18 June 1st–June 7th, 2023 phoenixnewtimes.com phoenix new Times | music | cafe | film | culTuRe | NighT+Day | feaTuRe | NeWs | OPiNiON | feeDBacK | cONTeNTs | Way Out West Mystery and history mix at the Superstition Mountain and Lost Dutchman Museum. BY TIMOTHY RAWLES T o borrow a phrase from the real estate industry, Arizona’s past has “great bones.” Not that its history is in bad repair. It may just be a little neglected and could be better appreciated. Beneath Arizona’s serotonin-inducing beauty lies many years of history. And one place to find it (and some desert scenery to boot) is the Superstition Mountain and Lost Dutchman Museum. But who needs to be inside a large stuffy building looking through glass cabinetry protecting well-worn artifacts, or walking through the aisles peering at mannequins dressed in period garb to get them? Although the Superstition Mountain and Lost Dutchman Museum does have an indoor museum and gift shop, there is a larger, more immersive world just outside its doorstep. Suddenly, it’s as if you have walked through a time portal into a living diorama of Arizona’s past. “Tens of thousands visit,” David Raring of the Superstition Mountain Historical Society tells Phoenix New Times about annual guests. “At least 20,000 pay or have free passes for the museum gallery.” Gift Shop and museum The small gift shop provides everything from snacks to refreshments to literature about Arizona and the area. Purchase a ticket to the indoor portion of the museum from one of the friendly cashiers. Grab a paper guide and head through the gallery doors to traverse the many rows of exhibits recovered from the past. The Old West wasn’t just a place for gunfights and saloon girls. There was work to be done, hard work, and that usually meant doing it from inside or outside a mine. Women took care of the home and men stuck to managing the business of ore. The museum looks at every aspect of that system right down to the attire and tools needed for both. Some believe it’s a white man’s story, but that would be mismanaging history. Indigenous people and immigrants from Spain and Mexico also have roots in the area. Members of each community have made their own footprints on the Superstition Mountains, whether it involved cattle driving, trapping, or mining for gold or other precious minerals. The area is built around folklore and legends regarding gold, namely the Lost Dutchman mine, an elusive treasure some have died trying to find. The museum offers what is believed to be a map of its location through a series of engravings on what are called the Peralta Stones. When asked if he believes there is buried treasure worth millions hidden within the mountains, Raring gives a very simple answer — “Yes.” Courtyard/amphitheater Once you’ve finished touring the indoor museum and gift shop, the real history begins outside, starting with a spectacular view of the Superstition Mountains that loom in the distance but are close enough to see some of their base trails. Plenty of photo ops are available in the courtyard. You might even get a chance to meet Teton Ken (real name: Ken Eddy) and his burro, Mary. Ken often portrays the great Jacob Waltz, a legendary prospector who, according to legend, knew where the Lost Dutchman vein of gold was hidden, though that secret died with him. Apacheland Off to the left of the gift shop and museum stands a tall white church. It’s not a real one, not in the traditional sense. Hollywood came calling to the area in 1959. Westerns were a popular TV pastime, and that soon led to movies. The Apacheland Movie Ranch was developed by Nat Winecoff, a Disney Imagineer. The set, which originally stood in nearby Gold Canyon, was supposed to be “the Western Movie Capital of the World.” Although that moniker never materialized, Hollywood still utilized the setting for location shoots. Perhaps the most famous person to make his mark there was Elvis Presley, for his 1969 movie “Charro!” Sadly, that same year, a lot of the set burned to the ground. It was rebuilt, but in 2004 another fire destroyed it. The church and a huge barn were saved and moved to the museum. To the right of the church, and just before heading into the barn filled with movie props and memorabilia, there’s an old Wells Fargo office, jail and barbershop with perhaps one of the scariest mannequins you will ever see. That’s where visitors can toss a coin into its mouth as a donation to the museum. G-Scale model railroad After the Wells Fargo exhibit and past the Apacheland barn, there’s an entire town made in miniature. This spectacular moving diorama took three years to build. Steam locomotives pulling over 40 cars pass through realistic toy-sized towns. If you squint just right, it looks so realistic you’ll feel like a kaiju. But don’t let intru- sive thoughts get the better of you. Before acting upon an urge to play Godzilla, there are plenty of museum regulators keeping a watchful eye so nothing gets ruined. Working 20-stamp ore mill From feeling like a giant to feeling tiny, make your way slightly uphill and stand in front of the enormous 20-stamp ore mill. This huge machine still works, and there are a few demonstrations throughout the day depending on the season. The wooden monster is a transplant from Bland, New Mexico, and rises 7,500 feet above the ground. It was used to crush tons of rock to get to the precious metal hidden inside. Nature trail After your visit to the mill, take a winding stroll up to the tip of the property and stand beneath the Superstition Mountains. The view is spectacular as the desert floor spreads out before you and into the shadow of the majestic mountains. Going back down the trail, it veers off to the left, where there’s an outdoor exhibit of two authentic Apache homes called wick- iups. Heading farther down the trail there’s a mining car exhibit and, after that, the Boot Hill cemetery, signifying the end of the journey. That goes for self-guided tourists also as the gift shop lies just steps ahead. If anything, the Superstition Mountain and Lost Dutchman Museum only scratches the surface of Arizona’s history. The focus is more on the idea of attaining wealth and how people lived to ride that gravy train. They did it by breaking their backs in the mines or serving the people who did. With so much to potentially gain, everyone did their part, including keeping the folklore alive. Still, the sentinels of the valley known as the Superstition Mountains remain unchanged. They have watched people come and go for centuries, and they know the truth. Remember that when visiting the museum because in all their unattenu- ated grandeur, they are watching you, too. Superstition Mountain and Lost Dutchman Museum is located at 4087 East Apache Trail, Apache Junction. Summer hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Cost is $7, with discounts for seniors, students and children. Call 480-983-4888 or visit superstitionmountainlostdutchman museum.org. ▼ Culture Timothy Rawles Timothy Rawles Timothy Rawles Timothy Rawles The Lost Dutchman museum offers historical Arizona clothing, a G-scale model railroad, Hollywood western sets, nature trails and more to experience.
