Museums bring fun, history to NWA

Northwest Arkansas is rich with history and diverse culture. Whether you want to see an authentic Andy Warhol self-portrait or learn more about Ozark history, there is a museum for your specific viewing pleasures.

Bella Vista

Bella Vista Historical Museum 1885 Bella Vista Way

(479) 855-2335

Hours: Starting in August, the museum will be open from 1-5 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday.

Admission: Free.

settlements, the early farms, the lake built in 1915, the summer resort started in 1917, its relaunch in 1952 that turned it into a family recreation center and the 1960s beginnings of its present history when John Cooper, Sr., purchased the summer resort and began buying up the farms all the way to the Missouri state line, eventually converting 40,000 acres into what he called Bella Vista Village. See how his development added seven lakes and seven golf courses, and evolved from a Property Owners Association to become the incorporated City of Bella Vista in 2007 with a present population of 27,000 residents.

Bentonville

Crystal Bridges

600 Museum Way

(479) 418-5700

Hours: Open 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Wednesday-Friday; and 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday-Monday. - its have a ticket fee.

by the Walton Family Foundation as a non-profit charitable organization for all to enjoy. Philanthropist and arts patron Alice Walton chairs the Museum’s board of directors. The building was designed by world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie and opened to the public on Nov. 11, 2011. Crystal Bridges’ permanent collection spans five centuries of American masterworks ranging from the Colonial era to the current day. The permanent collection, which continues to grow through a strategic acquisition plan, is on view year-round and is enhanced by an array provides year-round programming for all

ages, including lectures, performances, classes, and continuing education for K-12 teachers.

Museum of Native American History 202 SW ‘O’ St.

(479) 273-2456

Hours: Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Saturday

Admission: Free. - ry invites you to “Walk Through America’s Past,” where you will be given a glimpse into what life was like for America’s first inhabitants. The museum is divided into five different time periods that will guide you through the constant changing lives of the Native Americans, as seen through their artifacts. The displays feature relics that date from more than 14,000 years old to historic times. Visit the museum and enjoy seeing some of the finest treasures ever created by early craftsmen.

Scott Family Amazeum

1009 Museum Way

(479) 696-9280

Hours: Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday, Wednesday-Saturday; and 1 p.m.-5 p.m., Sunday.

Admission: Members and kids under 2 years — free. Adults and kids over 2 years — $9.50

on, interactive museum for children and families located in Bentonville. A museum with a foundation in the arts and sciences, the Amazeum encourages creativity, curiosity and community through

and programs, workshops and camps. !MAZEUM EXPERIENCES INCLUDE A CLIMBable tree canopy, indoor cave, tinkering hub, nearly one acre of outdoor space, and ever-evolving daily pop-up activities.

The Peel Mansion Museum & Heritage Gardens

400 S. Walton Blvd.

(479) 254-3870

Hours: Tours are given every hour, on the hour, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday.

!DMISSION !DULTS ARE PLUS TAX #HILDREN AGES ARE PLUS TAX AND CHILdren under age 6, free. s 4HE 0EEL -ANSION -USEUM (ERITAGE Gardens serve as a living display of that period for those touring the mansion and gardens as well as those who rent the 1875 mansion to create personal memories of their own. The Peel Mansion Museum & Heritage Gardens were built in 1875 by Colonel Samuel West Peel. Much care was taken in erecting this MAGNIlCENT HOUSE A WONDERFUL EXAMPLE OF THE )TALIANATE 6ILLA 3TYLE 4HE INTERIOR OF the house was furnished with authentic antiquities and artifacts of the era, generously loaned by the Historic Arkansas Museum and the Old State House.

Walmart Museum

105 N. Main St.

(479) 273-1329

Hours: Open 8 a.m.-9 p.m., Monday-Thursday; 8 a.m.-10 p.m., Friday-Saturday; and noon-9 p.m., Sunday. Admission: Free. s 4HE 7ALMART -USEUM IS AS MUCH A PART OF 7ALMART S HISTORY AS THE EXHIBITS AND artifacts that it houses. First opened in 1990, the museum was known as the Walmart Visitor Center. But as times changed and the term “Visitor Center” came to refer more to regional, state, and local tourism offices, it became apparent that a name change was needed. And so, today, The Walmart Museum carries on the mission it always has; to educate, engage, and inspire visitors about the heritage of Walmart.

Located on the Downtown Square, the museum is in three parts, a museum, a working 5&10, and the The Spark Cafe. Trace the origin and growth of Walmart, THE WORLDS LEADING BIG BOX GIANT %XPErience the working 5&10. Enjoy interactives for all ages. Visit The Spark Cafe where the entire family can enjoy a delicious ice cream treat for under $5.

Berryville

Carroll County Heritage Museum 403 Public Square

(870) 423-6312

Hours: Monday through Friday. Admission: Free. s !RTIFACTS FROM "ERRYVILLE AND #ARROLL County are housed in the 1880 Courthouse; which has three stories of history plus striking twin towers; actual courtroom used until 1975 with the judge’s BENCH WITNESS CHAIR AND JURY BOX !LSO moonshine still, funeral parlor, one-room school and genealogy library.

Saunders Memorial Museum

115 E. Madison Ave.

(870) 423-2563 s %XTENSIVE COLLECTION OF lREARMS NEARLY 400 items) including antique and unusual pieces; knives, Victorian clothing, acCESSORIES TEXTILES AND FURNITURE %XHIBITS include guns used by the famous and infamous such as Jesse and Frank James,

Belle Star, Cole Younger, Cherokee Bill, Billy the Kid, Wild Bill Hickok and Buffalo Bill Cody; Sitting Bull’s war bonnet and an Arab sheik’s tent; Persian rugs and Teakwood furniture.

Eureka Springs

Aviation Cadet Museum

39 Arkansas 2073

(479) 253-5008

Hours: Normal season is from April 1 through Oct. 31. Call for tour reservations. Admission: Kids 5 and under — free; Adults — $15; and kids 6-12 years — $7.

property nestled in the Ozarks Moun to numerous attractions, it boasts Silver Wings Field, a working runway for private aircrafts.

Fayetteville

Arkansas Air & Military Museum 4290 S. School Ave.

(479) 521-4947

Hours: Open 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Saturday, and 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Sunday-Friday. Admission: Members and kids 5 years and under — free. Adults, $10; kids ages 6-12 — $5; mom, dad, and kids under age 16 — $25; and 65+, retired/active military — $9. 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 muse-

fly. Static displays at the museum range from the golden age of aviation to the jet age, including Vietnam-era Army helicopters and a Navy carrier fighter. The vast, all-wood white hangar, which houses it all is a part of American history, being former headquarters for one of the United States’ many aviator training posts

Clinton House Museum

930 W. Clinton Drive

(479) 444-0066

Hours: Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Tuesday and Thursday-Saturday, and 1 p.m.-5 p.m., Sunday. collections interpret the lives of President Bill Clinton and Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton during the time they lived in Fayetteville and occupied the home at 930 W. Clinton Drive. With its events, the Museum promotes the legacy of the Clintons’ commitment to public service and civic engagement for international, national, and local visitors as well as preserves the historic home and its role in Fayetteville history. Headquarters House

118 E. Dickson St.

(479) 521-2970

p.m., Tuesday-Thursday. Call ahead to schedule tour.

Admission: Group tours range from $8$30 per person, and last from 35 minutes to 2 hours.

the Colonel Tebbetts place, is a historic house museum. Built in 1850, it saw action in the American Civil War, serving as a headquarters for both the Union and Confederacy. During the action at Fayetteville, the house was attacked by Confederate troops while serving as a Union outpost. The building was donated to the Washington County Historical Society as a museum in 1967 and was placed on the National Register of Historic Place in 1971.

Gravette

Gravette Historical Museum

503 SE Charlotte St.

(479) 787-7334

Hours: Open noon to 4 p.m. and by appointment Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Admission: Free.

- House.

Pea Ridge

Pea Ridge Historical Museum 1451 N. Curtis Ave.

(479) 621-1621

Hours: Call to arrange a visit to the museum by appointment. Admission: Free. the Pea Ridge Historical Museum occupies the old Lodge Hall/ E.H. Building in downtown Pea Ridge. The Museum’s Grand Opening was held on Saturday, March 7, 2009. For the months December through February, the Museum does not keep regular open hours.

Pea Ridge National Military Park 15930 Arkansas 62

(479) 451-8122

Hours: Park grounds are open year round from 6 a.m. to dusk. The Visitor Center is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., seven days a week.

Admission: $15/vehicle, pass valid for seven days; or $10/motorcycle, pass valid for seven days. There is a fee to be on the Pea Ridge National Military Park, for any reason. This includes walking, hiking, biking, driving, horseback riding, touring the museum and watching the film.

- rience nature. The battlefield has hiking trails, a bike path and horse trails. The park’s hiking trail is seven miles long and goes through both natural and historic in hiking the entire trail there are several shorter loop trails, accessible from tour

Prairie Grove

Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park 506 E. Douglas St.

(479) 846-2990

Hours: Picnic area and restrooms open

daily at 8 a.m. on close one hour after sunset.

Admission: Free admission to the visitor Guided tours of historic buildings are $5 for adults; $3 for children ages 6-12; and $15 for a family.

the park’s battlefield museum and visitor and detailing the Battle of Prairie Grove bring that history alive. They share stories about the battle, how the landscape affected and shaped the strategic decisions made by both armies, and the Civil War’s devastating local effect. You can walk over hallowed ground where history happened. Walk along the ridge and in the valley where the heaviest fighting took place. Follow the one-mile Battlefield Trail or travel the park’s five-mile Driving Tour. Tour the historic structures in the Ozark village.

Rogers

Daisy Airgun Museum

202 W. Walnut St.

(479) 986-6873

Hours: Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Saturday. - it 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. The success of the Museum is dependent on admissions, product sales, donations and memberships.

Rogers Historical Museum

322 S. Second St.

(479) 621-1154

Hours: Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Tuesday; and 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Wednesday-Saturday. Admission: Free. - ican Alliance of Museums accredited institution, is a department of the City of Rogers and serves all of the people of Northwest Arkansas. The museum is supported by two outstanding non-profit organizations: the Friends of the Rogers Historical Museum and the Rogers Museum Foundation. The Museum is governed by a five member commission, which is appointed by the mayor and approved by the city council, and is responsible for making and maintaining policies, standards, and operational continuity. Daily operations are managed by an eight member staff, with support from a loyal group of volunteers.

Siloam Springs

Siloam Springs Museum

112 N. Maxwell St.

(479) 524-4011

Hours: Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday.

interprets, and celebrates the heritage of an area with a rich past. At the Siloam highlighting Native American culture, pioneer life, medicine and many other facets of local history.

Springdale

Shiloh Museum of Ozark History 118 W. Johnson Ave.

(479) 750-8165

Hours: Open 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Saturday.

Admission: Free.

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. Most of what you’ll see at the museum highlights the real shapers of Ozark history — the everyday men, women, and children who lived in our towns

- on the museum grounds. The museum also has a research library with a collection of more than 500,000 photographs of Ozark life.

Tontitown

Tontitown Historical Museum

251 E. Henri de Tonti Blvd.

(479) 361-2700

Hours: Open 1 to 4 p.m., Friday-Sunday, or by appointment.

Tontitown’s original settlers, the sisters Mary and Zelinda Bastianelli, the Tontitown Historical Museum opened in Au photographs of and artifacts belonging

NWA Democrat-Gazette BEN GOFF @NWABENGOFF ROGERS HISTORICAL MUSEUM in downtown Rogers.

NWA Democrat-Gazette/JASON IVESTER MARK WHEELER OF GARFIELD shows cannonball discovered in Ruddick’s Field at the Pea Ridge National Military Park.

Visitors walk past a 1967 Dassault Falcon 20 on display at the Arkansas Air and Military Museum in Fayetteville.

WALMART ASSOCIATES trades pins at the Walmart museum on the Bentonville square.

LOUISE BOURGEOIS’ MONUMENTAL SCULPTURE, MAMAN at Crystal Bridges.

NWA Democrat-Gazette/JASON IVESTER A PHOTO ARCHIVIST places a pair of mid-1800’s Bibles back into a display case inside the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History in Springdale.