Museums offer something new all the time
BECCA MARTIN-BROWN
bmartin@nwadg.com
Northwest Arkansas enjoys museums that collect and interpret art, history, politics, retail and more. Here are some of the things going on there right now.
Courtesy Photo
Bella Vistans entertained themselves and visitors in 2018 by painting rocks and leaving them for others to find. Now the Bella Vista Historical Museum has a puzzle available in its gift shop depicting some of the “Bella Vista rocks.”
Bella Vista
Bella Vista Historical Museum
The Bella Vista Historical Museum, operated by the Bella Vista Historical Society with an all-volunteer staff, features exhibits representing the past 103 years of Bella Vista history from the time Lake Bella Vista was created in 1915. The museum’s gift shop is the only place in Bella Vista offering a variety of Bella Vista souvenir items from postcards to jigsaw puzzles, the newest among them depicting the popular “Bella Vista rocks.”
WHEN — 1-5 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday
WHERE — 1885 Bella Vista Way, next door to the American Legion
COST — Free
INFO — 855-2335; bellavistamuseum.org
ALSO NEW — Hundreds of vintage salt and pepper shakers were donated to the gift shop in December to sell as a fundraiser for the museum.
Bentonville
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art opened to the public on 11-11-11 and was founded in 2005 by the Walton Family Foundation as a nonprofit charitable organization for all to enjoy.
WHEN — 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday & Sunday; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday; 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; closed Tuesday
WHERE — 600 Museum Way
COST — Admission to the permanent collection is always free
INFO — 418-5700; crystalbridges.org
CURRENT EXHIBITS — “Men of Steel, Women of Wonder,” the first major exhibition to examine art world responses to Superman and Wonder Woman, just open; “In Conversation: Will Wilson and Edward Curtis,” through February; and “Personal Space,” through March.
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Courtesy Photo
The Museum of Native American History knows kids love dolls, and these are from the Southern Plains and from the Lakota Sioux. Both are from the late 1800s and are made from leather, decorated with fringe and glass beads.
Museum of Native American History
The Museum of Native American History invites visitors to walk through America’s past. From the woolly mammoth skeleton that greets guests at the front door, to rare Mississippian head pots, to art and artifacts from the early reservation period, the museum’s authentic collection gives a glimpse into the richly diverse cultural history of the first Americans.
WHEN — 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday
WHERE — 202 S.W. O St.
COST — Free
INFO — 273-2456; monah.us
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Peel Mansion Museum
The Peel Mansion Museum and Heritage Gardens preserve the Col. Samuel W. Peel House, constructed in 1875. The house remains a remarkably good example of the Italianate style of architecture, in spite of the later covering of the main body of the house with stucco. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 4, 1995.
WHEN — Museum tours & museum store, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; Bentonville History Day weekly on Wednesdays
WHERE — 400 S. Walton Blvd.
COST — Free
INFO — 254-3870; peelcompton.org
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Walmart Museum
Located on the downtown square in Bentonville, the museum features Walton’s 5&10, a world-class exhibit gallery and The Spark Cafe Soda Fountain.
WHEN — 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday; noon-9 p.m. Sunday
WHERE — 105 N. Main St.
COST — Free
INFO — 273-1329; WmtMuseum@Walmart.com
BONUS — The Spark Cafe Soda Fountain serves Spark Cream, custom-made ice cream in Walmart colors of blue and yellow.
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Scott Family Amazeum
The Scott Family Amazeum is a hands-on, interactive museum for children and families.
WHEN — 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday; 1-5 p.m. Sunday; closed Tuesdays and Christmas Eve, Christmas Day & New Year’s Day
WHERE — 1009 Museum Way
COST — $9.50 all ages
INFO — 696-9280; amazeum.org
CURRENT EXHIBITS — “Magnificent Me,” through May 12.
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Rogers
Rogers Historical Museum
Completely revamped in its new space in the Hailey Ford Building at 313 S. Second St. in Rogers, the Rogers Historical Museum includes exhibits on the Van Winkle Mill; Coin Harvey’s Monte Ne; the creation of Beaver Lake; and especially for kids, a hands-on section.
WHEN — 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday
WHERE — 313 & 322 S. Second St.
COST — Free
INFO — 621-1154
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Daisy Airgun Museum
The Daisy Airgun Museum is a nonprofit corporation which preserves and promotes vintage products and artifacts of the historic Daisy company while serving as a national tourism destination for Daisy fans and collectors.
WHEN — 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday
WHERE — 202 W. Walnut St.
COST — $2 for ages 16 and older
INFO — 986-6873; daisymuseum.com
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Springdale
Shiloh Museum of Ozark History
The Shiloh Museum of Ozark History is a regional history museum focusing on the Northwest Arkansas Ozarks. The museum takes its name from the pioneer community of Shiloh, which became Springdale in the 1870s.
WHEN — 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday
WHERE — 118 W. Johnson Ave.
COST — Free
INFO — 750-8165 or shilohmuseum.org
CURRENT EXHIBITS — “Stand Up, Speak Out,” photos chronicling protests in Northwest Arkansas, through May 18; “Instruments of Faith: The Life and Work of Ed Stilley,” musical instruments made by an Ozark artisan in Hogscald Hollow, through 2019.
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Fayetteville
Arkansas Air & Military Museum
Follow the colorful history of aviation in Arkansas and American military conflicts through numerous displays of original artifacts and aviation memorabilia. The historic aircraft in the Arkansas Air & Military Museum are unusual among museum exhibits, because many of them still fly.
WHEN — 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Sunday-Friday; 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday
WHERE — 4290 S. School Ave.
COST — $5 ages 6-12; $9 seniors & military; $10 adults; family rate of $25
INFO — 521-4947; arkansasairandmilitary.com
BONUS — The vast, all-wood white hangar, which houses the museum, was headquarters for one of the United States’ many aviator training posts during World War II.
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Clinton House Museum
The Clinton House Museum interprets the lives of President Bill Clinton and Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton during the time they lived in Fayetteville.
WHEN — 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday; closed Wednesday
WHERE — 930 W. Clinton Drive
COST — Donations welcome
INFO — 444-0066 or clintonhousemuseum.org
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Photograph of The Cornbread album courtesy of Mark Potter
“From Spiro to Liverpool and Back Again: Hepcats, Stingers, Cornbread and R.C. Gamble,” a new exhibit at the Fort Smith Museum of History, will feature a collection of memorabilia loaned by museum volunteer Mark Potter and by the Gamble Family. Bee Bumble and the Stingers were a Fort Smith based band, headed by R.C. Gamble, known for “taking classical songs and messing them up.” The exhibit includes an original hand painted poster, original 45 records, sheet music, a Beatles jacket from the 1964 U. S. Tour (courtesy of Chris Carter), costumes, recordings and a saxophone loaned by Gamble’s daughter, Adria Hanson, and much more. It will run through March 30.
Fort Smith
Fort Smith Museum of History
Established in 1910, the museum’s exhibits illustrate the contributions of Fort Smith’s citizens to the cultural, political, and economic development of the area. The museum is housed in the 1906 Atkinson-Williams Warehouse, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
WHEN — 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday & 1-5 p.m. Sunday
WHERE — 320 Rogers Ave.
COST — $2 children; $5 military; $7 adults
INFO — 783-7841; fortsmithmuseum.org
BONUS — Enjoy a treat in the old-fashioned soda fountain and experience a 1920s-1940s pharmacy.
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Fort Smith Regional Art Museum
The Fort Smith Regional Art Museum is a nonprofit organization charged with the responsibility of fostering art appreciation in the community through diverse exhibitions, educational programming, dynamic events, and cultural partnerships.
WHEN — 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday; 1-5 p.m. Sunday; closed Mondays, Christmas Day & New Year’s Day
WHERE — 1601 Rogers Ave.
COST — General admission is always free
INFO — 784-2787; fsram.org
CURRENT EXHIBITS — “Timothy J. Clark: Masterworks on Paper,” through March 31; “Bold Improvisation: Searching for African-American Quilts,” through May 5; and “The Touch Gallery,” an assortment of real art sculptures and a painting that are created with various materials like bronze, carved wood, marble, resin and acrylic paint that visitors, especially children, are encouraged to explore with their hands.
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Please send additions to this list to bmartin@nwadg.com.
