Maricopa Historical Society Museum

"I recently moved Maricopa and have driven by the California Zephyr train car several times. This morning I pulled in to the parking lot to get a better look at it. I was warmly greeted by members of the Maricopa Historical Society who invited me Coffee on the Porch. This event is held every Wednesday morning from 9-11. I toured the Historical Society and also the Californian Zephyr. Railroad fans of all ages will enjoy the model railroad displays. John Wayne fans don't miss the items on exhibit. Gave it 5 stars only because I couldn't give it 6 ! Great to meet some other locals who were there. Friendliest historical Society I have ever visited !"

Leonard Tall

"I brought my autistic 4 year old here as his special interest is trains and he has been dying to see model trains in person. We had an AMAZING experience, thanks to Tim. He was so understanding and patient with my son and I really could not have asked for a better person to show us around the museum. The three women in the main building were also so kind to my son and even gave him a small steam locomotive train — he hasn’t let it go since. This was a wonderful experience!!!"

Magen Kelly

"This is a fun little museum that's worth a visit if you're in the area. Although it was a bit hard to find at first with Google Map's directions, you'll basically just want to set your GPS to look for "Iglesia Apostolica" and there's a pretty big parking lot in front with accessible spots too. From there, it's just a stone's throw walk to the museum. You can't miss it as you'll see a colorful wall on the outside facing the main road and a tiny colorful horse statue.

Starting with the inside, though it's small, there's definitely quite a bit to see. The building itself was built in the 1940s, so it's like walking in history. At the left, there's a small gift area along with some free brochures about the area; they also have a historical refrigerator. To the right, there's displays on the history of Maricopa, AZ- they even have a mannequin of a cotton farmer with actual cotton in his bag. They also have a model train, maps to show the development of the area, and section on John Wayne. Lots of interesting tidbits. The museum docents were all very welcoming and informative too.

Outside, they have the train which I believe is only open on Saturdays(?), but you can still climb the steps to look at it, or even just going down the sidewalk near it- lets you get up and close. Nearby is a shaded section with several more informational signs that lets you learn more about the history of the area. It's about a 10 minute or so round trip walk.

Overall, excellent experience here- clean, informative, welcoming museum!"

A Z