The Collector's Room
At the heart of the Mountain House Gift Shop, a quiet room contains special treasures. The Collector’s Room is a gallery for one-of-a-kind jewelry, pottery, basketry, and other fine arts. The gallery also offers a charming view into the history of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.
Before William Carr and Arthur Pack created the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in 1952, our Collector’s Room was the living room of the original Tucson Mountain House, from which the beehive fireplace, Navajo Yei window shutters, and saguaro rib-and-log beamed ceiling still remain. In the early years of the Museum, the space served as a lunchroom for staff as well as a short-term storeroom. The Collector’s Room today showcases fine art and native crafts from the Southwest and Mexico: one-of-a-kind jewelry; Hopi Kachinas; Pueblo and Mata Ortiz pottery; Oaxacan Woodcarvings; basketry from various tribes of the Southwest; and paintings by award-winning Arizona artist Don Rantz.
Whether you hope to build your existing collection or begin a new one, these extraordinary pieces are sure to inspire. Because of the historic nature of the space, the Collector’s Room is open by invitation-only at this time, but if you’d like to see the Collector’s Room during regular store hours, just ask!
To see select items from our Collector's Room online, click here.
