The Chandler Museum offers a wide array of engaging and educational public programs for early childhood, youth and adults. The programs include lectures, activities, demonstrations, outreach events and more. Programs are free to attend.
Need something to do while the kids are out of school for Spring Break? Drop by anytime from 12-2 p.m. and go back in time to explore how kids contributed, stayed busy, and had fun during the Dust Bowl years while their parents were working to make their way west. Each day will have a different activity, game, or craft.
All ages welcome.
First Tuesday of each month | 12-12:30 p.m. | Saguaro Room
Get a taste of Chandler history during 30-minute talks led by museum curators and local experts. Bring some take-out or a brown bag lunch.
Working Chandler: Insights into the Work of Local Government Part II
Tuesday, April 4 | 12-12:30 p.m.
Get an insider’s look at three different departments in the City of Chandler through a panel discussion with employees from Parks & Recreation, Hazardous Materials, and City Transportation. Listen as Larry Yonker, Todd Murray, and Hermalinda Llamas share history and experiences from their department and time working for the City of Chandler.
After the discussion, check out Working America, the traveling exhibition acknowledging the lives and contributions of working men and women in small, skilled trades across the country.
Guarantee your seat by registering.
History of Table Tennis in Chandler: Changing the Culture Step by Step
Tuesday, May 2 | 12-12:30 p.m.
Join the Chandler Museum as we welcome Jim Montgomery to share about the history of Table Tennis in Chandler. Table tennis is one of the most practiced sports in the world, even in Chandler, Arizona. Participants and athletes have worked to make this a community sport with practices five days a week and welcoming new people to join the sport. Be a part of this History Bite to learn how the Table Tennis community has grown and what the future may hold.
Stay after to visit the temporary Working America one last time before we say “good-bye!”
Guarantee your seat by registering.
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
March 21 | 12-1 p.m.
Do you love reading? Introducing the Chandler Museum Book Club!
Staff at Chandler Museum and Chandler Public Library have come together to choose a mix of fiction and non-fiction that expand on topics from the exhibition, Picturing Home: Dust Bowl Migrants in Chandler.
Read one—or all—of the books we’ve selected to help you imagine living in the Dust Bowl era, learn more about Dorothea Lange’s personal life, and more! Connect with other readers during in-person discussions led by Museum Staff Kristine Clark and Librarian Anbolyn Potter.
Future books include: A Seed in the Sun by Aida Salazar and Nomadland by Jessica Bruder.
Want to know more? Email our Community Engagement Specialist Kristine Clark.
A Seed in the Sun by Aida Salazar
May 16 | 12-1 p.m.
Do you love reading? Introducing the Chandler Museum Book Club!
Staff at Chandler Museum and Chandler Public Library have come together to choose a mix of fiction and non-fiction that expand on topics from the exhibition, Picturing Home: Dust Bowl Migrants in Chandler.
Read one—or all—of the books we’ve selected to help you imagine living in the Dust Bowl era, learn more about Dorothea Lange’s personal life, and more! Connect with other readers during in-person discussions led by Museum Staff Kristine Clark and Librarian Anbolyn Potter.
Future books include: Nomadland by Jessica Bruder.
Want to know more? Email our Community Engagement Specialist Kristine Clark.
Our Stories presents diverse speakers who share unique Arizona and local history topics to a general audience throughout the year. This series is produced by the Chandler Museum and the Chandler Public Library, with support from the Friends of the Chandler Public Library.
If you have questions or would like more information on Our Stories, call 480-782-2751.
Our Stories: Arizona Snake Oil Salesman, Scams and Hoaxes!
Saturday, March 25 | 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. | Sunset Library
Since Territorial days, Arizonans have been visited by a number of entrepreneurs offering all kinds of elixirs and get rich quick schemes. Historian Christine Reid talks about some of the most famous and some of the lesser-known embarrassing hoaxes that have found the gullible in Arizona. Join us for this intriguing and often amusing tale.
Registration is appreciated, and drop-ins are welcome.
Photo: Snake Oil Liniment - courtesy of Christine Reid
Our Stories: King Cotton
Saturday, April 29 | 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. | Chandler Museum
In the 1910s, Dr. Chandler was a major proponent for the expansion of canals extending off the Salt River to increase production of cotton as well as other crops in the region. Historically, there have been settlements along the Salt and Gila Rivers since c. 1200 A.D. when the Hohokam grew and harvested cotton. It was not until the late 1920s and 1930s that towns like Eloy, Randolph, La Palma, and Coolidge became key producers in Arizona’s cotton industry.
Christine Reid’s presentation will cover the history and development of these towns and their impact on Pinal County as well as provide an overview of the cotton industry in Pinal County. This talk complements Picturing Home: Dust Bowl Migrants in Chandler, on view at Chandler Museum through August 13.
Registration is appreciated, and drop-ins are welcome.
Photo: Cotton Field - Chandler Museum Collection 93.22.4
Join a docent-guided campus tour of Chandler Museum
Free 45-minute tours led by our volunteer docents will give you insights into the architectural and artistic components of the museum campus as well as details about Chandler’s history. Pre-register to guarantee your spot.
Have a group of eight or more? Call 480-782-2879 to schedule a group tour.
Want to make art with your little one but don’t want to clean the mess? Come for a 45-minute program led by our friendly educators that is an age-appropriate introduction to different art styles and concepts. With new themes each month, program participants will begin together with a central topic and then break off into family groups to engage in several art-centered activity stations. Join us and get messy with your little one!
Geared towards ages 3-5. | FREE
Art and Emotions
Wednesday, Feb. 22 | 10:30 – 11:15 a.m.
Art can excite as well as calm us down. Come join in as we explore our emotions while making art and drawing what’s in our hearts.
Please register both adults and children attending as space is limited.
Mix and Match
Wednesday, March 8 & 22 | 10:30 – 11:15 a.m.
Love to mix and match colors? Join us as we mix vinegar and baking soda to create bubbly colors and find the matching colors to famous paintings.
Please register both adults and children attending as space is limited.
Pack your bags and travel back in time where everyday objects look completely different. These 45-minute programs are led by our friendly educators who compare everyday items, then and now. With new themes each month, program participants will begin together with a central topic and then break off into family groups to engage in several activity stations.
Geared towards ages 3-5. | FREE
Shoes
Wednesday, Feb. 15 | 10:30 – 11:15 a.m.
Slide on over as we explore how shoes are made and stay for lots of foot-stomping shoe themed activities.
Please register both adults and children attending as space is limited.
Trains
Wednesday, March 1 & 15 | 10:30 – 11:15 a.m.
All aboard as we explore everything trains! Identify the different types of rail cars and cargo, pretend play with engineers’ caps, and create a locomotive themed craft.
Please register both adults and children attending as space is limited.
Museum Helpers
Wednesday, March 29 | 10:30 – 11:15 a.m.
Become a museum helper, peek into the world of exhibit planning and install. Uncover what is in the curator’s toolbox and create your own framed masterpiece.
Please register both adults and children attending as space is limited.
RegisterBring your family and toy with classic games and toys. Brush up on the classics or explore something new! Each month features a different set of games and toys. Outdoor games and activities will be available in the courtyard weather permitting. Can’t arrive right at 11am? No worries, arrive later during the program for the same fun experience.
Lawn Games
Saturday, Feb. 25 | 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Join us in the courtyard for croquet and other outdoor lawn games that will be sure to satisfy even the most competitive groups.
Register and drop in anytime between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Register
Cars, Trains and Planes
Saturday, March 18 | 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Put the pedal to the metal and get down to the museum as we gear up for play with cars, trains, and planes. Play with vintage cars, launch paper airplanes, and make a transportation themed craft.
Register and drop in anytime between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Think kids and museums don’t mesh? Think again! In the Exhibits immerses kids in interactive activities throughout the museum’s exhibits. Kids will participate in activities throughout the exhibit and gain deeper insights into the display. Expect the museum to be bustling with energy and fun.
Coming Soon
Dive into culture, history, and art at home with a themed activity box. Each Chandler Museum in a Box includes instructions and supplies for three-five activities.
Museum in a Box is available for sale in the Museum Store.
Family Editions
Build It! Frank Lloyd Wright in Chandler
Explore architecture with a Frank Lloyd Wright themed activity box. Design a city, test your building skills with edible construction supplies, and review shapes hidden within authentic Wright drawings. This Chandler Museum in a Box contains all needed supplies for three activities, stories about Wright’s time in Chandler, and the book Who Was Frank Lloyd Wright from the popular Who Was? series.
$18, Great for ages 7-10, includes enough supplies for two users.
Treat your audience to a story from Chandler’s fascinating history. Chandler Museum offers insightful and engaging presentations to community organizations, libraries, schools, and other groups. Book your free presentation and we'll bring history to you.
- Broadacre City: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Chandler Project
- Death and Diamonds: A Holocaust Survivor’s Journey from Kraków to Chandler
- Dr. Chandler and the Land Fraud that Built the Valley
- Fight Night in Chandler: March 22, 1967
- Japanese Internment: When Some Americans Looked Like the Enemy
- Visual Stories: Dorothea Lange’s Depression Era Photography in Chandler, Arizona
What People Are Saying About Museum Programs
"I absolutely love bringing my three kids to C-Town (ages 5, 3, and 2) because the program staff is warm and competent; there are quality activities that engage multiple age levels; and it is consistent and fun! My kids will often sing the songs and discuss local history we learned well after our visits to the Chandler Museum." - Melanie, parent
"I love C-Town because we sing lots of songs and do lots of crafts and learn history every time we go." - Ava, age 5