S’edav Va’aki Museum

S'edav Va'aki, formerly Pueblo Grande Museum and archeological park is a whisper to us all that Family Human has inhabited the Sonoran Desert 13,000 years and we humans of this age live among the renovated ruins of a previous engineering, and farming civilization. We come every year for the Veteran's Gourd Dance -all vets invited, and the stellar Frienfs of Pueblo Grande Indian Market art sale and culture event. In 2024, the date is December 10.Step into ancient traditions here.

This archeological museum shows the ruins of an Indian village near the Phoenix airport. Since the weather was nice, it was pleasant to walk around the outside portion of this in addition to seeing the fairly small indoor exhibits. Worth a visit if you're in the Phoenix area.

This is a hidden gem right here in Phoenix, AZ. I took my 14 year old Goddaughter and she absolutely loved it. There is so much information and exhibits. To see how the indigenous people lived and created so much is wonderful. The inside museum is wonderful...so much artistic talent. And the outside archeological site where you can really imagine how it was to live in a village was amazing.

This is almost in the heart of Phoenix. I had no idea it was here.The ruins are not as magnificent as Montezuma's Castle, or many others I could name. Erosion as taken its toll, and apparently some of the complex was paved-over and is now Washington St. The interpretive displays inside were pretty nice. The signs outside were helpful, but even with those signs it was difficult to imagine some of the rooms/structures.I wouldn't go again, but if you are interested in local heritage, it is worth a visit once. We got free admission through the public library, which was very cool.

Who would have thought there'd be an archeological site right smack dab in the middle of Phoenix near the airport? We were looking for a local historic place to visit and it doesn't get any more historic than this Hohokam site.The ruins are part of a more than 1500 year old village. There is an indoor exhibit detailing the living conditions, traditions, and process of discovering the site back in the early half of the 20th century. The outdoor area has paved paths that are stroller and wheelchair accessible where you can see what remains of the village. Beyond that area there is also a short walk to a recreation of what some dwellings might have looked like. It was an interesting peek into the daily lives of the Hohokam. I was especially intrigued by the ball court. We learned about some Hohokam history in elementary school and for some reason the ball court games were one of the tidbits of info I still remember from way back when. Side note, the balls they used looked quite heavy and deadly! As for the outdoor area, it was hard for me to imagine what the village looked like since only the bare foundations of it are left so the indoor small scale recreation and village recreation really helped. The gift shop is small but has a decent selection of Arizonan and more specifically Native American items for sale. Some gifts I remember seeing were katsina dolls, prickly pear candies, museum hats, decorative stones and postcards. Admission is very reasonable so I thought it was overall a good place to visit. DETAILS (From their website):*Admission: -Adults (18-54): $6.00 -Seniors (55 & over): $5.00 -Children (6-17): $3.00 -Children (under 6): Free -Museum Members: Free*Hours:Spring/Fall Hours (October - April) ​ -Monday - Saturday: 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. -Sunday: 1 p.m. - 4:45 pm. (Kids get in free!)*Museum galleries, lobby and restrooms are open at 75% capacity*Guests must wear a masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status*The Museum Store is open Tuesday - Saturday, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. ​*No dogs or bicycles allowed on the Interpretive Mound Trail*Free Parking*Accessible by Light Rail & Sky Train*ADA Accessible*Picnic Areas*Shade ramadas​

My wife and I had a layover in Phoenix and wanted to explore the city. This museum was nearby and figured it would provide good insight to the area. We took an Uber from the airport at minimal expense. I thought maybe they might offer some type of discount on tickets as many museums and parks do for military, but they don't. There is plenty of parking if you drive and plenty of social distancing as the museum was not busy and we were lucky to see 10 people during our visit. There is an inside piece with things to see as well as an outside walk. Both were interesting and insightful to the inhabitants, the importance of the canals, and their way of living. We were there for maybe an hour to view the sights without rushing. The exterior walk is a bit underwhelming as you walk through what was a village at one point. You have to use a little imagination as all there is to visualize is built up dirt with some structure that appears to be deteriorating with erosion. Not overly impressive as what there is to see has been rebuilt with modern tools and loses some of the wow factor. I've been to other archaeological sites and ruins around the world to where this didn't impress me as much I'm assuming. Definitely a site to see once but would have appreciated more of the original look and feel. Like the Yelp stars say, "could've been better".

Indian ruins in the middle of a major metropolitan- very cool history. Glimpses into life a thousand + years ago is fascinating. How they farmed, hunted, gathered, made tools and adorned jewelry. Where they chose to live and what type of dwelling. I saw a lot of Indian ruins, pueblos, cliff dwellings and such on this trip and it is astonishing how they made their homes, communities and the evidence of massive trading across huge regions. I loved the evidence of sports- something you might not think about when thinking of life 1500 years ago. The museum and loop outside around the ruins and replicas of buildings was wonderful. I especially liked that they made it handicap accessible. I was disappointed that the museum store is closed on Mondays- this was our last stop before flying home.

A hidden gem in the shadow of Sky Harbor Airport, thus archeological site is not to be missed. This community complements the ruins at Casa Grande to the south. With informative interpretive signs and compelling reconstructed dwellings, you really get a sense of life in another era. A fascinating place. A plus is that pathways are wheelchair and stroller friendly.

The museum and the site are both impressive. It's truly fascinating to witness such a profound piece of history being protected and displayed so well. However, it's disappointing that the focus of the curators seems to lie more on the race and gender of the preservationists rather than appreciating the preservation efforts themselves.

The S'edav Va'aki formerly know as Pueblo Grande Museum is honestly a hidden gem here in AZ. I was fascinated by the history of the Hohokam cultures. The ancient ruins and artifacts offer a unique glimpse into the lives of these early inhabitants of the Phoenix area. Lots of information inside too. A must visit if want to explore such wonderful culture.