by Michael Tilley (mtilley@talkbusiness.net)
“Wow,” was the first response from U.S. Rep. Steve Womack, R-Rogers, following his tour Wednesday (April 12) of the U.S. Marshals Museum in Fort Smith. He said what was once considered a “pipe dream” by some will soon be a “magnificent” part of the region.
Construction of the approximately 53,000-square-feet U.S. Marshals Museum was completed — except for exhibits — in early 2020. The facility is on the Arkansas River near downtown Fort Smith. In January 2007, the U.S. Marshals Service selected Fort Smith as the site for the national museum. A ceremonial groundbreaking was held in September 2015, and museum officials initially hoped to have the facility open by late 2017, but struggles to raise enough money delayed the opening.
Exhibit work is ongoing and museum officials have said the museum will open this summer. Once open, the museum will tell the story of the United States’ oldest federal law enforcement agency, which was established by President George Washington.
