When I was a youngster, I used to visit my cousin in Payson and sled down the hill at the old Peteetneet School. Even then, the school was nearly 100 years old and out of use. Fortunately, some wise souls worked hard to save this beautiful building. It has since been turned into a historical museum. The Peteetneet Museum is a free museum that features lots of historical artifacts.
Outside Area
The building itself is worth visiting. It has three floors and large beautiful grounds. We enjoyed walking around admiring the flowers and the old building. There is a statue of Chief Peteetneet on one side, with a beautiful fountain in the background. Brigham Young described Peteetneet as “Perfect, and I do not believe a better man lives on earth.” Outside there is even a small play area perfect for young kids. There is no shade, so it may be hot in summertime.
Inside the Museum
Peteetneet Museum has volunteers who run the museum. They offer free tours and the docent will open all of the rooms for you. She also gives you a little bit of information about that room. We learned a lot of interesting facts from our tour guide, and our guide allowed us time to explore the rooms on our own, too.
On level one, there are four classrooms. Three rooms are filled with historical items, mostly from the Pioneer Era of Utah’s history. There is a room specific to Payson, an open room for events and rotating displays, and a room of Pioneer relics.
Rooms on other floors in the Peteetneet Museum include a military tribute room, a native American room, and a cowboy room. If you’re lucky, you can even get a tour of the fashion room. This room holds women’s clothing from about the 1870’s to the 1970’s. There is even a dress worn by Shirley Temple.
We spent over an hour at Peteetneet Museum. This museum is free, though donations are definitely welcome. Our boys also enjoyed the free postcard and sucker at the end of the tour. You can check out our Free Museums list for other ideas throughout Utah.
