Arizona Heritage Center museum in Tempe will temporarily close after storms and flood damage

The Arizona Heritage Center museum in Tempe will close for repairs beginning Nov. 10 after storms caused significant damage and flooding.

The Arizona Historical Society estimates that the total cost of repairs and improvements to the Arizona Heritage Center will exceed $2 million.

David Breeckner is executive director of the Arizona Historical Society.

“I'm optimistic that the repairs we're looking at here will address long standing issues, turning it from a difficult reality into an opportunity to actually improve the facility, not just repair it,” he said.

The historical society says the center needs to repair its air conditioning and audio-visual systems after flooding contributed to preexisting damage.

Breeckner says the center also plans to update some of its exhibits.

“What we're gonna have to do is actually dismantle those exhibition galleries entirely in order for the work crews to gain access, and then afterwards we'll have the opportunity to rebuild them with new and refreshed content,” he said.

Breeckner also says an attempted break-in and vandalism in August led to damage of the center’s pump system, contributing to flooding last month.

The museum is expected to reopen in early January.