25 Things to Do in Rogers #1: Visit Rogers Historical Museum

To kick off the 25 Things to Do in Rogers series, let's start with the Rogers Historical Museum (RHM). The museum's mission is to enrich lives through education, experience and exploration of Rogers' heritage. This family-friendly museum is full of hands-on displays for kids and adults to learn about the history of Rogers. RHM is a perfect outing for cold, rainy, snowy, and/or hot day.

 

The RHM is now a campus of three buildings and an apple orchard all located in Historic Downtown Rogers. The Hailey Ford Building is the home of all exhibits, a special use gallery, administrative offices, and an exhibit workshop. The Key Wing and Hawkins House remain in tact for visitors to explore as well. The Key Wing is now a dedicated education space for groups and the Hawkins House provides guided tours offering a glimpse of life in Northwest Arkansas from 1900 to 1910. Greenspace located behind the Key Wing features an apple orchard.

Hailey Building

Five brand new galleries explore the history of Northwest Arkansas of how the land was settled by pioneers. Take a self guided tour through the Natural State, Road & Rail, America's Heartland, White River, and Our Place to learn more about the history of Rogers and Northwest Arkansas as we go through time to the beginning of urbanization.
 

Children's Gallery

Geared towards the younger visitors, the Children's Gallery provides hands-on experiences from the past. Children will be able to explore "Grandma's House", "Grandpa's Workshop", the Harris Bakery, and a recreation of the fire escape at the original Rogers High School.
 

Hawkins House

Take a guided tour through the middle class Victorian home located across the street from the Hailey Building. The home has been restored to early 1900s time period complete with furnishings displayed so that it seems the Hawkins family still lives there.

Key Wing

The Key Wing galleries are dedicated to educating through touch allowing children to dress up, 'cook' on a vintage stove, use a vintage typewriter, and more. You can take a stroll along First Street in its earliest days to see how businesses use to look. These galleries are available when not in use by a school group.

The Caboose

The Caboose is located in Frisco Park just two blocks from RHM. The caboose allows guests to experience the railroad history of Rogers. Contact the museum to request the caboose to be unlocked.

Temporary Exhibits

RHM displays short term exhibits in the Hailey Building and the Trammel Gallery. These change frequently so be sure to check out their event pages to see what great exhibit is there now!

Hours and Location

The museum is located at 313 S. Second Street, Rogers, AR 72756 and is open from Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 4pm.  For any questions, please contact the museum at (479) 621-1154.