Frommer’s EasyGuide to Sedona & Central Arizona. Gregory McNamee

      The stately Yavapai County Courthouse in Prescott recalls the city’s heyday as capital of the Arizona territory.

      Exploring Prescott

      A walk around Courthouse Plaza should be your first introduction to Prescott. The stately old courthouse in the middle of the tree-shaded plaza sets the tone for the whole town. If it seems far too large for a small regional town, it is—it was built in the days when Prescott was capital of the Arizona territory. Under the big shade trees, you’ll see several bronze statues, including a striking one dedicated to Teddy Roosevelt’s Rough Riders, a group of Spanish-American War volunteers who headed off from the plaza in 1898. I really like the historical timeline painted into one of the walks.

      Surrounding the courthouse and extending north for a block or so is Prescott’s historic business district. Stroll around admiring the brick buildings, and you’ll realize that Prescott was once a very important place. On Montezuma Street facing the plaza is The Palace, an old-time saloon where parts of the Steve McQueen film Junior Bonner were filmed, as a giant poster for the movie on the wall attests. Looking for antiques? Cortez Street is lined with almost a dozen big antique stores. Duck into an old saloon or the lobby of one of the historic hotels, and you’ll understand that the town was also part of the Wild West.

      Fort Whipple Museum MUSEUM North of town off Ariz. 89, on the grounds of what is now a Veterans Affairs hospital, this small museum tells the history of Fort Whipple, which was active from 1863 to 1922. You can learn about activities of the Buffalo Soldiers in the state; there’s even a cameo from legendary NY Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia. Many stately officers’ homes still stand on the grounds. The museum is overseen by the Sharlot Hall Museum (see below).

      Veterans Affairs campus, Bldg. 11, 500 N. Ariz. 89. 928/445-3122. Free admission. Thurs–Sat 10am–4pm. Closed New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

      Phippen Museum MUSEUM Named after the first president of the prestigious Cowboy Artists of America organization, the Phippen exhibits works by both established Western artists and newcomers. Also on display are artifacts and photos that help place the artwork in the context of the region’s history. The long-running Western Art Show & Sale is held each year over Memorial Day weekend, including Monday.

      4701 Ariz. 89 N. www.phippenartmuseum.org. 928/778-1385. $7 adults, $5 students, free for kids 12 and under. Tues–Sat 10am–4pm; Sun 1–4pm.

      Sharlot Hall Museum MUSEUM Two blocks west of Courthouse Plaza, this fascinating museum of Arizona and frontier history opened in 1928 in a log home that was once the governor’s mansion of the Arizona territory. The museum was founded by Sharlot Hall, an early activist who fought to preserve Native American artifacts; she played a part in Arizona statehood as well, successfully arguing that Arizona be admitted to the Union as a separate state, not as part of New Mexico. (She then served as territorial historian from 1909 to 1911.) In addition to the governor’s “mansion,” which is furnished much as it originally might have been, several other interesting buildings can be toured. With its traditional wood-frame construction, the Frémont House, built in 1875 for the fifth territorial governor, shows how quickly Prescott grew from a remote logging and mining camp into a civilized town. The 1877 Bashford House reflects the Victorian architecture that was popular throughout the country in the late 19th century. The Sharlot Hall Building houses exhibits on Native American cultures and territorial Arizona. Every year in early summer, artisans, craftspeople, and costumed exhibitors participate in the museum’s Folk Arts Fair.

      Prescott is home to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and in the university library, you can marvel at the world’s largest collection of miniature airplanes. The Kalusa Miniature Airplane Collection includes more than 5,500 hand-carved and hand-painted miniature airplanes, created by John W. Kalusa over a period of more than 50 years. The planes are built to a consistent scale of 1⁄18th inch to 1 foot, so you can see how their sizes compare with each other—some are barely an inch across, while others, like Howard Hughes’s famed Spruce Goose, are much larger. The collection is displayed on the first and second floors of the Christine and Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Library and Learning Center, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, 3700 Willow Creek Rd. (hazylibrary.erau.edu/kalusa-collection; 928/777-3811). Hours vary with the university’s schedule.

      415 W. Gurley St. www.sharlot.org. 928/445-3122. $9 adults, $8 seniors, $6 students, $5 ages 13–17, free for kids 12 and under. May–Sept Mon–Sat 10am–5pm, Sun noon–4pm; Oct–Apr Mon–Sat 10am–4pm, Sun noon–4pm. Closed New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

      The Smoki Museum MUSEUM Set in a historic stone building, this interesting collection of Native American artifacts is named for the fictitious Smoki tribe, which was dreamed up in 1921 by a group of non-Native