After 16 years, the United States Marshals Museum officially opens its doors to the public on Saturday, July 1.Fort Smith was selected to be the home of the Marshals Museum back in 2007.The museum has an exhibit space that is more than 18,000 square feet.Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and the director of the nation’s oldest law enforcement agency toured the museum Thursday as part of opening celebrations.It starts with a full timeline of the U.S. Marshals Service and has interactive exhibits, like a full replica saloon with a virtual bartender and poker trivia game, a replica of the U.S. Marshals Office in Fort Smith back in the day, and you can even take part in a simulation of the training deputy marshals go through in today’s day and age.Benjamin Johnson, the president and CEO of the museum, said the exhibits are more than what most people expect the museum to offer.”Whether you have been a supporter of the project, or you’ve been skeptical, you need to come out and see what the men and women of the Marshals Service had been up to the last 234 years,” Johnson said. “You will understand the emotional nature of this for a lot of people and that this is way more than most people are expecting. It really is a transformative opportunity for Fort Smith and the River Valley and the state of Arkansas.” Saturday’s ribbon cutting starts at 8:50 a.m. and the museum will open to the public at 9 a.m.For opening day, there will be costumed interpreters, guided tours of the exhibits and activities for the kids.”There was a thought that maybe this would be another Old West museum or just talk about the Judge Parker era and the stuff that’s most particular to Fort Smith and Arkansas and Oklahoma. This really is the entire story of American history, told through the lens of the Marshals Service,” Johnson said. “It’s the oldest federal law enforcement agency. They’ve been around since 1789. Everything in American history is one way or another touched by the Marshals Service.”The museum will be open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except for Thanksgiving, New Year’s Day, Easter and Christmas.Tickets are $13 for adults, $11 for people 65 and older, $10 for military and law enforcement veterans and $8 for kids ages six to 17.Kids under the age of six, current military and law enforcement and officials with the U.S. Marshals Service get into the museum for free.If you receive any type of government benefits, you can get into the museum for $2.50 with proof of your benefits.Click here for more information.
After 16 years, the United States Marshals Museum officially opens its doors to the public on Saturday, July 1.
Fort Smith was selected to be the home of the Marshals Museum back in 2007.
The museum has an exhibit space that is more than 18,000 square feet.
Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and the director of the nation’s oldest law enforcement agency toured the museum Thursday as part of opening celebrations.
It starts with a full timeline of the U.S. Marshals Service and has interactive exhibits, like a full replica saloon with a virtual bartender and poker trivia game, a replica of the U.S. Marshals Office in Fort Smith back in the day, and you can even take part in a simulation of the training deputy marshals go through in today’s day and age.
Benjamin Johnson, the president and CEO of the museum, said the exhibits are more than what most people expect the museum to offer.
“Whether you have been a supporter of the project, or you’ve been skeptical, you need to come out and see what the men and women of the Marshals Service had been up to the last 234 years,” Johnson said. “You will understand the emotional nature of this for a lot of people and that this is way more than most people are expecting. It really is a transformative opportunity for Fort Smith and the River Valley and the state of Arkansas.”
Saturday’s ribbon cutting starts at 8:50 a.m. and the museum will open to the public at 9 a.m.
For opening day, there will be costumed interpreters, guided tours of the exhibits and activities for the kids.
“There was a thought that maybe this would be another Old West museum or just talk about the Judge Parker era and the stuff that’s most particular to Fort Smith and Arkansas and Oklahoma. This really is the entire story of American history, told through the lens of the Marshals Service,” Johnson said. “It’s the oldest federal law enforcement agency. They’ve been around since 1789. Everything in American history is one way or another touched by the Marshals Service.”
The museum will be open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except for Thanksgiving, New Year’s Day, Easter and Christmas.
Tickets are $13 for adults, $11 for people 65 and older, $10 for military and law enforcement veterans and $8 for kids ages six to 17.
Kids under the age of six, current military and law enforcement and officials with the U.S. Marshals Service get into the museum for free.
If you receive any type of government benefits, you can get into the museum for $2.50 with proof of your benefits.
Click here for more information.
