Rain, Roots, and Radiance: A Prescott Story of Membership, Memory, and the Magic of Sharlot Hall Museum

Prescott mornings have a way of greeting you with sunlight and history — and in this latest episode of Arizona Roundup, host Stuart Rosebrook welcomes Sally Jackson, Director of Development and Marketing at Sharlot Hall Museum, for a delightful and informative conversation that captures the heart of the museum’s mission: to preserve, participate, and pass on the living heritage of Arizona.

After a few days of much-needed rain (perhaps too much too quickly, as Sally admits with a chuckle), the gardens of Sharlot Hall have sprung to life again — and so has the museum’s calendar. The two discuss the rhythm of desert living — “feast or famine,” as Stuart puts it — and how this resilience mirrors the museum’s work: thriving in every season, welcoming visitors year-round, and constantly cultivating new ways to connect people to Arizona’s story.

Membership: A Gateway to 13,000 Museums
Sally unveils one of the best-kept secrets in cultural membership: the museum’s Friends and Family Membership, which not only supports Prescott’s beloved state museum but also grants free access to over 13,000 museums across North America through the North American Reciprocal Museum Association (NARM). For just $100, a family can belong to a network that spans the continent — a “passport to culture,” as Stuart calls it.

Sally shares real-life examples: one couple used their membership the very next week to visit museums in Colorado, while another purchased one to share with their children out of state. “It’s one of those rare memberships,” she says, “that keeps giving back — to you and to history itself.”

Autumn Adventures and Haunted Tales
From living history days with blacksmiths and ranch cooks to pop-up art programs and the annual “Twilight Tales” ghost story nights, this fall at Sharlot Hall promises something for everyone. The campus hums with activity: workshops, lectures, crafts, and performances that bring Arizona’s frontier past vividly to life.

One upcoming highlight is “Portraits of Fear: A Journey Through Prescott’s Haunted Past,” where visitors meet the spirits of miners, townsfolk, and heroes whose stories linger in the desert air. As Sally says with a grin, “It’s historically accurate — and hauntingly fun.”

Doc Holliday Returns to Town
History buffs will be thrilled to hear about the November exhibit “The Doctor Will See You Now: Bringing Doc and the Herbs Home to Prescott,” curated by Western icons Bob Boze Bell and Tom Ross. Complemented by historian Brad Courtney’s lecture on Doc Holliday and Big Nose Kate, it’s an event that celebrates Prescott’s Wild West heritage — complete with art, storytelling, and a plaque marking where Doc once lived.

As Stuart notes, “Only in Prescott can you walk where Doc Holliday did, see the art inspired by him, and then step into a Victorian gift shop for Christmas shopping all in one day.”

Prescott: Christmas City and Living Legacy
As the city of Prescott transforms into Arizona’s official “Christmas City,” the Sharlot Hall campus becomes a glowing wonderland — with carolers, cider, cookies, Father Christmas, and more than a thousand visitors strolling through the luminaria-lit grounds. Families who have come for generations share laughter, stories, and a sense of belonging that transcends time.

The tradition continues with “A Prescott Christmas Carol,” the old-time radio show that fills the air with laughter and nostalgia — and sells out quickly each year. “It’s Dickens with a Prescott twist,” Sally laughs.

Echoes of Time: Recreating Sharlot Hall’s 1907 Fundraiser
The episode crescendos with an exciting announcement: on January 17, Sharlot Hall Museum will recreate Sharlot’s 1907 fundraiser at the historic Elks Theatre — a poetic and musical evening that helped launch the museum itself. Under the direction of Jodi Drake, who portrays Sharlot in living history performances, the show titled “Evening Echoes of Time” promises to be both a fundraiser and a time machine. Guests are encouraged to don Victorian attire and join Prescott’s social scene, circa 1907.

“This isn’t nostalgia,” Stuart remarks. “It’s living memory — a community keeping faith with its founders.”