Museums for History, Science and Culture
Discover Knowledge Throughout the Arkansas Timberland.
Eight enormous drive wheels propelled the storied Engine 819, listed on the National Register of Historic Places and housed at the Arkansas Railroad Museum in Pine Bluff.
Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame
This venue showcases the careers of The Natural State’s sons and daughters who have made their marks on the entertainment world.
Collections include everything from the works of best-selling author John Grisham to musical instruments owned by the likes of Levon Helm, Jimmy Driftwood and Art Porter, Jr. You’ll be dazzled by the costumes of famous Arkansans such as Jim Ed Brown, Charlie Rich, Collin Raye, Tracy Lawrence and others. Movie and TV fans will be fascinated by memorabilia from Jerry Van Dyke’s work in “Coach,” Harry Thomason’s “Designing Women,” and “Slingblade” starring Oscar-winner Billy Bob Thornton.
The hall is open Monday through Friday, 9:00AM until 5:00PM (except holidays). Weekend hours are seasonal. Call 870.536.7600 for more information.
Arkansas Railroad Museum
Steam engine 819, a 4-8-4 Northern-type locomotive was the last built at the Pine Bluff yard. Along with the 1909 Baldwin-built 336, both are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and both are housed at the Arkansas Railroad Museum in Pine Bluff. The collection includes several rare diesel locomotives, a complete steam wrecker train, cabooses, a snow plow and other examples from the railroad era of yesteryear.
Also housed in the vast structure are collections of railroad memorabilia and a working scale-model railroad layout.
The museum is open Thursday through Saturday, 10:00AM until 2:00PM. (Hours may be curtailed during extreme outdoor temperatures.) Call ahead for special guided tours. Location is 1700 Port Road, just off U.S. Highway 65B. Phone 870.535.8819 or visit the official website.
Arts & Science Center for S.E. Arknsas
ASC was founded in 1968, and is accredited with the American Alliance of Museums. ASC presents programs in the visual arts, performing arts, and the sciences through exhibits, performances, classes, and local partnerships.
Area schools are encouraged to visit for free exhibition tours and hands-on activities. Classes are offered for children, youth, and adults with scholarships available. Gallery admission, hands-on programming, and school field trips are all free – athanks to sponsors, successful grant writing, and the generosity of the local community.
ASC is located at 701 S. Main Street in Pine Bluff. Hours are Tuesday through Friday, 10:00AM until 5:00PM and Saturday, 1:00 until 4:00PM. For more information, call 870.536.3375 or visit the official website.
Grant County Museum
Established in 1963, the museum moved into its present home in 1994 and added seven additional galleries. Today, visitors can see Arkla gas company artifacts and military memorabilia, antique automobiles and vintage advertising, Civil War artifacts, eighteen World War II vehicles.
A collection of historical Grant County structures that were moved to the museum’s so-called “Heritage Square” include a Depression-era church building, a 1920s diner, a Masonic lodge, and other vintage structures.
The museum is open Monday through Friday, 9:00AM until 5:00PM. Visit the museum at 521 Shackelford Road, Sheridan, or the official website. Phone 870.942.4496.
Grant County Veterans Memorial Park
On March 12, 1943, a U.S. Army Air Corp B-17 departed Salina, KS, bound for Morrison Field, West Palm Beach, FL. At 3:40PM, the aircraft went down in a field near Grant County Road 51 just outside Sheridan. All nine crew aboard were killed.
The crash site was marked with a stone, but it soon became overgrown and was forgotten for decades. In 2011, a volunteer effort gave birth to a memorial park featuring a full-scale replica of the ill-fated B-17. A memorial wall honors the lives of the crewmen who were killed.
The park is open to the public and guided tours are available by calling Gary (870.942.5518), Don (870.917.9517) or Nelson (501.425.1827). The park is located at 1846 Grant County Road 51, Sheridan.
PBJC Historical Museum
At the Pine Bluff-Jefferson County Historical Museum, you can get a glimpse of our past, from the earliest settlements to cotton, lumber and rice plantations. You’ll recall the transportation age and explore post-war commercial growth of local industries.
The Hall of Honors pays tribute to those who served our country from Jefferson County, in WW I through the Iraq Conflict.
Call 870.541.5402 for information about changing exhibitions. The museum is open Thursday through Saturday, 10:00AM until 2:00PM. Admission is free, but donations are encouraged.
UAPB Museum and Cultural Center
The facility was established to provide a permanent home for its centerpiece collection titled Keepers of the Spirit: The L.A. Davis Sr. Historical Collection.
Exhibits interpret the history of UAPB via a collection of catalogs, yearbooks, photos and letters to and from the university. The oldest are original pictures dating back to the late 1800s. Although the museum is located on the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff campus and its collection is UAPB-focused, the center will appeal to anyone with an interest in the history of the Arkansas Delta.
For more information visit the official website. Regarding group tours, upcoming classes, events or traveling exhibits, call 870.575.8234.