The Phoenix Airport System – Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Phoenix Goodyear Airport and Phoenix Deer Valley Airport – are known for flying machines. But the airports are also great places to check out art exhibitions and installations, thanks to the Phoenix Airport Museum.
When you’re in Phoenix Sky Harbor picking up a loved one or heading out on a trip, check out the free Phoenix Airport Museum Guides on the front page of skyharbor.com/museum for a comprehensive list of ongoing exhibitions. Not only are exhibition spaces and dedicated galleries available to visitors and passengers before and after security, but artwork might be under your shoes or hanging from the ceiling: The PHX Sky Train® stations at 44th Street, East Economy Parking, 24th Street, the Rental Car Center and both terminals boast beautiful and detailed terrazzo floors custom designed by Arizona artists. Most floors incorporate native materials to reflect the Arizona environment.
Speaking of the 44th Street PHX Sky Train Station®, a SPAD XIII biplane that is 80% original from World War I hangs over the escalator leading up to the train platform. Other pieces of art can be found hanging overhead in the Rental Car Center (“Crosstitch”), which interacts with the sunlight to reflect an ever-changing rainbow pattern.
In fact, one of the most important pieces of local public art hangs high in the Rental Car Center. “The Phoenix,” a 75-foot-wide triptych by Paul Coze, is considered to be the first piece of City of Phoenix public using a general process where public members selected it. Rescued from its original permanent spot in Terminal 2 after the terminal was decommissioned and closed, the mural was saved and relocated to the Rental Car Center in 2021. It’s open to the public and you can check it out any time.
The Phoenix Airport Museum counts more than 1,100 pieces of artwork among its permanent collection. Pieces encompass all media, like the mixed media in “The Phoenix,” metal and ceramic sculptures, photographic and digital prints, and acrylic and oil paintings.
One of the newest exhibitions at PHX is “Geometry of Geology: Paintings by Merrill Mahaffey,” a collection of work in the post-security Terminal 3 Gallery by artist Merrill Mahaffey, whose deep connection to the landscapes of the American West have been recorded in photographs, sketches or thoughts written in a notebook to recall for future paintings.
Another popular exhibition is a reminder of Phoenix Sky Harbor’s origins as a remote airfield 90 years ago, “From Farm Field to Airfield” in Terminal 4. Nicknamed The Farm for its rustic setting, Phoenix Sky Harbor is one of the busiest airports in the United States today, serving more than 130,000 daily passengers. To accompany the exhibition, a new interactive, digital “story map” combining historic images, aerial maps and other multimedia related to Sky Harbor’s 90th anniversary recently launched. The activity can be accessed through a QR code while visiting the exhibition in Terminal 4 on level 3 near the food court. For those who don’t live in Arizona or aren’t able to view the exhibition in person, the story map can be accessed under the Terminal 4 exhibition information at skyharbor.com/musuem. Another special exhibition called “Runway Fashion” showcases flight attendant uniforms over the years. That exhibition is located on Level 2 in Terminal 4 near ticketing.
In 2025, the City of Phoenix celebrates the 90th anniversary of its purchase of Sky Harbor Airport in 1935, beginning the transition to the airport becoming an economic engine for the state.
Other Phoenix Airport Museum installations include:
- Deer Valley Airport: Visit the At Your Service exhibition to learn about the many roles that keep an airport running smoothly.
- Goodyear Airport: Explore Rivets, Radials, Runways, an exhibition detailing the fascinating history of Phoenix Goodyear Airport.
Learn more about the Phoenix Airport Museum and its exhibitions by visiting skyharbor.com/museum
Caption: The Phoenix, a mural by artist Paul Coze, is comprised of three separate panels each 25 feet wide by 16 feet high for a total mural length of 75 feet. The mural represents Phoenix’s past, present and future with painted imagery including depictions and symbols that relate to the first inhabitants, the Hohokam, as well as modern tribes and Latino heritage. Also represented are wagon trains, railroads, cattle ranching, mining and technology.
Caption: Former City of Phoenix Mayor Milton H. Graham presents a bouquet of flowers to Phoenix Sky Harbor’s 10 millionth passenger in 1967.