Museum | ClarkCountyARHistory

Museum Location and Hours

The Clark County Historical Museum is located at 750 South 5th Street in Arkadelphia, Arkansas.

The museum is open every Wednesday to Friday from10 a.m. - 3 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. - noon.

Admission is free. Monetary donations are welcomed.

A message from the Clark County Historical Museum: We feel it is our responsibility to do our part during the COVID-19 pandemic. For that reason we are temporarily closed. We are grateful for our community and look forward when we can come together again at the Museum.

For more information about how to protect yourself and your loved ones visit www.cdc.gov

The Clark County Historical Museum founded in October 2003, is located in the Missouri Pacific Train Depot in Arkadelphia. The museum is dedicated to the discovery, preservation, and presentation of the rich and diverse history of the county. As one of the five original counties comprising the Arkansas Territory in 1818, Clark County has provided a home for diverse people, businesses, and educational institutions. The mission of the Clark County Historical Museum is to be the “keeper of stories” for our county and our people.

Permanent exhibits at the museum include memorabilia, photographs, and artifacts from the Caddo Indians to the current citizens of Clark County. Among the prehistoric artifacts on display is the partial skeleton of a wooden dugout canoe which, according to carbon dating, is over one thousand years old. There are exhibits highlighting the early Clark County pioneer settlers; the military service of soldiers in the Civil War and World Wars; and the historical business establishments and educational institutions that have called this county home. There is also a room at the museum where visitors can conduct family history research.

Permanent Exhibits

Furnishings for the 1899 Clark County Courthouse were donated during the courthouse 1970s renovation.
John Hemphill secured salt wells from the Native Americans around 1811. He then opened a salt factory which continued for nearly fifty years. John Hemphill is known as Arkansas' first industrialist.
Clark County's first people, the Caddo Indians, left many items behind that were used in their daily lives.