Museum open July 4
We will be participating in the 10 a.m. July 4 parade at Sugar Creek Center, and will then be open for the afternoon from 1 to 5 p.m, so please come join us.
Bella Vista Civil War Roundtable
The next Bella Vista Civil War Roundtable will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 11. The guest speaker will be Dale Phillips, who was with the National Park Service for 41 years. He was posted in New Orleans for 10 years and has developed a four-part series of talks on New Orleans in the Civil War. This first part will encompass the early Civil War when the Union captured this vital city. Phillips will cover the remaining three parts at future meetings next year. The roundtable is open to the public, with free admission, and requires only an interest in the American Civil War.
Old Time Movies
Our next Old Time Movie afternoon will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, July 21, when we'll be showing two Laurel & Hardy movies, Berth Marks (1929) and One Good Turn (1931). After an intermission, there will be Shiverin' Shakespeare (1930), an Our Gang comedy. All of these movies will be shown on an original 1940's Bell & Howell 16 mm film projector and sound system, courtesy of our docents Bill and Mary Jane Cole. Admission is free.
Docents needed
The museum needs additional docents to serve one or two afternoons per month from 1 to 5 p.m. We are looking for men and women who enjoy learning about local history and like interacting with others. Training is provided. If you would like to apply, please leave a message at the museum or call Xyta Lucas at 479-876-6118 to schedule an interview.
Sunset Hotel model
If you haven't visited our museum in the past year to see our Sunset Hotel model, now is the time to see it on its new base. There is so much history with this building, originally built in the late 1920s and opened in 1929. It hosted many guests, including Harry Truman and his family in 1932. The Linebarger brothers continued to operate it until they sold it to E.L. Keith in 1952; he eventually leased it to a Baptist minister, who opened a private Baptist high school in the building for about five years in the 1950s. Tex Newman and Audrey Robbins re-opened it as a hotel in the 1960-63 timeframe before John Cooper bought it in 1963 and converted it to his corporate headquarters, with the new name of Village Hall.
Gift shop
Our gift shop continues to be a popular stop with its Bella Vista souvenirs, as well as other merchandise donated by museum supporters as a fundraiser for the museum. Please stop by and check it out.
Hours of operation
The Historical Museum is located at the corner of U.S. 71 and Kingsland Road, next door to the American Legion, and is open from 1 to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. The phone number is 479-855-2335. The website address is bellavistamuseum.org.
Community on 07/03/2019