// CULTURAL ACTIVITIES
THINGS TO DO
CULTURAL ACTIVITIES & FAMILY FUN THE FORT WHIPPLE MUSEUM 500 North AZ-Hwy. 89, Building 11 (North AZ-Hwy 89 near AZ-Hwy 69) Prescott, Arizona 928-445-3122 www.sharlothallmuseum.org/fortwhipple-museum/ facebook.com/sharlothallmuseum Instagram.com/sharlothallmuseum HOURS: Thurs.-Sat. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
except federal holidays. ADMISSION: Free Donations accepted, self-guided. HOURS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
due to VA hospital COVID-19 policy. For up-to-date information, please visit sharlothallmuseum. org/fort-whipple-museum/ A key tactical base for the U.S. Army during the Indian Wars of 1864-1886, Fort Whipple sat as one of the main centers of military presence in the Arizona Territory. A few decades later, Whipple shifted to become one of the military’s largest treatment centers for respiratory ailments, and continues serving veterans today as a VA medical facility. On the grounds of the Bob Stump Veterans Affairs Medical 24
2022 Prescott Chamber of Commerce Directory
Center, Fort Whipple Museum serves as a reminder of the wild, wild West. If you are an historic building enthusiast, you will enjoy touring the vintage 1908 military officer’s quarters for its architectural interest—or, if you are piqued by medical history, the Museum’s exhibits feature 19th-century medical instruments and treatment programs of WWI veterans recovering from gas warfare. Other exhibits tell the stories of vintage Army weaponry, Buffalo Soldiers, military maps, photographs and memoirs written by those stationed at this outpost.
From protecting frontier settlers to serving veterans, the mission of Fort Whipple has been to protect and serve. The Museum provides a fascinating time-capsule of its transition spanning 150-plus years and its positioning in the community where the formation of the Territorial government began. For decades, Fort Whipple protected the Territorial Capital of Prescott, the nearby gold fields, and the town’s early settlers. During the Indian Wars, it was the tactical headquarters for one-fifth of the entire U.S. Army.
