enjoyed it.

Carolynn Carpenter

Large museum. Lots of artwork, pottery, Western history and facts. Interesting. Can spend hours there.

Chris Bauer

One of Scottsdale’s newest & best museums of western art. Many paintings & bronzes of Cowboy Artists of America have been on display here. My personal favorite is John Coleman, his bronze’s are legendary! Barry Goldwater’s photos are currently on display. If you appreciate Western art, this is a must see!

Horace Williams

Very contemporary, historical look at western art, sculpture, saddles, tack, pistols and rifles. Museum admission includes a 15-minute introductory video. Excellent museum.

Greg Goode

It is, for the most part, a "Western" art museum. Very nice art museum.

kent meyer

Great place to learn more about AZ

Pam C

Highly recommended and a new spot to AZ. Bring out of town guests and have lunch nearby at the many venues for a real taste of AZ. I'm going back again.

Ralph B

Fabulous celebration of Arizona's history with emphasis on cowboys and artists including Native, Hispanic, and Caucasian. Currently hosting a Barry Goldwater photography exhibition.

Marc Tassin

Just to help folks avoid confusion, this is really an art museum more than anything else. Although there are a few "old west" artifacts, it's mostly paintings and sculptures from a relatively small group of artists. Definitely not a great place to take kids. BUT if you like Western paintings and sculptures, it's a really we'll put together museum. The art ranges from modern sculpture to Western movie posters to saddle art.

Brad Randazzo

Thank goodness the entry was reduced for a festival of sorts. Barry Goldwater and what else?? Some Modern Art?!

HerbnKathyRV

Very nice museum documents western U.S. history with lots of displays of western wear, art, bronze castings along with special periodic displays. We were there to see the special Barry Goldwater exhibit.

Dean Koenig

Really enjoyed the Western Movie poster exhibit and some great art, as well. The video presentation in their theater was a little strange...and it would be nice if they had a cafe.

Undying Vision

This museum is a exceptional picture into the old west. The bottom floor has paintings of the old west and landscapes. Their is also pottery from Native American tribes. The museum provides plenty of information on the art pieces and pottery. On the first floor they have relics of the old west. Those relics are stuff like handcuffs, weapons and horse saddles. The second floor has an extensive art collection about native American culture and history. They display beautiful Navajo blankets and rugs which are exquisite. The staff are friendly and helpful. The tour guide I had provided extreme amounts of context and history which definitely enriched my expierence there. This place is fantastic for those who are interested the history of the old west. I highly recommend it.

Bill Burke

A very nice museum. Western art, native American artifacts, antique horse tack, guns of the west, pretty much anything that had something to do with the west. We took a couple of hours to see it all. Highly recommended

Jo-Anne HERBECK

We visited here after the Parada del Sol when it was free. It was quite interesting especially the wanted posters for Bonnie & Clyde & John Dillinger. The statues outside were neat too.

Steve Dawson

Brilliant, do the guided tour. Ron made the artifacts and historic pieces come to life. His knowledge of the history of, and the importance of the displays was impressive. I wish my history teachers were as engaging. A must see for every kid and visitor to the US West.

Ann

We visited on March 28th, and what a lovely & inspiring conclusion to my Arizona visit this year. The variety of comments here in the reviews speaks to the multi-faceted nature of the exhibits -- artifacts, objects, weapons, & clothing for daily use, posters for old Western movies, and the most beautiful exhibits of bronzes, paintings, and pottery -- and more. The brief movie shown recurrently throughout the day captures the spirit of past and present, and the need for respect for our heritage and traditions -- both Native American and settlers. The staff are courteous and very helpful. We could easily have spent more than the two and a half hours we did stay.

Dean p

No changing stations if you have a baby.

Daniel Mccauley

Great places for people they have disabilities so they can play baseball

Filip Hubert Suwik

It's worth to see if you like wild wild west, cowboys, gunfighters and native Americans culture.

Dan Ferguson

Outstanding tours by knowledgeable and friendly staff! Loved the spurs, native american items, Colonel Carson's pistol, artwork. This will be a regular stop from now on. This is a must see.

Kirk Pangus

Very cool architecture, great displays of western life and history.

Charles Albert Ohler

I highly recommend this place!!!

Patricia McCauley

Four years(ish) new to Old Town Scottsdale. Great exhibits. Stunning photography from former Senator Goldwater capturing Native American life currently on loan..

stevi emerson

Great museum with several incredible exhibits. Our tour guide, Steve, was very knowledgeable of the pieces and also funny. We'll definitely rerurn!

John Ollech

Great museum at a reasonable price/value. Recommend!

Alison Friesen

What an amazing place. The current exhibit of Joe Beeler's life and work is fascinating and so beautiful. I don't know if we're ever enjoyed a museum more.

Jonathan K

Honestly Western Art is not my favorite, but the docents here are very knowledgeable and often overlap with the Heard Museum. Worth checking out!

Gyles Allen

A splendid museum of art, pottery and cowboy and native american artifacts. We loved it. Well displayed, guided tours available. Some of the western bronze sculptures were the best we have seen. There were whole schools of art out in the west. Old west heroes and villains are represented in paintings as well as spectacular landscapes, buffalo hunts and the like.

Don Bruns

Nice museum, some great exhibits and a wonderful photo exhibit (which seems to move with you) near the "gift shop", don't miss it if you go.

Some Guy

Great exhibits and artwork. Old west artifacts are really neat. Wish it was more diverse, though. Tons of Goldwater artifacts and exhibits.

Denise Peterson

WOW! What a great place. Well worth the price of admission. 2 stories of artwork portraying the story of how the west began. There is also an exhibit of movie posters and western movies. Another area has Indian pottery. There also had an area showing items made by inmates. Saddles, weapons and clothing were exhibited. The coolest display was a life sized buffalo. Check it out for yourself.

Margaret Turner

Great place to visit.

Tom C. Krejcie

Very nice building with a good layout. Goldwater (special) photo exhibit was very interesting. Too much art work relative to what I would expect in a museum.

Matt Flower

A beautiful place. Interesting artifacts and a wide array of western art. We enjoyed our visit and actually stayed longer then we intended. Was worth the expense of both time and money.

CStraight

As others have mentioned, it is really more of a western art musuem than a museum of Western history. With that said, the art displayed was interesting and beautiful. The bronzes are phenomenal. We enjoyed the special exhibits, and if you love art, it is worth the trip.

Ronald Hill

Great exhibitión.Enjoyed Callé collection.

Joe Mahoney

Fabulous museum. We had two different tours.

britt galbraith

A well curated musuem with interesting exhibits, beautiful art, and helpful docents. They offer free tours as well as a 10 minute video. There are a few fun hands on parts of the exhibits, though the musuem is better suited for adults and older children. The building itself is also unique and beautiful.

klaudia with a K

We weren't planning to go there, then stumbled across it and thought it would be nice to go inside. And it really was nice. The staff was nice&helpful. Though the setup of the exhibition was a little but confusing to get through, it was nice. The building itself was really pretty, and the movie they showed in the museum was really inspiring and well produced.

Madeleine McKinnon

Impressive, remarkable and unforgettable. A must see.

Robert Smith

We'll laid out with lots of interesting tidbits about life in the West. Definitely worth a visit!

Patrice Q

Excellent museum detailing Lewis and Clark's explorations of the American West through maps, sculptures, and the entire set of paintings by Charles Fritz of their expedition. Beautiful bronze statues of Native Americans, especially chiefs. A fine collection of western landscapes. Great cowboy art and a fantastic collection of spurs, chaps, and saddles. Sometimes they have movies and lectures. And the building is stunning and beautifully lit.

Karen Gotcher

Loved this place. Not so huge you cannot see it all but some really interesting exhibits! The Hopi pottery is beautiful. They have a really fun wall and floor painting you can take your own picture looking like you are getting ready to ride a horse. There are some really great collections that are on loan from different individuals including Barry Goldwater. Lots of neat old posters around if you have ever watched a western movie of cartoon!

Camille Abeyta

Amazing! Everyone should make a point to stop by & visit this place!!!! Lots of Memories....

Barbara Wilder

Barry Goldwater exhibit was great.

Carl Valle

Really great - extensive and unique

bunkhouse

Nice museum detailing sculptures, paintings, pottery, photographs, saddles, stirrups, etc... of the west. Have a fine collection of old west paintings, and the John Coleman and Paul Calle collections are excellent.

William Daniel

This is a really excellent small Museum that does not draw big crowds as far as I can tell. It is on one of my favorite streets in Scottsdale, Marshall, and is open late for the Thursday evening Art Walk. Check out the excellent Hopi Pottery collection, the Charles Russell paintings, and the amazing collection of saddles. Also right now there's a wonderful exhibit of Barry Goldwater photographs.

Katherine Wijenaike-Bogle

A good museum. Skip the intro movie, which isn't actually about the history of the west. The collection of Hopi pots is great, as is the Native art. The Western saddles and guns are exciting too.

Den Mitchell

This is museum that you can visit often. The staff is constantly bringing in new exhibits that are interesting and often educational. We visit regularly.

Ken Faubel

This a great place to get some of the local flavor of Phoenix and Scottsdale. The art, pottery, photography and Western artifacts were perfect for our three young adult traveling companions. The special exhibit about Goldwater's photography was also interesting.

Virgil Hall Band Songs

A must visit. We were blown away!

Simone Cannon

Amazing museum, very well done. I thought it was just going to be cowboys, but it was so much more: native american art, history, sculpture garden, knowledgeable and helpful staff, etc. Absolutely worth visiting.

KELLY HALL

Informative, friendly staff, well kept, air conditioning

Sasha Lantzy

We visited on a field trip and they made the experience educational and enjoyable for the kids and the adults.

Sonia bonilla

Visited for the first time with my sons school, definetely a great experience. Such wonderful staff.

Spencer Francis

Very nice history of the west in painting, pottery, pictures, artifacts & sculptures.

Paula Furlong

Awesome if you enjoy the west! Art, sculptures, guided tour, very informative.

Antonio Williams

Nice history

Nadine Burns

Nice moderately sized museums with some gems. Amazing bronze work and cowboy items Video could have been so much better with real historical facts and video clips as opposed to eagle shots.

Rod Werner

Gerard was and is a fabulous guide definitely take the tour if you are any type od western history enthusiast plan on 2 to2-1/2 hours if not plan on an hour plus a little spendy but its Scottsdale. Worth the trip from Buckeye.

Judith Lee

This building and museum is new - it's only been open three years. It was our first time to go to this museum (and by the way the tree Old Town trolley stops right in front. There is an admission charge, but it is well worth it. This two-story museum of western heritage and Indian culture is well worth it.

James Murch Eschert

A very cool museum. Great guided tour with a lot of anecdotes and stories. Western items and great western movie posters. Very nice staff and overall a great experience.

Tabitha Thornhill

You have to see this! Western movie posters that inspire you to see them. HIstory of the Western US in some amazing intricate beautiful saddles, and a garden with metal sculptures perfect for any corporate event, birthday party or fun party to celebrate life.

Mark Dolan

Beautiful venue but the breadth of the collection is small and repetitive.

Mark

I'm not a big museum person, but I loved this museum. Me and my mom went through it in about 2 hours and saw everything. If you love western art, then you'll love this museum. They have a Paul Calle exhibit which is amazing!

Joy Ohara

Beautifully designed building with wonderful textured concrete walls. The sculpture garden is my favorite space. Exhibits are interesting but slants more white Americana. Worth a visit if your in the area.

THoth SuMantRa

Lots to see, and read. I don't just go to museums to look, I read the information about the exhibit, and spend time learning about the exhibit. This is time consuming, but 8f you love to learn, like I do, then you will arrive early to really appreciate this gem of a museum in old Town Scottsdale.

Lucio Pihanna

To most people the idea of the Old West has been formed by television (both bad and good), artists like Russel, Remington and others. This museum really expands on that by showing other painters as well as exhibits that really define the West in all its grandeur and glory.You get to see exhibits up close and personal so you can judge the size and massiveness of the buffalo. You get to see clothing, bead work and faces in tremendous detail. The faces do remind you of the harshness and toughness that is the Old West. It is a rare experience to see various artists interpret the Old West. Rather incredibly there is something for children and tourists as well. There is an opportunity to create pictures that takes them back to the Old West. You can pose with a horse that looks like you are in the Old West. Please do take the time to take a picture with children and adults alike. It is a memory that will stay with you for a very long time.The other thing that I took away with me was the fact that there was no attempt made at political correctness or analysis. It was simply a rendition of the Old West and I really appreciated that aspect. This is a trip that is well worth of your time and effort.

Lynne Fonseca

They have very good tours. There is a lot to see, so make sure you have lots of time.

Jon Rochetti

The museum is highly focused towards American Indian and cowboy paintings, mostly oil paint media. Very little if any photography, and considering Ansel Adams photograph much of the West, was disappointed I didn't see any of his photographs. There were a few photographs of Native Americans. The one section I really did enjoy, and I wish was larger, was the cowboy memorabilia, including a huge collection of Spurs, Saddles, bridles, clothing, Sheriff's Badges and the like.

Luke Bader

So much to see! The Paul Calle exhibit is incredible!!

Warren Shapiro

What a little gem. Well done exhibitions both new and permanent. Exhibit on western art was first class.

Jay Weaver

Excellent Western museum! Fantastic art, especially sculptures. Lots of Western artifacts like saddles, clothing, guns, etc. A big surprise was all the works of Barry Goldwater...great photography!

Rodney Smith

Very nice!! I loved it and will come back again.

Marc Maloney

What to do on a rainy day in Scottsdale? Visit the Western Spirit Museum. This was a good activity on a rainy day in Scottsdale. The exhibits are interesting and provide an excellent historical picture of this area. All in all worth the time spent wandering around.

Susan Passarelli

If your in the Mood for Western & Native Art, this is the Place to go! Fabulous Artwork & Sculpture! Loved the Diversity of the Artwork shown! There is Beauty Inside & Out! It is an Eco Friendly Building too!

Ken Swearingen

Went throughout a senior citizen Retreat awesome Place good presentators learn about the wild west here

Charles Via

Really great place to visit the old west.

Polli Johnston

Interesting place to learn of Western History..., loved the scavenger hunt for kid's..., I got involved with the hunt!!

Alexander Vallar

The Western Spirit: Scottsdale's Museum of the West wasn't exactly what I suspected. Based on the read of the website I excepted it to be a history museum but in actuality it's a great art museum. Taboot the tour guide was low energy, disorganized, and unengaging.

Paddy Hoy

The Barry Goldwater exhibit was the reason for the visit and it was good. But the remaining exhibits were worth the trip. Well done!

Kevin Delvalle

Fascinating collections of art from paintings to drawings to sculptures. Also historical items such as saddles, chaps, guns, etc. We took a tour with the docent who provided additional insights that we would not have gained if we'd just walked around on our own. We were lucky enough to be there on the last day of the excellent Will James exhibition, a "cowboy" illustrator who also wrote some children's books of his own. The museum is light and airy inside, and has a really nice ambiance. There's a small sculpture garden in an internal courtyard that is well worth a visit, it's like a little biosphere all of its own and the Dave McGary statue there is amazing. (There's another one outside.) Highly recommended if you are at all interested in knowing a little about the art and history of the West.

Christine Duncan

Really fun place if you enjoy Western themed art. Wonderful information about each artist and a great display with Native American pottery. The staff were happy and friendly and helped take our photo with one of their displays. We went later in the afternoon just after the school groups had left and it was a very quiet experience.

ihatedannyromero

Amazing in several ways. A must see in az

Sean Simon

Beautiful exhibits. Really enjoyed some of the historical artifacts from the region. Docent was very knowledgeable.

Johnny Gomez

What to do on a rainy day in Scottsdale? Visit the Western Spirit Museum. This was a good activity on a rainy day in Scottsdale. The exhibits are interesting and provide an excellent historical picture of this area. All in all worth the time spent wandering around.

Shawn Summers

I think real native Americans wouldn't appreciate it so much, It was nice to see the history of the artifacts but the lone ranger and what really happened are two different things. Its a black eye of our history that shouldn't glorified

Sarah Belisle

This museum which is only three years old but already a major hit in Phoenix.numerous original art pieces in oil, pen and ink, water colors, statuary including clay and bronze and dozens of artifacts including clothing, leather goods, wraps, blankets, rifles, etc. well worth the modest price of admission. Wonderful docents who conduct hour long tours. Plan to spend at least 2 hours here.

Carson Booher

Janet is the best worker there and the whole staff is friendly. Well worth the price you pay and so many interesting stories to look into. I highly recommend this to anyone coming to Arizona, or natives to the state.

Kelly Warrington

Amazing history of the west and it was romanticized. Beautiful art collections, amazing bronze sculptures. Definitely must see.

Danette McKearn

This Museum was so incredible interesting. We really enjoyed every aspect of the Museum

Pavel Sidakov

If you would like to learn more about the West, this is the place to go. Quite a variety of exhibits including sculpture, fine arts, personal belongings of a variety of artists as well as some more whimsical modern art. Personally, I've enjoyed sharing this adventure alongside friends.

Vasiliki Boulas

Came upon this museum by walking the streets of Scottsdale. Great place to visit. Great artwork displayed. Loved it!

Pat Stricker

They are closed on Monday, which is the only day that we could visit! However outside there are sculptures and cactus gardens to see.

T M

The top museum by far in the Phoenix area. Unmatched in every respect. No visit to this area should fail to include a visit to this nationally recognized institution. More fascinating things in one place than you could ever imagine.

Lynda Wade

My granddaughters, my husband, my Service Dog Maple and I enjoyed the tour of the Museum led by Judith. I am pleased that Judith talked to my Service Dog Maple during the tour she lead.

Terry Jenkins

Really amazing museum of the American west! Art and artifacts of the period. Clothing, six shooters, ropes and spurs. Both cowboy and native American cultures are explored. I've never seen anything like it or as extensive. Fascinating!!

Pavel F

Great exhibition, an excursion to the history

Mike Peterson

Very good museum a must see.

Mel Drake

Delighted with the size and scope of the museum, a wonderful afternoon.

Darrell Howell

Great Museum. The guide was not very informative

Homer Ray III

The inventory of artifacts, memorabilia and collections of western artists and photography is overwhelming. What a fortunate opportunity to see such a masterful display.

Eric Blakesslee

Lots of cool stuff here

chichi gates

A lot of display photos artifacts and Western related items. Personally, the things / art displays outside the museum were my favorites. However, because of the extreme heat, we could hardly stay outside the building and see/enjoy the other art installations. The Museum Gift Shop was limited. The staff at the Entrance was very welcoming and friendly. Forgot to get his name to give him the credit he deserves. I do remember him having a British accent.

Angie Latimer

You want western history, visit this museum! Totally worth your time.

Cindy Roldan Jaramillo

Very nice! Loved Paul Calle exhibition

george gow

Good exhibition of Indian and cowboy history, well laid out, helpful informative staff

Verna Namuchende

I loved the art and photos that tell of the American history

Dawn Kruchoski

A lot of very cool exhibits and artwork. The pottery and jewelry made by the Indians are beautiful!

amir khamesi

Very good place for walking and enjoy all art galleries around. There are plenty of galleries, restaurants, cafeterias, and West museum. I like that place. For sure kids will enjoy the sculptures, and things there.

Eric Cook

Amazing collections, friendly and knowledgeable staff.

Paul Hejja MD

Excellent collections of Barry Goldwater's images as well as the works of Paul Calle illustrator for US Postage, NASA etc. A must see pair of shows.

ajax comics

Excellent museum very clean well-thought-out and exciting exhibits

Robert Snyder

A beautiful structure with impressive collections. It added immensely to our understanding of the history of the Southwest.

Ruth Hill

We were looking for a place to cool off and have fun. Very unique little spot. Worth the price.

Kevin Albert

What a gorgeous museum!!! We went to see the Barry Goldwater exhibit and walked around for a couple hours enjoying other exhibits as well. Worth going to the museum. Parking is a little tough because of the construction next door but once inside, you're in the old West in a modern museum! You'll enjoy!!!

Anita Sallas

Only walked by but it looked interesting.

Stephanie Johnson

Wonderful tour alot of wonderful art

Peter Tynan

Better than expected, well worth an hour of your time.

Zivile Dailydiene

Small, not too much interesting thing. 10 min movie is absolutely waste of time.

James Mueller

The tour guides know their stuff. I’ve lived in AZ most of my life and left this place with an entirely new appreciation for my home state and its history. I highly recommend stopping by whether you’re a tourist or a local.

Philip Bramucci

Tons of beautiful historic items. All of the artwork upstairs is just beautiful.

Mary DeWitt

What a great place! Such collections. I especially like the Kit Carson displays, and Chiefs blankets.

Jacque Doyle

Wonderful collections. Beautiful setting. We'll be back. Loved the Goldwater photos!

P B

Nice place and very nice helpful staff to insure a pleasurable experience. The staff clearly goes out of their way and are very creative in setting up these nice exhibits in a variety of ways.

Mark Pirreca

You will love this place. Check it out

Kaihley Reiner

Was there to see "Growing up Goldwater" . A private event for a networking group. The museum is beautifully designed inside and out in Old Town Scottsdale. My husband and I had a delightful time discovering all they had to offer. We will go back and would recommend it to others. Enjoy!

Chuck Point

Wonderful exhibits. Southeastern Natve ceramics. Photos. Paintings. Western memorabilia.

mike eishen

Beautiful bronzes but other than that nothing was labeled I need more information to make a the Journey tour last night

Rhonda Sanders

Great field trip with engaging activities at each exhibit!

grant domine

Cool museum worth the 12 bucks

Kristi Polanco

Docents made experience so fun for us; even the bathroom doors were a piece of art!

Gale Rhoades

Lovely party and small conference site with some fun exhibits.

Gerald Nelson

Very well informed and attentive guides make an excellent tour of museum

chris stevenson

Nice new museum. Staff is very friendly. The free parking underground in the rear worked like a dream. Lots of period pieces covering all perspectives. Stayed longer than planned and enjoyed every second.

Robert Dubeau

Excellent museum art on and for western historic values.

Mike Petersen

Fantastic One of a kind exhibits! Very knowledgeable tour guides

Dylan Soo

Was not able to go in as it was closed hut a stunning and visually appealing museum.

Helen Janiec

Lovely art and private Native American pottery collection.

Jim_Mitchell aka/jmgargoyle

Nicely put together displays of artifacts and western art. Spent about an hour and a half looking at everything....

Carol Nelson

The Paul Calle exhibit was fantastic.

Alex Alvarenga

Very well layed out, extremely clean, thoughtful pieces a bit pricey to enter

D & T Electric

Very interesting much can be learned about old west. The art is fantastic.

Louis Glass

Was not expecting much, so I was very pleasantly surprised. This is a top-rate museum in a beautiful space. Exhibits include Western movie posters, pueblo pottery, bronze sculptures and fine art paintings. Informative with quality museum pieces. If anything was lacking, it may have been historical background information.

Ruth Foelber

Good collection (artifacts and art) nicely organized. Something for all ages.

Sally Leroy

Very educational museum on Western history

Rustell LoManto

This is a wonderful museum with exhibits about the southwest United States. Don’t miss the Lewis and Clark exhibit complete with actual artifacts and the 3D art near the gift shop!

Daniel Chance

Its a little pricey to get in for regular adult customers, but they do have discounts for several groups of people. The museum is incredible! You'll find yourself around a lot of native American artwork and pottery, as well as artifacts from the Old West (saloons, native American clothing, old books and newspapers). I'm usually not one to peruse art exhibits, but my friend and I were completely immersed and fascinated in short time. It was very entertaining and very educational. Many of their exhibits are the real McCoy as well. Some extremely talented sculptors also donated a series of very life-like statues. It is definitely worth your time!

Drew Wright

Fascinating history of western art and its influences upon American culture. Nice gift shop, knowledgeable staff. Movie intro is a little ADHD, but it does include some western art greats still alive, with a cameo by good friend Pena. Only about an hour of time to see all, then visit galleries nearby for more.

Douglas Andersen

Not many museums like this. Lots of fine art involving the American West and native Americans. Many works by well known artists as well as talented lesser known ones. A real treat.

Kathy Baldwin

Great and well done. Went to see Rockefeller 's photos - fantastic!

D D

Disclaimer: I am not now nor have I ever been a cowboy. With that said I would recommend this museum to open-minded non-cowboys. The building has great architecture and a solid art collection upstairs. Downside: the premise and promise of this museum is "the development of the West" but that is not the case. At all. Which is too bad because I would pay for something like that. Instead, it's a gallery of excellent paintings.