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  • December 7, 2024
  • Last Update July 20, 2024 2:48 am
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Museum in Arkansas

Museum in Arkansas

People often associate museums in Arkansas with art collections showcasing luxurious paintings and sculptures; however, Arkansas museums don’t just exist as art galleries; many also serve an educational and inspirational purpose.

One such museum is the Arkansas Grand Prairie Museum, which showcases and interprets the history of those who tamed and farmed eastern Arkansas prairies from 1800s-1921. Another is Rowher Japanese American Internment Museum.

Wings of Honor Museum

The Wings of Honor Museum was established in 1999 to preserve and remember those who have made our freedom possible – civilian and military personnel alike. Situated adjacent to Walnut Ridge Regional Airport, it’s an essential stop for aviation enthusiasts of all types.

This museum boasts old military aircraft, rare military nurse uniforms, and a Titan II control panel that are sure to engage all members of your family. Duck call collectors will especially enjoy exploring their collection while those interested in agriculture or farming will appreciate all the equipment on display.

Visit Paris for an interactive experience at the Coal Mining Museum. Here, visitors will gain a peek into life as a coal miner in Logan County with various exhibits like family cabins, blacksmith shops and locomotives on display. Little ones will especially love TinkerLab where their imaginations can run wild while creating something innovative or imaginative!

Fort Smith’s Maritime Museum will surely delight all members of your family! Featuring a nearly fully operational World War II-era submarine named USS Razorback, as well as plenty of fun activities above-deck such as climbing 14-foot ladder down into it or riding 1926 electric Birney Streetcar rides, this museum provides plenty of entertainment.

These museums and others in Arkansas make excellent additions to home-school curriculums, summer bucket lists, or as a means for families to remember that our freedoms do not come for free. So take time today to pay your respects at a local or national cemetery, learn about a family member who served, or visit one of these fantastic Arkansas military museums, in gratitude of all their sacrifices; we owe them so much!

Sultana Disaster Museum

The Sultana Disaster Museum will chronicle one of America’s worst maritime disasters. Situated in Marion, Arkansas, this new museum will include an auditorium, orientation theater, research classrooms and learning classes, gift shop and main exhibit gallery with rotating exhibitions from other museums across the nation. Furthermore, multipurpose rooms and administrative areas will also be included within its walls during opening weekend.

Prior to recent research, many believed the death toll from the Sultana’s steamboat accident exceeded 1,800 lives lost on its maiden voyage, surpassing even that of Titanic when she sank in 1912. Unfortunately, however, subsequent findings have drastically reduced that estimate; still, nearly 2,200 lives lost along America’s Mississippi River remain more than mere footnotes in American history.

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Sultana Disaster Museum intends to tell the full and tragic tale of one such tragic event that is often forgotten – one which should be told with all its complexity and horror. Set to open early 2025, it should become one of the premier tourist destinations both for state tourism authorities as well as regional visitors alike.

Construction for this project kicked off in December with a groundbreaking ceremony and is set to commence shortly. The museum will occupy an old high school gymnasium constructed during the New Deal era that holds many memories for locals such as hosting exhibition basketball games between Arkansas and Louisiana State Universities. John Fogleman, president of the society who spearheads this initiative says this building serves both historic and functional purposes.

He reports that the museum will focus on telling the stories of survivors and rescuers as well as displaying relics from Sultana in an open case display case, along with providing informational videos regarding its history.

The museum is expected to draw visitors from all over the globe, helping bolster Marion and Crittenden County economies as well as those throughout Alabama. A study conducted by Owen Economics indicated that it could bring in over $3 Million annually to Marion and Crittenden County as well as create over 88 jobs annually in Marion.

Japanese American Internment Museum

McGehee Museum honors over 17,000 Japanese Americans interned during World War II behind barbed wire fences across America, while housed within the McGehee Railroad Depot since 2013. Open since 2013, it features the exhibit, “Against Their Will”, created by students at UALR and donated by Delta Cultural Center of Helena. Since opening day many families who were interned in Arkansas have shared their stories at this facility. Actor George Takei from Star Trek will be guest of honor at their 10-year anniversary celebration event this Friday.

The exhibit tells the stories of six families sent to Rohwer, one of Arkansas’ two internment camps. Park Interpreter Emilee Baker says these events represent a crucial chapter of Arkansas history that often doesn’t get enough consideration in schools; “this exhibit gives the community an opportunity to come together and gain more knowledge about these individuals who were interned here,” said Emilee.

Visitors to the museum can view photographs, artifacts and oral histories related to one family’s experiences during World War II. Visitors can listen to recordings featuring interviews with family members as well as watch films depicting life in camps. Although admission to the museum is free to the public, donations are welcomed.

The museum has amassed the largest collection of artwork from Rohwer camp since it first opened its doors in 1942. Rosalie Gould, former mayor of nearby McGehee and donor of Rosalie Gould’s extensive collection to the museum; instead of selling it off for profit she kept it intact as an act of respect to both those who experienced life at Rohwer and artist Jamie Vogel whose murals are on display here.

Numerous museums across Arkansas are striving to educate Arkansans about internment camps located nearby. Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site will host a two-day teacher workshop for 4th to 12th grade humanities, history and social studies teachers in March that will examine Jerome and Rohwer camps located in Arizona and Arkansas as well as other internment sites nationwide – teachers participating will receive a $300 stipend for attending.

Arkansas Duck Call Museum

On crisp autumn mornings, the air is filled with mallard quacks, redheads, and other waterfowl winging their way south along the Mississippi Flyway. When their numbers build to an inevitability, a duck caller prys his mouth open and begins whistle calls of different birds before suddenly firing off a shotgun blast and sending an occasional greenhead or drake skyward before plummeting back down with an audible thud before it can be picked up by either dog or hunter.

Arkansas’ duck hunting tradition has left behind an enduring artistic legacy, from call makers and decoy carvers to stamp artists and stamp stampers. Although these objects can be considered tools (even stamps are sometimes considered tools), John Stephens of RNT Duck Calls in Stuttgart qualifies them as folk art according to three-time winner of World’s Championship Duck Calling Contest John Stephens is proud of Arkansas’ legacy as it comes from hunting ducks!

Arkansas has long been known for its rice production, while its Mississippi River delta region became a mecca for duck hunting and creating unique waterfowl calls. The Arkansas Duck Call Museum in Stuttgart chronicles this history while celebrating this art form.

This museum boasts over 10,000 objects, such as replicas of early farm equipment and automobiles, rural schoolhouse, scaled-down store replicas and the Waterfowl Wing which draws thousands of visitors each year. This exhibit displays all species of waterfowl that visit our area – mounted as though landed at resting places such as small ponds. One particularly stunning creation at this museum was made out of tail feathers of mallards by Arthur J Longun for Willie Oates known in her community as “Hat Lady”.

The Museum features a bar and restaurant offering craft beer on tap, in cans, and growlers to-go; vintage duck call exhibition; as well as big screens to watch live duck and goose contests. It was conceptualized by a group of collectors and call-makers hoping to raise awareness for American duck call art and craft.

Museums in Arkansas

Searcy’s Pioneer Village serves as an impressive museum that honors those who tamed and farmed Arkansas prairies during the 1800s. This park contains several buildings such as homes, jail cells, schoolhouses and train depots that were salvaged from around Searcy.

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Arkansas is home to museums devoted to its rich and varied history, like Hemingway-Pfeiffer House or even featuring racecars or submarines! Each museum showcases different aspects of its heritage.

Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum

The Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and Educational Center, commonly referred to as Pfeiffer House and Hemingway Barn-Studio in Piggott, Arkansas is a historic home museum operated by Arkansas State University that was one of the state’s first heritage sites. It aims to promote literature and the arts using Ernest Hemingway as inspiration.

Paul and Mary Pfeiffer were the parents of Pauline Hemingway, Hemingway’s second wife who wrote parts of A Farewell to Arms here before leaving him after he married Martha Gellhorn in 1940 and went back to Paris.

The Hemingway-Pfeiffer House, designated a National Historic Landmark by W. D. Templeton in 1910 based on a pattern book design, contains memorabilia from Hemingway’s time in Piggott including his Steinway piano given as a gift by Uncle Gus. Visitors can also view Hemingway’s barn-studio where he wrote sections of A Farewell to Arms.

Wings of Honor Museum

The Wings of Honor Museum at Walnut Ridge Army Flying School pays a fitting homage to our state’s military history with old “warbird” bombers and memorabilia on display – this museum should not be missed by aviation fans!

Art enthusiasts will feel at home at the Arkansas Arts Center, which boasts an impressive collection that spans from contemporary pieces to Rembrandt paintings. Additionally, this museum regularly hosts traveling exhibitions.

No matter your interest in history – local, national or global – Arkansas likely offers a museum dedicated to it. Many of these attractions make perfect additions to summer bucket lists or day trips for keeping kids busy before school resumes in September.

Frequently Asked Questions

Arkansas has a wide range of museums. The Arkansas Grand Prairie Museum is one of the most notable. Others include the Coal Mining Museum of Paris, Fort Smith’s Maritime Museum and the Sultana Disaster Museum.

The Wings of Honor Museum is located next to Walnut Regional Airport and is dedicated to honoring and preserving civilians and military personnel that have contributed to freedom. The museum features rare military nurse uniforms and old military aircraft. It also has a Titan II Control Panel, as well as engaging activities for aviation fans of all ages.

The Japanese American Internment Museum honors the over 17,000 Japanese Americans who were interned during World War II. The museum features artifacts from the Rohwer Internment Camp, as well as oral histories and artwork. It offers visitors a better understanding of this chapter in American History.

The Arkansas Duck Call Museum honors the rich duck hunting traditions and artistic heritage of the state. Over 10,000 items are on display, including duck decoys and farm equipment replicas. Waterfowl exhibits can also be seen. The museum offers dining and hosts duck hunting events.

The Hemingway Pfeiffer Museum is an historic home museum in Piggott dedicated to the promotion of literature and the arts. The museum displays memorabilia of Ernest Hemingway’s time spent in Piggott. This includes his barn-studio, where he wrote “A Farewell to Arms.”