What a relief that Arizona’s blistering summer is over, and glorious autumn days are ahead! Now, I’m back to one of my favorite seasonal pastimes visiting art galleries and museums. During the broiling summer many of them are closed or operating at reduced hours, so October and November are some of the best months to visit them. The River Of Time Museum in Fountain Hills is one that I had never had the opportunity to visit before and this also made for a pleasant Saturday afternoon road trip to get there. Fountain Hills is 31 miles east of Phoenix and is best appreciated during fall and winter to enjoy a brisk walk around Fountain Park in the center of town and to engage other activities.
The fountain at the center of the gorgeously situated park (which gave the town its name) was once the tallest in the world when constructed in 1971. The fountain can still shoot water up to 560 feet and is a pleasant stop before or after visiting the museum. The River Of Time Museum is under a mile from the park and offers a good opportunity to take a little exercise walk at this time of the year, or driving to it is only three minutes if you prefer. Both Fountain Park and the museum are an ideal, family-friendly activity I would recommend for anyone.
The museum details the history of how precious water resources have been utilized over thousands of years in the Sonoran Desert. The short film which begins the museum tour and the exhibits illustrate how the continued availability of this vital resource is becoming more jeopardized in our current era, and that steps need to be taken before the ecosystem is thrown too far out of balance. The River Of Time also provides insights into how geologic developments created the Lower Verde Valley and documents the plants and animals that inhabit, and have adapted to this desert region over many millenniums.
The story of the area is brought up to speed regarding the human population as well, and has exhibits featuring the indigenous people that lived in the region thousands of years ago. The final third of the museum tour describes the creation of Fountain Hills with exhibit boards providing lots of interesting trivia about the town. Allow 40 minutes or so to explore all the exhibits. As Fountain Hills is a very art-oriented community, the area around the River Of Time Museum and Fountain Park has a wide array of sculpture, many of them intriguing bronze creations ranging from those that will make you laugh, to those sculptures that may inspire more serious thoughts. In any event, the museum and the park is a worthy visit to be enjoyed by everyone.
