Next Frontier

U.S. Marshals Museum honors past, plans for future

The U.S. Marshals Museum’s first exhibit isn’t inside. It’s the building itself.

Gleaming along the Arkansas River in Fort Smith, the museum’s striking architecture could easily be mistaken for a contemporary art museum. Its modern glass walls and bold, angular design give little indication that inside is the story of America’s oldest federal law enforcement agency.

Look closer, though. The building’s distinctive shape echoes the star badge worn by U.S. marshals. It’s a fitting tribute to the agency, established Sept. 24, 1789, when President George Washington signed the Judiciary Act into law. Just beyond the lobby, the Hall of Honor bears the engraved names of U.S. marshals, deputy marshals and special deputy marshals who died in the line of duty. Overhead, three words capture the ideals of the service they gave their lives to uphold: “Justice. Integrity. Service.”

As the U.S. Marshals Service marks another anniversary this month, the only museum dedicated to its history is entering its own next frontier. Three years after opening its doors, its focus has shifted from establishing the museum to ensuring its future.

The Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas are helping advance that mission. President and CEO Vernon “Buddy” Hasten says the cooperatives are proud to be among the museum’s sponsors and have a gallery that will bear the cooperatives’ name. The gallery, “To Be a Marshal,” features a digital U.S. Constitution and a timeline tracing the agency’s history from its founding to the present day.

“We are honored to invest in a nationally significant institution that honors the legacy of the U.S. Marshals Service while preserving history, expanding educational opportunities and strengthening Arkansas through tourism and economic development,” Hasten says.

Museum President and CEO Ben Johnson also has a cooperative connection. A Van Buren resident, he is an Arkansas Valley Electric Cooperative member.

“Our partnership with the co-ops has been great,” Johnson says. “The commitment of the cooperatives will help us continue to tell America’s story accurately and authentically for decades to come.”

Beyond the badge

Fort Smith was selected as the museum’s home in 2007, beginning a 16-year effort. Johnson arrived in August 2022, less than a year before opening day.

“We got her open,” he says. “It wasn’t easy, but we got her open in July of 2023.”

Establishing a national-caliber museum in a city the size of Fort Smith came with uncertainty. Johnson says the team didn’t know what attendance or community engagement would look like in a destination that is “not Dallas or New York City or Washington, D.C.”

But three years later, Johnson says the museum has been “extremely well-received.”

During a July news conference at the museum, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin praised the institution as a cultural asset for the state.

“This museum, every time I come here, exceeds my expectations,” Griffin says. “You start going back there, and it will blow your mind. You’ve got a real treasure here.”

Johnson says he hears similar reactions from visitors. “It is more than you expect it to be,” he says. “Almost everybody who I can get to come into the building and experience the galleries … has said, ‘OK, I get it now. This is actually pretty cool.’”

Rather than focusing on a single era of law enforcement, the
museum traces more than two centuries of American history. Interactive exhibits explore everything from Bass Reeves and frontier justice to school integration, civil rights, witness protection and modern fugitive investigations.

“This is a fully digital, immersive story of America from 1789 to the present day,” Johnson says. “It’s told through the lens of the Marshals Service, but it really is a very broad, interesting and engaging experience.”

Justice for generations

Sustaining that experience requires ensuring the museum’s long-term success.

As an independent nonprofit, the museum receives no government operating funds. A New Frontier of Giving campaign has been launched to create a permanent endowment supporting operations, exhibits and educational programming. Those interested in donating or learning more can visit marshalsmuseum.org/a-new-frontier-of-giving.

An anonymous donor has pledged to match every dollar contributed, up to $12 million, creating the opportunity for a $24 million endowment by the end of 2026. The effort received a significant boost when Griffin announced an additional $1 million contribution. The campaign had reached approximately $8 million.

“It’s a local attraction. It’s a county attraction. It’s a state attraction. It’s a national attraction,” Griffin says. “It’s an international-level facility.”

Johnson says support comes in many forms, from memberships and donations to simply encouraging others to visit.

To give visitors reasons to return, the museum rotates exhibits in its temporary gallery several times a year and offers programming for adults and children. One of its most popular offerings is a true crime speaker series featuring law enforcement officials, authors, podcasters, filmmakers and family members connected to notable cases.

“We’re trying to provide some value for people, some entertainment and education value,” Johnson says. “That’s definitely an area of focus for us — to keep it fresh, keep new people coming in and try to get people out of the house and off the screens for a couple of hours.”

The museum also celebrates the Marshals Service each year with Founders’ Day. This year’s event will take place Oct. 24 to coincide with a Razorback football bye week.

Rather than a traditional gala, Johnson says the annual event is designed as “a fun opportunity … to get together to celebrate the Marshals Service,” where guests can “wander through the galleries” and enjoy the view. Tickets were still available at press time.

For Arkansans who have been meaning to visit but haven’t yet made the drive to Fort Smith, Johnson offers a simple promise.

“It’s worth the effort,” he says.