MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History

09/01/2026

The MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History is pleased to present the traveling exhibition "Through Darkness to Light: Photographs Along the Underground Railroad" opening this Friday and running through January 7, 2027. This powerful exhibition uses color photography and accompanying narratives to trace actual sites, cities, and landscapes connected to the Underground Railroad and the estimated 100,000 enslaved people who embarked on dangerous journeys toward freedom between 1830 and 1865.

From the cotton plantations of southern Louisiana to the Canadian border, "Through Darkness to Light" offers visitors a visual perspective on the routes freedom-seekers traveled and the extraordinary risks they took in pursuit of freedom.

If you'd like a sneak peak before it opens, drop by the museum this Thursday, September 3, between 5:30 and 7:00 pm.

08/30/2026

The deadline for signing up for the "War Comes to the Ozarks" bus tour has been extended to Tuesday, September 8. Join us as we visit Historic Cane Hill and Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park to learn how important these two battles were in Arkansas's Civil War past. Lunch will include a visit to the Arkansas Country Doctors Museum. Call to make your reservation.

08/20/2026

There are still a few seats available.

08/19/2026

For the third consecutive month we had a record-breaking attendance for the "Movies at MacArthur" series. Thanks to the 148 attendees at last night's screening of "The Ghost Army," which featured a special recorded introduction by Rick Breyer, the film's director. See you next month at the movies.

08/17/2026

Join us tomorrow evening for our Movies At MacArthur.

08/14/2026

The Code Talkers

Today, we honor the legacy of the Navajo Code Talkers, whose courage, resilience, and native language forever changed the course of history.

During World War II, the Marine Corps turned to a method of communication that Japanese intelligence could never crack: the Navajo language.

In 1942, a group of Navajo Marines developed an unbreakable oral code that allowed for fast and secure communication during battles throughout the Pacific Theater of Operations.

Because of the code's strategic value, their heroic contributions remained secret until 1968.

Semper Fidelis.

✍️ (U.S. Marine Corps graphic by Lance Cpl. Matthew Morales)

08/14/2026

Special thanks to Senator Boozman for recognizing the Museum's 25th anniversary in the Congressional Record on July 14.

08/13/2026

Thomas Hart Benton is packed up and on its way back to the Naval History and Heritage Command in Washington DC. Thanks to all our sponsors and visitors who made the exhibition such a success! After some prep work to the gallery, we'll install our next traveling exhibit from Exhibits USA and Mid-America Arts Alliance. "Through Darkness to Light: Photographs Along the Underground Railroad" opens to the public on September 4 and will remain through January 7, 2027.

08/05/2026

This is the final week to view the "Thomas Hart Benton" exhibit before it returns to the Naval History and Heritage Command in Washington DC. The exhibit of 25 original paintings and prints Benton did for the Navy in World War II depicting the USS Dorado submarine and LST shipyards in Pennsylvania closes Sunday, August 9. The next exhibit for that gallery, "Through Darkness to Light: Photographs Along the Underground Railroad," opens on September 4.

08/05/2026