Exploring the Arizona Capitol Museum: A Guide to History and Culture
The first territorial capital of Arizona was Fort Whipple, an army post near Prescott. The capital was later relocated to Prescott in 1867. Subsequently, the territorial capital moved to Tucson and then back to Prescott in 1877. Finally, Phoenix became Arizona’s permanent capital in 1889, marking the beginning of the construction of the Phoenix State Capitol building, which was completed in 1900 at a cost of approximately $136,000. The Arizona State Capitol Building was dedicated on February 25, 1901 and designated a museum in 1977.