Open house
Everyone is invited to our annual open house, scheduled from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 25. Local businesses are donating lots of door prizes, and refreshments will be served. The entire museum will be open for touring, so please mark the date on your calendar now and come and join us.
Fay Jones exhibit
Be sure to stop in and see our Fay Jones exhibit, on loan from the Old Statehouse Museum in Little Rock. A recent visit from members of the Historical Society of Cherokee Village, which was the first retirement village that Mr. Cooper opened in 1954, revealed that Fay Jones did work for Cooper in Cherokee Village before being asked to come to Bella Vista and design the Bella Vista Country Club which opened in November 1968. Among other projects, Fay Jones also designed the Cooper Chapel, which was opened in 1988, and a private residence in Bella Vista. Our exhibits highlight all of these projects in Bella Vista.
Gift shop
The Bella Vista Historical Museum gift shop is the only place in Bella Vista to buy Bella Vista souvenirs other than the golf souvenirs at the golf pro shops. Since we are all volunteer operated, all profits go back to the museum, so please stop by and look at our wide selection of available merchandise. Our top seller remains the Cooper Chapel jigsaw puzzle, but we have lots of other items also. If you have something you would like to donate for us to sell in our gift shop, stop by the museum and let us know.
Tours and programs available
Private tours of the museum and programs about the history of Bella Vista are available outside of normal open hours for church groups, students, civic clubs, businesses, etc. To arrange for an event, please leave a message at the museum, 479-855-2335, or contact Xyta Lucas at 479-876-6118.
Hours of operation
The Historical Museum is located at the corner of U.S. Highway 71 and Kingsland Road and is open from 1 to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays. Information: 479-855-2335.
Community on 09/19/2018