Collections & Exhibits
The Powell Museum's interior brick-and-mortar operaions are temporary closed following a damaging flood. We are working on renovation and restoration efforts daily. Our collections are available online, at GCC's Flagship store, and on exterior of the Museum.
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life on the LAKE
Explorations from the Beginning of Lake Powell
Stan Jones
GCC is proud to announce the participation in The Arizona Memory Project-- a digital collections management program in partnership with the Arizona Secretary of State, Arizona State Library Archives and Public Records, and GCC’s John Wesley Powell Memorial Museum in Page, AZ. The Arizona Memory Project provides access to the wealth of primary sources in Arizona archives, museums, libraries, and other cultural institutions.
The Powell Museum hosts wide collections of natural and cultural history as well as items that interpret the exploration of the Colorado River and its canyons. Among these are the exploration journals of the Powell Museum’s founder, Stan Jones, as he explored the unique land and waterscape created by Glen Canyon Dam impounding the waters of the Colorado River to create Lake Powell in Arizona and Utah on his motorboat, Kismet.
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Jones' explorations began in the Spring of 1966 and ended in the fall of 1986. These log books would serve as references for two of Mr. Jones’ publications; Lake Powell and its 96 Canyons Boating and Exploring Map, and Stan Jones' Ramblings By Boat and Boot in Lake Powell Country - A Pack Full of Fascinating Stories & Photographs.
life on the rim
Page History in Spoken Stories
Rising from the swirling dust of Manson Mesa, the city of Page, Arizona, is a testament to the resiliency of the human spirit. In the 1950's, these new residents came by trailer full for construction of the Glen Canyon Dam and laid down roots in an arid landscape. Generations later, the people of Page sit on a hilltop oasis. Their young town surrounded by millions of years of exposed ancient history serving as a gateway to a still wild west.
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.
Colorado River History
Learn about the life of Major John Wesley Powell and his expeditions down the Colorado River in 1869 and 1871. Also on display are chronicles of more recent Colorado River history, adventures, and tourism.
Construction of Glen Canyon Dam & History of Page, AZ
View photographs of Page’s beginning in the late 1950s and early 1960s and listen to the voices of early residents. From the humble beginnings of a dam-construction site, a town was born. It continues to grow into a thriving multicultural base for visitors and local residents.
Cultural History
See art and artifacts from the time of the Ancestral Puebloans and Hisatsinom through modern-day Native American cultures of the Colorado Plateau. Try your hand at grinding corn with the prehistoric metate (base) and mano (hand-held) stones.
Geology & Paleontology
Geology and paleontology. Delight in the wonder of the ancient time of dinosaurs in our paleontology and geology displays. Examine specimens that were excavated near Page in the Grand Staircase ~ Escalante National Monument for a 90-million-year-old step back in time!
