Community
Phoenix Indian School Visitor Center
Located in the Band Building at 300 E. Indian School Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85012 on the grounds of Steele Indian School Park, the Phoenix Indian School Visitor Center is a historic building that remains from the nearly 100 year old Indian boarding school. Visit the PISVC to learn the true history of Indian boarding schools across America.
Visit the PISVC!
Schedule your visit today to explore the PISVC and its gallery! Call 602-648-9713 or email PIVisitorCenter@nativeconnections.org to confirm tour availability. Our calendar of events indicates pre-scheduled events; the PISVC is typically open 8am - 5pm, Monday - Friday for individual tours.
Former PISVC Students
We also wish to identify and interview former students and employees of Phoenix Indian High School. If you attended the school or know of someone who did, please contact us: 602-648-9713 or email PIVisitorCenter@nativeconnections.org.
The PISVC Gallery
The Gallery's service hours are by appointment, generally scheduled between regular business hours of Monday - Friday, 8am to 5pm. Please call us at (602) 648-9713 or email PIVisitorCenter@Nativeconnections.org to schedule your visit today; view our calendar above to see available date options.
Calendar of Events
Check out our calendar for upcoming events and dates available for tours or rentals. Connect with our team at 602-648-9713 or PIVisitorCenter@nativeconnections.org to confirm availability.
Rent the PISVC!
Learn More & Rent Today
Located at Steele Indian School Park near Central Ave. and Indian School Rd. in Phoenix, AZ, the PISVC is available for events and community meetings! Visit the link above to learn more about our three event spaces, commercial kitchen, and space capacity.
Already have a reservation? Click here to complete a rental payment.
The History and Evolution of the Phoenix Indian School Visitor Center
The top photo shows students at Phoenix Indian School line up with marching band members in the front. Photo estimated to be taken in the early 20th Century, between 1900-1930. Courtesy of Billie Jane Baguley Library and Archives, Heard Museum, Phoenix. The bottom photo shows the renovated, historical building in the 2010s.
The Phoenix Indian Industrial School was established in 1891, operating as a boarding school for American Indian children by the Bureau of Indian Affairs up until 1990. Across its 99 years of operation, the mission of the school was to educate thousands of Native American children, though we know in its early operation, much of their education involved cutting of cultural ties and forced assimilation to a military lifestyle. In fact, Indian Commissioner Thomas Morgan speaking at the establishment of the school in 1891 said, "it's cheaper to educate Indians than to kill them." (Lindauer, 1998). Though Native American students experienced difficult situations throughout the school's history, many students had success here and have become pillars and leaders in our community today. The elementary building, which was completed and opened in the early 1930’s, later converted into a music building during the school's transition; this is where the famous Phoenix Indian School band rehearsed. The band played at many historic occasions in the community, including Arizona’s Statehood celebration in February 14th, 1912.
Located at the corner of Central Avenue and Indian School Road, much of this site was transferred to the City of Phoenix from the Bureau of Indian Affairs in 1990, which the city used to create Steele Indian School Park. Since its closing, the COP saved three historic buildings and placed them on the National Register of Historic Places. One of those historic buildings, the former grammar school building, is the building Native American Connections and Phoenix Indian Center (PIC) have renovated, and have transformed it into the Phoenix Indian School Visitor Center (PISVC).
Native American Connections and partners signed a Letter of Understanding with the City of Phoenix to operate the Phoenix Indian School Visitor Center. We appreciate LISC Phoenix for recognizing the historic significance of and investing in this historic project and building.
More on the Historic Building
Check out this interview with Native American Connections' CEO, Diana Yazzie-Devine, describing the Phoenix Indian School Visitor Center collaboration.
Honoring the 215 Children
The story emerging of the 215 Indigenous children found buried at Kamloops Indian Residential School is hard hitting. U.S. Federal boarding schools were created under the motto of “Kill the Indian and save the Man”. Many of these U.S. federal boarding schools had cemeteries however, Phoenix Indian does not have a recorded cemetery. We look forward to the day that we are able to tell the story of the children that may have perished on the grounds of the Phoenix Indian School.
We pray the little ones that were found can now complete their journey.
