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.
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.
Behind the Scenes at Chandler Museum: Exhibition Development
Tuesday, June 7 | 12-12:30 p.m.
Museum exhibitions always begin with the seed of a story. What happens when the work of growing that story leads Chandler Museum researchers in unexpected directions? Discover how the museum created Picturing Home: Dust Bowl Migrants in Chandler. Join the Exhibition Team: Jillian Nakornthap, Tiffani Egnor, Nate Meyers, and Jody Crago to learn about the roadblocks and revelations they encountered while curating the museum’s latest ambitious exhibition.
Stay after the program to experience the exhibition Picturing Home: Dust Bowl Migrants in Chandler.
Architectural Chandler Series: Lescher & Mahoney
Tuesday, July 5 | 12-12:30 p.m.
Did you know that the firm responsible for some of the Valley’s most enduring architecture also designed a Chandler home nestled amidst 350 acres of cotton and alfalfa? Built in 1938 for a wealthy winter visitor from Detroit, the McCullough-Price House is now part of Chandler Museum. It combines Art Deco and Pueblo Revival elements in ways that are both elegant and functional--traits that typify a body of work that spans everything from apartments to airport terminals. Join Chandler Museum Administrator Jody Crago to find out more about the iconic Arizona buildings conceived by Phoenix architects Lescher & Mahoney.
After the program, step into the McCullough-Price House, located on the Chandler Museum campus.
Querencia: Leveraging Place and Belonging in the East Valley
Tuesday, August 2 | 12-12:30 p.m.
Image Credit: Chandler Museum Collection, 2005.38.36
What are the complexities of thinking about our sense of place? Join us to explore querencia, a love of or attachment to place, and learn how Latino migrants develop this bond by cultivating networks that contribute to the city’s socioeconomic, political, and cultural fabric.
Dr. Rafael Martínez, ASU faculty member and community historian, will reveal how this concept guides humanities research right here in Arizona by identifying Latino barrios in the East Valley-including Mesa and Chandler-operating as querencias at the fringes. Then we will challenge ourselves to move beyond nostalgia and memory to think and write more critically about querencia, considering the different social, political, and environmental factors that influence how we create our own sense of place.
After the program, stay to experience the exhibition In the Fields of the North/En los campos del norte.
A monthly series featuring unique Arizona and local history topics and conversations presented by the Chandler Museum and the Chandler Public Library, with support from the Friends of the Chandler Public Library and the Chandler Historical Society.
If you have questions or would like more information on Our Stories, call 480-782-2751.
They Beat the Heat: How Arizonans Survived the Desert Heat in the Days Before Air Conditioning
Saturday, July 30 | 10:30 a.m. to noon
Imagine a time before the hum of air conditioners became an essential part of life in the desert. What have we forgotten about surviving summer heat? What can we learn from the wisdom of those who came before us, as climate becomes an ever more pressing issue? Join us as writer and historian Christine Reid draws from the multi-cultural influences of the people who built Arizona. Discover how creative adaptations in lifestyle, architecture, building materials, town planning, and even humor contributed to survival in intense desert temperatures.
This program is made possible by Arizona Humanities.
Guarantee your seat by registering.
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
Pantry Art
Wednesday, July 13 & 27 | 10:30 – 11:15 a.m.
We are opening our kitchen cabinets and whipping up foodstuffs to create art with. Go bananas painting, stamping, and gluing your way through a variety of pantry items.
Please register both adults and children attending as space is limited.
Five Senses
Wednesday, Aug. 10 & 24 | 10:30 – 11:15 a.m.
Can you make art using all five senses? Come find out as we explore art through the five senses of sight, smell, sound, taste, and touch.
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
Gigs
Wednesday, July 6 & 20 | 10:30 – 11:15 a.m.
What do you want to be when you grow up? Come and explore what career paths have roots in Chandler.
Please register both adults and children attending as space is limited.
Wheels
Wednesday, Aug. 3 & 17 | 10:30 – 11:15 a.m.
From the humble bicycle to the large farm equipment and everything in between. Steer your way to fun with wheeled vehicles.
Please register both adults and children attending as space is limited.
Museum Helpers
Wednesday, Aug. 31 | 10:30 – 11:15 a.m.
Become a museum helper, learn what people at the museum do to take care of artifacts, and create your own exhibit idea.
Please register both adults and children attending as space is limited.
Bring 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.
Register and drop in for a day of play from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Beat the Heat
Saturday, July 30 | 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Join us for Beat the Heat Saturday to enjoy activities to help you stay cool in the heat including getting wet with some classic water toys.
Register and drop in anytime between 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
1980s Retro
Saturday, Aug. 27 | 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Party hardy with us as we reawaken the toys that defined the decade of big hair, bold style and bright colors.
Bring 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. Drop in for a day of play from 11 a.m. to 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.
Work is Trabajo
Saturday, June 25 | 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
What does it mean to work the field of a farm? In conjunction with the In Fields of the North exhibition, experience work on a farm through engaging and hands on activities.
Register and drop in anytime between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.
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