There was a time when arriving in Phoenix by air meant walking into a very different kind of airport.
Before Sky Harbor became the massive, modern airport we know today, Terminal 2 was the gateway to Phoenix. And hanging above the main hall was something that was impossible to miss:
“The Phoenix,” a massive mural by artist Paul Coze.
When Terminal 2 opened in 1962, Coze’s 75-foot-wide, 16-foot-tall masterpiece became the centerpiece of the new terminal. It wasn’t just decoration. It was a visual story about Arizona — where it came from, where it was, and where it was going.
And the story behind the artist is almost as fascinating as the mural.
Paul Coze was born in Beirut in 1903 to French and Russian parents and developed a lifelong fascination with the American West and Native cultures. After spending years traveling and studying in North America, he eventually moved to the United States and ultimately made Phoenix his home. He became an artist, writer, teacher and creator of public art throughout Arizona.
Then came the opportunity to create something that would welcome millions of people to Phoenix.
In 1960, five artists were invited to submit designs for the new terminal. The proposals were displayed at the Phoenix Public Library, and Phoenix residents actually voted for their favorite.
Coze won.
And what he created wasn’t your typical painted mural.
“The Phoenix” was a mixed-media work incorporating 52 different materials — including paint, glass, plastics, shells, semi-precious stones, and even sand and soil collected from different parts of Arizona. Fifteen uniquely shaped canvases were assembled into the enormous work.
The three panels told a story.
The past included the Hohokam, Indigenous cultures, Latino heritage, wagon trains, railroads and ranching.
The center represented the present, dominated by the mythical Phoenix rising above the desert landscape.
And the future looked toward technology, progress and the changing face of Arizona.
Even the details had meaning. The Phoenix itself has 365 feathers, while the mural incorporates 52 different materials — symbolic connections to the days and weeks of a year.
For generations of travelers, this was their first big impression of Phoenix.
And I love that idea.
An airport mural that actually told you where you were.
Not just Phoenix, Arizona.
It told you about the people, the desert, the water, the history, the dreams and the future of a rapidly growing city.
Then, after nearly six decades, Terminal 2 closed in 2020.
The old terminal was coming down, and for a while, the fate of Coze’s mural was uncertain. But thankfully, Phoenix decided that this piece of its history was worth saving.
In 2021, “The Phoenix” was carefully removed and relocated to the Rental Car Center, where it can still be seen today.
And that’s where those old photographs become pretty special.
Looking at a photograph from the 1960s isn’t just looking at an old mural.
You’re looking at Phoenix before the skyscrapers, before today’s terminals, before the enormous airport we know now.
You’re looking at a moment when air travel still felt new and exciting.
And right in the middle of it all was a giant mythical bird rising above the desert.
The Phoenix.
A symbol of a city that was constantly reinventing itself.
And maybe that’s why this old mural still matters.
Because cities change.
Airports change.
People change.
But the stories we leave behind are what connect one generation of travelers to the next.
Sometimes the best adventures aren’t about finding something new. They’re about rediscovering something we almost forgot.
Live the Life Less Traveled. Stay Curious.