j.w. Powell museum
River Runner History
Commercial river-running in the Grand Canyon began more than 150 years ago with John Wesley Powell, and through the efforts of early adventurers like Norman Nevills and Georgie White, the Colorado River has become a popular place to explore. Come see how adventuring has evolved through the years and learn more about what it’s like to raft through the rapids.
j.w. Powell museum
Additional current exhibit
BLM Kaiparowits Plateau Fossil Exhibit
Through a partnership with the Bureau of Land Management, the Powell Museum is proud to present a brand new, never-before-seen exhibit of various species found in the Kaiparowits Plateau of …
Page Pioneers Oral History Exhibit
In partnership with the Page Public Library, the Powell Museum is excited to share a digital exhibit from our “Page Pioneers”. As Glen Canyon Dam workers began moving to Manson …
City of Page Exhibit
As one of two existing Bureau of Reclamation towns in America, Page has evolved quickly throughout its incorporation in 1975. This display includes a station where visitors can listen to …
Glen Canyon Dam Exhibit
In 1956, a small town began to emerge on Manson Mesa, originally called ‘Government Camp’. In less than two decades this town would be known as Page, named after John …
Anthropology of Manson Mesa
Before Page became a city, there was a Navajo sheepherder named Manson Yazzie who lived in this area. Many years later, the mesa would later be named for Manson, and …
Grand Staircase-Escalante Geology Exhibit
The Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument is named for its series of plateaus that descend from Bryce Canyon south towards the Grand Canyon. There are 24 formations that form five ‘stair-step’ …
John Wesley Powell Dioramas
Before Page was a town, and prior to Lake Powell’s existence, a one-armed explorer by the name of John Wesley Powell traveled the muddy waters of the Colorado River through …
The Big Map
During the construction of Glen Canyon Dam, The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation commissioned a scale model relief map of what would be Lake Powell and the surrounding area. Completed in …
Outdoor Wayside Exhibit
Through grant funding from the American Rescue Fund and Arizona Humanities, the Powell Museum is proud to present our outdoor walking exhibit of nine wayside panels that touch on John …
Powell Museum & Archives
PREVIOUS EXHIBITS
The Powell Museum & Archives has hosted a diverse range of exhibits on myriad subjects. From artistic interpretations of the land and its occupants to the history of federal policy, explore the range of the Museum’s history.
Powell Museum & Archives
Page oral history project
Experience the vibrant history of Page through its residents in this new digital exhibit from the John Wesley Powell Museum. Stories and memory combine to weave a personal narrative unlike any you’ve heard before. From dam construction and the development of Page to life before the first surveyors came with dreams of a giant reservoir. Tune in below, no need to set your radio dial.
Powell Museum & Archives
DIGITAL COLLECTIONS
Journey through a selection of the Powell Museum & Archives’ permanent collection from the comfort of your own home. Since its inception in 1969, the Powell Museum & Archives has accepted materials from the Bureau of Reclamation, hobby photographers and many others.
As a consequence, the museum has outgrown its ability to showcase it all. As of 2019, the museum has been aiming to digitize the full collection so that visitors can search or browse images and specimens through our online portal.
PALEONTOLOGY
Around 240 million years ago, creatures large and small lived in this region. Some left their mark in the mud, and if the conditions were just right, those prints were preserved under a protective layer of sediment. See the many types of fossils in the collection here.
PHOTOGRAPHY
The Powell Museum is proud to have such a large collection of Bureau of Reclamation photos, Sanderson River rafting photos, and so much more. See photos touching on the early …
NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE
The Colorado Plateau has been home to many indigenous groups for thousands of years. See works from Navajo, Hopi, Southern Ute, Ute Mountain, Zuni, Paiute and many other indigenous groups here.
JOHN WESLEY POWELL
Major John Wesley Powell is credited as the man who led the first U.S. Government Expedition down the Green and Colorado rivers, through the Grand Canyon in 1869. He would later retrace his first trip and finish the expedition in 1871. See various reference photos from his trips down the rivers, as well as numerous related pieces commemorating his history voyages here.
GLEN CANYON DAM HISTORY
The Glen Canyon Dam was constructed from 1956 to 1966 by the United States Bureau of Reclamation. The 710-foot-high arch-gravity dam not only created Lake Powell, but it created the town of Page, Arizona as well. See the many pieces of history from the Dam’s construction here.
GEOLOGY
The Colorado Plateau is composed of Neoproterozoic, Paleozoic, and Mesozoic sedimentary rocks. Sandstones, shales, and limestones are common, as are fantastic rock formations molded by wind and water. See geology examples from the various formations here.