Mohave Museum of History and Arts

The Hualapai (also written Hwal'bay) are one of the major Native American nations whose ancestral lands include the area surrounding Kingman. The Hualapai Indian Reservation stretches across substantial portions of northwestern Arizona including the western edge of the Grand Canyon, and the Hualapai's contemporary tourism operations (including the Grand Canyon West / Skywalk) make the tribe a significant economic presence in the region.

The museum's Hualapai exhibits provide substantial cultural and historical context. The Hualapai's traditional culture, the impact of American settlement and the establishment of the reservation, and the contemporary Hualapai community are all represented. Travelers passing through Hualapai country on Route 66 — particularly the Peach Springs stretch covered separately — benefit substantially from the museum's interpretive context.

Beyond the Hualapai, the museum includes substantial collections on the broader Native American history of the region, including the Mohave, Yavapai, and various other nations whose ancestral territories include portions of present-day Mohave County.

Mining drove Mohave County's late-19th and early-20th-century economy. Gold, silver, and various other metals were mined extensively across the region, with the towns of Oatman, Chloride, and various other mining communities founded as direct results of mining strikes. The museum's mining exhibits document this era through period equipment, photographs, and the various artifacts that document mining-camp life.

The railroads — particularly the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad (later Santa Fe) that established Kingman in 1882 — fundamentally shaped Mohave County's development. The museum's railroad exhibits cover both the practical operations and the social impact of the railroad era. Kingman developed as a substantial railroad town, and the railroad heritage remains visible in the contemporary downtown.

Route 66 commercial-era exhibits cover the Mother Road's impact on Kingman and the surrounding region. The museum integrates Route 66 content with the broader transportation history (railroads, the highway, the contemporary infrastructure) that has shaped the area across the past 140 years.

The museum is open Monday-Saturday 9am-5pm and Sunday 1pm-5pm. Admission is genuinely affordable — $5 for adults and $2 for children, well below the pricing of comparable substantial history museums. Plan 90 minutes to 2.5 hours for a thorough visit.

The downtown Kingman location places the museum walking distance from the various other Kingman attractions including the Arizona Route 66 Museum (covered separately), the Historic Beale Hotel, and the downtown Route 66 corridor. A combined downtown Kingman walking exploration including the Mohave Museum can fill a substantial half-day.

For Route 66 travelers, the Mohave Museum provides the substantive historical context for understanding the region. The combination with the more Route 66-specific Arizona Route 66 Museum produces a complete picture — broader regional history at the Mohave Museum, focused Route 66 commercial history at the Arizona Route 66 Museum.