By james art 
Western Spirit: The Scottsdale Museum of the West offers stories about the Old West
Staff reports | Incidents and events
Looking for reasons to visit Western Spirit: Scottsdale Museum of the West in Old Town Scottsdale?
Here are the top 10 Old West stories you won’t find anywhere else:
- Meet the early explorer artists of the American West and understand their impact on today’s art.
- Experience the fusion of many cultures of the American West.
- Learn about the similarities and differences in the lives, artistic styles, and beliefs of the men and women of the American West.
- Frontier Storytelling and Western Migration: Reality, Not Hollywood.
- Who are these mountain men, fur trappers and traders?
- The first desert artists.
- The early epic expeditions that represent the best of our spirit of exploration, including exploration by Lewis and Clark, William Price Hunt, John Wesley Powell, and Edward S. Curtis.
- Learn about nature’s impact on the westward migration: the Grand Canyon, the Rockies, fauna and wildlife.
- Learn about the importance of the Oregon Trail.
- become immersed in the past, present and future of the Great Western region.
Since its opening in January 2015, Western Spirit: The Scottsdale Museum of the West—an affiliate of the Smithsonian—has played a critical role in preserving the rich history and cultural heritage of the American West and the Scottsdale community. Additionally, Western Spirit: The Museum of the West in Scottsdale was named Best Western Museum by True West Magazine for an astonishing 10 consecutive years.
Earlier this year, Western Spirit broke ground on a long-awaited expansion made possible by Louis “Buzz” Sands IV, a respected entrepreneur and owner of several car dealerships in the Valley of the Sun.
Western Spirit’s 11,360-square-foot expansion will include the construction of new galleries to be named the Louis Sands IV Center. These galleries will become home to a diverse collection of artwork, artifacts, and stories that further illuminate the American West.
A perfect afternoon in Old Town Scottsdale might be a visit to the arts districts, then walk to the Western Spirit, stop at the Canopy Hotel for lunch, and then continue to Main Street to visit with members of the Gallery Association at Scottsdale.
