HISTORICAL MUSEUM NEWS

Holiday Bazaar at Riordan

We were pleased to see all our visitors who came to the POA Holiday Bazaar at Riordan Hall this past Saturday. Thank you for supporting our museum with your purchases. If you haven’t visited the museum recently, please stop by. Admission is free, with lots of interesting exhibits on display that represent the past 100-plus years of Bella Vista’s history.

Civil War Roundtable

We really appreciate the continued interest in the monthly Bella Vista Civil War Roundtable. The next one will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5, when Kerry Jones will be talking about the USS Cairo, an ironclad sunk at Vicksburg, Miss., on Dec. 12, 1862. It was raised 102 years later to the day, has been restored, and is now on display at the Vicksburg National Military Park. As a seasonal ranger at that park, Jones gave many tours of the USS Cairo. We hope you can join us. Admission is free.

Historic sites driving tour

Our next historic sites driving tour will be held on Saturday, Dec. 7, starting at 12:30 p.m. If you are interested, please leave your contact information at the museum or call Dale Phillips at 812-8992049. This is a fundraiser for the museum. Cost is $15/person, $25 for two.

Gift shop

Please note that we now have merchandise featuring the Settler’s Cabin available in our gift shop, along with other Bella Vista souvenirs that are perfect for gifts for the upcoming holiday season. Come check them out!

Hours of operation

The Historical Museum is located at 1885 Bella Vista Way, at the corner of U.S. 71 and Kingsland Road, next door to the American Legion, and is open from 1 to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. The phone number is 479-855-2335. The website is www.bellavistamuseum.org.

Photo submitted There were about 35 people in attendance at the monthly meeting of the Bella Vista Civil War Roundtable the evening of Nov. 7 to hear an excellent presentation about the Prairie Grove battle by Matt Mulheran, the park interpreter at Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park. The next meeting will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5. The speaker will be Kerry Jones, park guide at the Pea Ridge National Military Park, with a presentation about the USS Cairo, one of the first American ironclad warships built at the beginning of the Civil War. Meetings are held at the Bella Vista Historical Museum, at the corner of U.S. 71 and Kingsland Road, next door to the American Legion. Admission is free and everyone is welcome.