A New Look

River of Time Museum reveals new interactive exhibits

BY AMY WOLFF

The global pandemic took its toll on many organizations across the Valley, including the L. Alan Cruikshank River of Time Museum & Exploration Center in Fountain Hills. The museum was closed for nearly two years. But in late March, the doors of the interactive, family-friendly museum will open to the public again.

While the closure was difficult on the nonprofit museum, the organization made good use of the COVID-19 downtime by embarking on a significant remodeling project. The center, which is named after one of Fountain Hills’ early residents and owner of the local newspaper, completed a nearly $100,000 renovation. Grants and support from donors helped revitalize the museum, which now features updated interior space, interactive displays, more interpretive elements, and expanded stories of the area’s earliest inhabitants.

“After more than 18 months, and lots of construction, we are thrilled to announce our facility has been reimagined and enhanced with even more interactive components and exhibits that tell a colorful story of the region and the people who inhabited what is now Fountain Hills,” says Cherie Koss, the museum’s executive director.

“We are proud to welcome back patrons to share the remarkable history of the Lower Verde River Valley through creative exhibits, our remarkable art displays and docent-led group tours.”

Building the future

The L. Alan Cruikshank River of Time Museum & Exploration Center, which opened in 1989, explores the rich history of the Lower Verde River Valley and strives to educate patrons about the history of region and how present-day lives are connected to the past. As visitors journey through the museum, its exhibits showcase the ways desert dwellers — from the ancient Hohokam and Yavapai to early ranchers and modern-day settlers — found ways to create an oasis in the Verde Valley, which is now Fountain Hills.

The timeline of the museum begins before humans inhabited the area and extends to the future, including the impact of scarce water resources on the densely populated desert environment.

“Our ultimate goal with the remodel was to introduce a facility that reaches beyond the traditional concept of a ‘museum’ and engulfs the visitor in experiences designed to entertain while sharing the multitude of stories that depict life in the Lower Verde River Valley and emphasizing the role of water in supporting that life,” Koss adds.

The museum’s mission is to inspire people across the state to explore and learn more about an important piece of local history through relevant topics and experiences. Using the natural and social sciences of the region, museum leaders are focused on preserving and interpreting the past to understand the present and promote future sustainability.

New museum exhibits

As part of the renovation, the museum was updated to include an art gallery and exhibition space that features stunning works by Fountain Hills’ first resident, Sally Atchinson. The gallery’s contents will change several times throughout the year and will feature a selection of artists and exhibits related to the Southwest.

The museum’s first gallery hallway exhibit showcases the Smithsonian Traveling Poster Exhibit titled “Journey Stories,” which explores how movement has shaped the nation. The display takes a broad look at expansion and migration from earliest settlers and Native American displacement to the effects advancements in transportation have had on mobility. Visitors are challenged to compare their personal “migration” stories to those depicted in the exhibit.

Interactive displays include a one-ofa-kind, augmented reality sand table. The tactile exhibit can be manipulated

Part of the remodel included adding interactive displays such as the “Pack Your Trunk” activity. (Submitted photo) The L. Alan Cruikshank River of Time Museum & Exploration Center will reopen in late March. (Submitted photo)

Museum...continues on page 14

Museum...continued from page 13 to create topographic representations of mountains, streams and various weather patterns. Visitors can play archaeologist, digging in the sand to uncover dinosaur bones.

“The changes made to the museum are the result of numerous discussions with our members, volunteers and community stakeholders, plus the inspired work of Michelle Reid and the Museum Pros team,” says Annette Mary, board member at the River of Time Museum.

“Building a place where locals can come and experience how cool Arizona history can be is my passion project. I want to expose as many people as possible to the cultural asset and interactive educational journey the museum provides.”

The museum also introduced several pre-human residents in the remodeled layout including Arizona’s o cial dinosaur, Sonorasaurus, a previously unknown brachiosaurid sauropoda, and a bat cave exhibit featuring local bats and research currently being conducted by the local McDowell Sonoran Conservancy eld team. Partnerships with neighboring organizations like these will allow for upto-date and ever-changing information on research to be incorporated in future exhibits.

For those who have visited the museum before, local favorites can still be seen in the creatively enhanced exhibits. Jack Swilling, known as the “Father of Phoenix” for his work in rediscovering the Hohokam peoples’ canal system and “Tacky” the P-Bar ranch horse, will still be on hand to greet patrons.

New vignettes add dimension and character to the dramatically reimagined gallery space and include a life-size Sonorasaurus painted on the east wall, a mountain lion perched on a rock wall, a trapper working at collecting beaver pelts and archaeologists examining recently unearthed pottery.

The Riverbanks Gift Shop has also been updated and will o er locals and visitors a place to shop for unique, locally sourced gifts for every occasion. Relocated to the former Pattea Gallery, the expanded shop space is an extension of the gallery’s exhibits. Each item is curated to connect to a story in the River of Time.

“Our mission is to engage, entertain, educate and inspire people from across the state about the importance of the Lower Verde River Valley, which includes the community of Fountain Hills, through ever-changing, relevant topics and experiences,” Koss adds.

“While the last couple of years have been trying, we know the newly remodeled facility will provide visitors an eye-opening view into the region and a new appreciation for what our ancestors encountered as they worked to develop a new life in the Valley.”

John William “Jack” Swilling and the Big Redwood Pipeline. (Submitted photo)

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Upcoming events

Join the River of Time for a McDowell Sonoran Conservancy Exploration Tour.

Twice a month from March to May, the River of Time Museum, in conjunction with the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy Tour, will host the Fantastic Foragers tour hike to the overlook portion of the Lost Dog Wash Trailhead in Scottsdale.

Participants will discover how ancient people of the region sourced their food in the desert. Following the hike, travel to the River of Time to discover the ancient peoples in the Hohokam and Yavapai exhibits. Lunch provided. 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, visit riveroftime. museum.

The museum is located at 12901 N. La Montana Boulevard, Fountain Hills. It is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is $12 for adults; $10 for seniors 65 and older; and $7 for children 6-18, veterans and health care workers. Members, Fountain Hills students with ID, and children under 5 are admitted free. For more information, call 480837-2612.

The museum covers the history of Arizona from before human settlement onward. (Submitted photo)

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