Military museum to shut for updates

The MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History will be closed through August for renovations, beginning Sunday.

The 178-year-old museum in Little Rock will undergo interior and exterior updates totalling $1.5 million. Previous work included renovation of the north and south porches.

The coming renovations include upgrades to the heating and cooling systems, installation of new lighting and the repainting of interior gallery spaces.

Funding comes from city bond revenue from a 2 percent tax on lodging levied in December 2015.

The Arsenal Building in which the museum is located is the only remnant of a frontier military post constructed in 1840 to protect Arkansans from attack. It is recognized as a National Historic Landmark.

“The site witnessed pivotal exchanges between Federal and Confederate forces during the Civil War, and later became the birthplace of General Douglas MacArthur,” a news release from the museum said.

Museum Director Stephan McAteer said he’s excited about the long-term preservation of the historic structure.

The museum collects, preserves and interprets the state’s military past from its territorial period to present. Saturday will be the last day it is open to the public until sometime in early September.