New Chandler Museum Information

The Chandler Museum, located in Historic Downtown Chandler at 178 E. Commonwealth Ave. is operated by the Chandler Historical Society. The Chandler Historical Society is a non-profit organization founded in 1969 by Chandler residents. Currently collecting, preserving and interpreting over 11,000 artifacts associated with the history of Chandler and Central Arizona, the Chandler Museum illustrates the story of the Chandler area from 300 B.C. to present.

Current Chandler Museum

• Current building is 7,300 square feet

• Two full time staff positions (Coordinator & Assistant) Two part time staff (Educator & Aide)

• Yearly attendance 2002-6860, 2003- 5665 (closed for summer), 2004- 7467, 2005-10,264, 2006- 10,124, 2007- 12,164

• Free Admission

• Hours: Monday- Saturday 11:00 am to 4:00 pm

• Tours: 3rd grade 1912 tours- free, adult and community group tours also available free of charge

• Collections: Objects- 4200, Photographs- 4800, Archives- 1200, Library-1000

• Annual Budget ~$200,000

• Income- $75,000 grant from City of Chandler, 3 annual fundraisers ($48,000 total), private grants, memberships,
• donations, memorial funds

New Chandler Museum Timeline

• 2004 City of Chandler Bond Election: $8.5 million approved for the construction of a new Chandler Museum

• May 2006: Chandler City Council voted that the new museum would be located on the southwest corner of Arizona Avenue and
• Chicago St. in Historic Downtown Chandler (Site 6)

• 2007 City of Chandler Bond Election: additional $4.5 million was approved to cover inflation of construction costs for the new
• Chandler Museum

• June 2007: Desert Viking Builders are awarded as the contractors for the Site 6 multi-use development

Phase I Strategic Planning- completed April 2004

• Phase I issues: Museum mission, vision & core values, target audience, Chandler Historical Society resources and general
• museum programming

• Organizations involved in Phase I Strategic Planning process: City Museums Advisory Board, City of Chandler, Chandler Historical
• Society and private Chandler citizens

Phase II Strategic Planning- in process

• Phase II of the Strategic Planning process is currently underway and involves two parts: Germann & Associates Consultant
• Assessment and a Memorandum of Understand between the City of Chandler and the Chandler Historical Society

• Part 1 of Phase II involved the hiring of Museum Consultant Steven Germann of Germann & Associates from Dayton, Ohio. Over a
• period of 6 months (September 2006- February 2007), Mr. Germann met with key stakeholders in Chandler and discussed each
• stakeholder’s vision for a new museum in Chandler

• Steven Germann’s Final Report was completed in February 2007 and is available by contacting the Chandler Museum

• Germann’s Final Report details a number of recommendations including: preparation for transition of collections, collections drive,
• exhibit planning, scope of collection and interpretation, size and space requirements, initial staff recommendations, funding
• possibilities and budget recommendations

• Part 2 of Phase II is the process of laying out a Memorandum of Understanding between the Chandler Historical Society and the
• City of Chandler in order to detail the future relationship between the two entities

• A current MOU can be obtained by contacting the Chandler Museum

• The same organizations involved in Phase I are also involved in Phase II with the addition of the Chandler Police and Fire Depts.,
• the Chandler Arts Commission and the Chandler Education Foundation

• November 2007- Museum Administrator Jody Crago is hired by the City of Chandler to oversee the planning stages and to guide the
• new museum project. Jody can be reached at 480-782-2668.

The new Chandler Museum will:

• Be 20,000+ square feet

• Located in historic downtown Chandler in a mixed use development

• Have interactive exhibits focusing on the history of Chandler

• Include partnerships with local high tech industries

• Include outdoor activity space

• Include 6-8 permanent staff

• Focus on a target audience of Chandler residents (long time residents and newcomers), winter visitors, tourists, businesses,
• school groups

Mission
The Chandler Museum collects, preserves and interprets artifacts related to the history and diversity of Chandler. Through its programs, the Museum enhances understanding of the development of our community, and fosters appreciation of the individuals and events that have shaped our history.

Vision
The Chandler Museum will be the community’s principal resource for engaging people of all ages in discovering Chandler’s past, and exploring their role in Chandler’s evolving history and identity. The Museum will be a dynamic cultural amenity, and will use the products of Chandler’s hi-tech industry to tell the stories and history of the community. Strong public and private support for the Museum will symbolize the community’s commitment to its cultural life and values.

Core Values
• History Matters

• Preserving Chandler’s history is a forward looking effort undertaken on behalf of future generations

• The museum should offer authentic, first-hand encounters with the objects and information it collects

• The museum should include everyone in the cultural life of the community, and should promote connections and understanding
• among different segments of the community

•The museum should offer a variety of learning experiences for visitors of all ages and backgrounds, using a variety of methods and
• media to convey information

• The museum should reflect and support the values of the community, and should be understanding of and responsive to the
• community it serves

The museum should contribute to the cultural life of the community and be an integral part of historical Downtown Chandler