Verde Valley museum to get funding boost from USDA

By Ron Dungan
Published: Monday, January 31, 2022 - 6:03pm
Updated: Thursday, February 3, 2022 - 4:16pm

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Verde Valley Archaeology Center
Verde Valley Archaeology Center
The Verde Valley Archaeology Center in Camp Verde.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has approved funding for rural infrastructure projects, including some in Arizona, which is good news for a central Arizona museum.

The Verde Valley was once home to a number of Indigenous groups who left behind numerous dwellings and artifacts.

Some of those items have been shipped to other communities over the years, and the Verde Valley Archaeology Center wants to bring them home.

The USDA funds include more than $900,000 for an upgrade to the Camp Verde museum, which will be complete in March.

“Our collection space was getting really, really full, and we started looking around for other places,” said Ken Zoll, executive director of the museum.

Other Arizona communities will receive funds for medical facilities, agriculture, housing and other projects.

Arizona History Native American Affairs