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| - I've visited a number of Native American ruins in Arizona and New Mexico and was intrigued to learn that Pueblo Grande is an archeological site and Hohokam ruin situated right in the middle of Phoenix adjacent to the airport and just East of 44th and Washington Streets.
Inside the museum is a small theater that hosts a short introductory film about the archeological site and the Hohokam culture, and the museum hosts both a permanent exhibit and a changing exhibit. The film is an adequate introduction to the site and the history of the Hohokam, but it would be more informative if it addressed some of the aspects of what you are viewing as you walk around and up onto the top of the ruin. In the museum, the most interesting features of the permanent exhibit are the large wall display depicting the extensive canal system that spread all across the Phoenix valley, and the model representing what the ruin may have looked like when intact. Native American artifacts are displayed throughout the exhibit although their origins are unidentified and are not cited as being specifically indigenous to the Hohokam, as such they are probably of most interest to first time visitors of the Southwest.
At the exit of the museum leading to the tour of the ruins, the facility thoughtfully provides visitors with umbrellas for reprieve from the sun and heat while walking the unshaded grounds.
The ruin itself is an unexpected surprise. The size of a football field and 15-20 feet in height, the ruin contains the remains of walls and rooms in varying degrees of excavation. A paved path leads around the exterior of the ruin, and up onto the top where it makes a full circle of the entire structure. All along the path there are guidepost markers with detailed information about the points of interest being viewed. The first marker along the path identifies the Grand Canal, flowing adjacent to the ruin, which was one of the first canals of modern day Phoenix, and identifies a distant ridge as the remains of an ancient Hohokam canal. Throughout the top of the ruin the markers speculate about the particulars of each partially excavated area.
The path continues away from the ruin to an excavated Hohokam ball field, along a few reconstructed buildings thought to be indicative of the period, and back to the museum, making the entire walk about 1.25 miles.
Pueblo Grande may not be one of the most spectacular ruins of the Southwest, but it holds enough mystery to deserve a visit. The site emotes a strong "presence" of some unknown quality, and feels very, very ancient though right in the heart of Phoenix. And, what an odd juxtaposition in history and time to be standing on top of an ancient Native American ruin with enormous planes about to touch down some yards away! Odd, indeed!
The Pueblo Grande Museum and Archeological Park is one of the available venues in the CulturePass program offered through the public libraries throughout the Valley. Depending upon weekly availability at your local library, use your library card to get free admission for two through CulturePass.
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