U.S. Marshals Museum opening July 1 in Fort Smith

Robert Medley, Fort Smith Times Record
·2 min read

The date has finally been announced.

After 16 years of fundraising, design, construction and finally, the installation of exhibits., the U.S. Marshals Museum will open July 1 in Fort Smith.

A group of volunteers, staff, community leaders and elected officials from across Arkansas and the country have helped make the museum possible.

The museum is about 53,000 square feet and was completed in 2020.

Doug Babb, chair of the museum board, said it's a big boost to the state.

"To say we’re excited would be a vast understatement,” Babb stated. “It’s truly gratifying to see the work of so many different people who have dedicated their time and resources to (see) this effort come to fruition. This will be a jewel for Fort Smith, the state of Arkansas and the country.”

The U.S. Marshals Museum in Fort Smith will open July 1, 2023.
The U.S. Marshals Museum in Fort Smith will open July 1, 2023.

The museum exterior is shaped like a star, a symbol of the star badge worn by U.S. Marshals.

Inside the museum there are five "immersive" galleries that "educate guests about the critical, ever-evolving role the Marshals have played in upholding the Rule of Law, driven by justice, integrity and service.

The galleries are titled "To Be A Marshal," "The Campfire: Stories Under The Stars," "Frontier Marshals," and "A Changing Nation and Modern Marshals."

An artist's rendering shows what exhibits will look like at the new U.S. Marshals Museum that will open July 1, 2023 in Fort Smith
An artist's rendering shows what exhibits will look like at the new U.S. Marshals Museum that will open July 1, 2023 in Fort Smith

Also, the museum’s National Learning Center will combine the experience with educational programming focused on the United States Constitution, the Rule of Law and civic literacy.

There are tributes to 350 marshals killed in the line of duty since 1789 in the Samuel M. Sicard Hall of Honor.

I’m so excited to have the chance to lead this amazing group of people who have worked so diligently to reach this point,” Benjamin Johnson, museum president and CEO said in a news release. “The Museum will inspire Americans across the country—both now and for future generations—to live with the core values of the U.S. Marshals Service; justice, integrity, and service. Now it’s time to welcome the world through our doors."

More: U.S. Marshals Museum names new president and CEO

More: Exhibits bring U.S. Marshals Museum to life in Fort Smith

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Fort Smith U.S. Marshals Museum to open this summer