Northwest Arkansas — I recently found a source listing several more places to visit in the coming months. I picked up a brochure that included the museums of Washington and Benton counties. I was surprised to see 21 sites listed.
I knew that many towns in the area have their own small museums and I had been thinking how to go about finding all of them, so I was thrilled to get my hands on such complete information in one source.
One nearby site that did not make the brochure since it is across the state line is the Talbot Library and Museum in Colcord, Okla. I will soon be checking out many of these places and will let you know what I find.
Museums are fine places to go when the weather is less than perfect. After the frigid temperatures and slick roads kept us indoors much of the week before last, we decided by Friday it was time to get out. Since we needed to make a couple of stops in Springdale anyway, we chose to extend our drive a bit and visit the Ozark Military Museum and the Arkansas Air Museum, both located on the grounds of the Fayetteville Municipal Airport (Drake Field).
We picked up our grandsons Dylan and Glendon in SiloamSprings and took them along. After spending the week out of school and mostly indoors, they were also ready to leave the house. And their mom couldn’t have been happier to send them with us, so it worked out well for all.
The two museums are located next to each other and one admission gets you into both. The regular price is $8 for adults and $4 for children ages 6-12, but the deal is $20 for a whole family (which can be parents and children or grandparents and grandchildren). Both museums are open 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday though Friday and 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturdays.
After paying our admission at the air museum gift shop, we decided to first explore the military museum. We were greeted and given an interesting and informative tour by director Leonard McCandless. The museum is nonprofit and staffed by volunteers, most of whom are veterans. It was established in 1982 as a way to preserve WW II artifacts. It later expanded to include military equipment and artifacts ranging from the civil war to the present day. In 2003 the museum moved from Springdale to its current location where it has enjoyed tremendous growth. An inside room is filled with many neatly arranged cases displaying all kinds of military memorabilia, weapons and equipment.
McCandless took time to point out especially rare items such as a 1945 Okinawa invasion map and one of the earliest war bonds, issued in December 1941. The museum also has a chapel and a library.
An adjoining room displays uniforms from all branches of the military except for the Coast Guard. To date, no CoastGuard uniform has been received by the museum. This would be a good item to donate if someone has one no longer in use.
The attached hangar houses a nice collection of restored aircraft and military vehicles. Restorations are completed on site by volunteers in the workshop area. An additional feature is the many honor banners displayed on the hangar walls. Banners can be purchased and put on display for $25. They include the veteran’s name, rank and branch of service.
A little more than an hour later we made our way back to the Arkansas Air museum. This museum opened to the public in 1986 at its current location. It represents well-known aviators, flying aces, record setters and more. The old white 1940s era hangar houses a variety of unique aircraft and other interesting items that can observed up close. The hangar itself has been placed on the Registry of Historic Places. Visitors can browse through several exhibits that include photos and other memorabilia spanning the history of manned flight. Exhibit themes include aviation pioneers, Scheduled Skyways (Fayetteville’s own airline established in 1953), Richard Covey (Fayetteville’s shuttle astronaut), and more. The small gift shop carries aviation-related souvenirs.
These museums are well suited for educational groups or for anyone with an interest in aircraft, the military, or history. Families, too, will likely find something of interest for all ages. Our grandsons most enjoyed seeing the assortment of small planes and restored antique military vehicles.
For more information, visit the following Web sites: www.arkairmuseum .org and www.ozarkmilitarymuseum .org.
Opinion, Pages 5 on 01/20/2010