Local and Arkansas History and Genealogy

Bentonville Public Library is proud to house Northwest Genealogical Society and their resources at our Downtown location. Below is more information about NAGS and additional resources for local history and genealogy, in person and online. 

Local History Resources You Can Visit

Arkansas Air & Military Museum

Bella Vista Historical Museum

Benton County Historical Society

Benton County Historic Preservation Commission

Bentonville History Museum - Located across the street from the Library, Bentonville History Museum features collections, displays, education and events surrounding Bentonville's history.

Clinton Presidential Library and Museum

Daisy Airgun Museum

Decatur Museum/KC Southern Locomotive & Caboose

Glade Community Historical Society

Gravette Historical Museum

James H Berry Park

The Museum of Native American History - The Museum of Native American History provides a place where visitors can experience the diverse Indigenous cultures of the Americas through pre-historic and historic art. The facility features self-guided tours through a chronological exhibit of the native peoples of the area.

Northwest Arkansas Genealogical Society - Located in the Bentonville Public Library - Downtown, Northwest Arkansas Genealogical Society provides instruction, information, and inspiration in the development of family histories and genealogical records for the benefit of future generations. On-site resources include local papers, passenger lists, maps, family histories, and so much more. Office hours are posted to their private Facebook group which you can request to join. 

Pea Ridge National Military Park 

The Peel Museum & Botanical Garden

Rogers Historical Museum 

Shiloh Museum of Ozark History - The Shiloh Museum of Ozark History is a regional history museum focusing on the Northwest Arkansas Ozarks. Along with exhibits, you can explore six historic buildings on the museum grounds. They also have a research library with a collection of over 500,000 photographs of Ozark life.

Siloam Springs Historical Museum

Sulphur Springs Community Museum

The Walmart Museum

Local and Arkansas History Online Resources

Arkansas State Archives -  Arkansas State Archives resource guides highlight popular research topics and related materials held by the Arkansas State Archives. These are not meant to be comprehensive guides, but to provide starting points for research. 

Encyclopedia of Arkansas - The CALS Encyclopedia of Arkansas offers a definitive, comprehensive, and accurate record of America’s twenty-fifth state. 

The Museum of Native American History - MONAH offers online resources to better understand the culture and history of local native peoples, including educational resources, storytelling series, recommended activities, interviews, and more.

Northwest Arkansas Genealogical Society - Online resources include local indexes dating back to before the Civil War, including records on deeds, burials, marriages, and more. Access the resources through the dropdown under Resources in their menu.

Shiloh Museum of Ozark History - These collections document the history of the Arkansas Ozarks in Benton, Boone, Carroll, Madison, Newton, and Washington counties and include manuscripts, objects, oral histories, photographs, and a library of documents, history, and narratives. 

Vintage Bentonville - Vintage Bentonville collects, preserves, conserves, displays, and interprets artifacts as well as oral and visual history of the Bentonville community, with the goal to preserve past and present history for the future, and to keep our history accessible and fun to the community. Their online collection features information about Bentonville businesses, churches, people, railroads, yearbooks, and much, much more.