US Marshals Museum

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Marshals Museum exec discusses visitor numbers, outreach efforts

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by Tina Alvey Dale (tdale@talkbusiness.net)

Attendance at the U.S. Marshals Museum is averaging a little over 5,000 per month for its first seven months of operation, and museum officials are expanding the outreach, which includes an event in Little Rock.

The museum opened on July 1 after 16 years of fundraising, construction and speculation. In January 2007, the U.S. Marshals Service selected Fort Smith as the site for the national museum. The Robbie Westphal family, led by Bennie Westphal and Robin Westphal Clegg, donated the riverfront land for the museum. A ceremonial groundbreaking was held in September 2015.

Museum officials initially hoped to have the facility open by late 2017, but struggles to raise money delayed the opening. Construction of the approximately 53,000-square-foot U.S. Marshals Museum was completed — except for exhibits — in early 2020.

Marshals Museum exec discusses visitor numbers, outreach efforts

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‘Almost’ 10,000 visit U.S. Marshals Museum in its first month

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by Tina Alvey Dale (tdale@talkbusiness.net)

Visitors came by the thousands to see the U.S. Marshals Museum on the riverfront in Fort Smith during its inaugural month. Hannah Green, marketing coordinator, said the museum saw about 10,000 visitors in the month of July.

The museum opened July 1 after 16 years of fundraising, construction and speculation. In January 2007, the U.S. Marshals Service selected Fort Smith as the site for the national museum. The Robbie Westphal family, led by Bennie Westphal and Robin Westphal Clegg, donated the riverfront land for the museum. A ceremonial groundbreaking was held in September 2015. Museum officials initially hoped to have the facility open by late 2017, but struggles to raise money delayed the opening. Construction of the approximately 53,000-square-foot U.S. Marshals Museum was completed — except for exhibits — in early 2020.

According to a 2018 study, the museum could see around 125,000 visitors a year. The Arkansas Economic Development Institute, using information from the study, estimated the museum and related tourist expenditures would have a total annual impact on Sebastian County of $13 million to $22 million. With 10,000 visitors in its first month, the estimates are not too far off the 2018 study.

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/08/almost-10000-visit-u-s-marshals-museum-in-its-first-month/

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Rep. Womack tours U.S. Marshals Museum, says it will have ‘amazing impact’

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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.

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/04/rep-womack-tours-u-s-marshals-museum-says-it-will-have-amazing-impact/

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U.S. Marshals Museum begins to hire workers ahead of summer opening

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by Tina Alvey Dale (tdale@talkbusiness.net)

With a summer opening still on the horizon and an estimated $3 million needed for construction and operational needs, the Fort Smith-based U.S. Marshals Museum is starting the drive to hire employees who will be needed once the doors open to the public.

Museum staff posted a job announcement for a facility sales manager on social media and employment sites like Linkedin on Thursday (Jan. 26). Museum President and CEO Ben Johnson said more employment announcements will be posted in the coming days and weeks as museum administration seeks to fill positions before the museum opens in the summer. The museum employs eight, Johnson said. That number is expected to grow to 20 or more when it is time to open the doors.

“It depends on the interest and applicants we get. It depends on whether we have enough full-time or whether we will need to fill with part-time (employees),” Johnson said.

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/01/u-s-marshals-museum-begins-to-hire-workers-ahead-of-summer-opening/

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U.S. Marshals Museum on track to open in summer 2023

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by Tina Alvey Dale (tdale@talkbusiness.net)

The contractor and design team have met and surveyed the exhibit space at the U.S. Marshals Museum, and work on preparing the space for all the museum experiences will begin later this month, according to the new president and CEO of the museum.

Ben Johnson, who took over as the new president and CEO of the museum in August, said Thursday (Oct. 6) that things are on track for the museum to open in summer of 2023, “as long as there are no national or international issues” to slow down things.

Representatives from Little Rock-based CDI Contractors, the general contractors for the museum building, and from Los Angeles-based Thinkwell Group, the contractors for the exhibits (or experiences), met in September to look at the space where the experiences will be housed, Johnson said.

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/10/u-s-marshals-museum-on-track-to-open-in-summer-2023/

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U.S. Marshals Museum CEO resigns, national search to begin

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Patrick Weeks, who faces two felony charges of aggravated assault with a firearm, has resigned as president and CEO of the U.S. Marshals Museum. Museum Board Chair Doug Babb said Friday a national search will begin for the position.

“We are most grateful to Patrick for his valuable contributions to the museum project. He oversaw the construction of the museum building and worked with Thinkwell Group to design all of the museum experiences which will soon be under construction,” Babb said in a press release.

Weeks, hired in June 2014 as museum president and CEO, succeeded Jim Dunn who had served as museum president since 2009. Weeks was arrested Dec. 21 on two felony charges of aggravated assault with a firearm and was placed on administrative leave Dec. 23 by the museum board.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2022-03-06/u-s-marshals-museum-ceo-resigns-national-search-to-begin

U.S. Marshals Museum

The U.S. Marshals Museum under construction in Fort Smith