The Rogers Historical Museum is a free, family-friendly museum in historic downtown Rogers that brings Northwest Arkansas history to life. Spread across a three-building campus with an apple orchard, it pairs modern, professionally designed galleries with a hands-on children’s area and guided tours of a restored Victorian home — an easy, engaging stop for all ages, and one of the best free things to do in Rogers.
Galleries & Exhibits
The museum’s exhibits fill the Hailey Ford Building at 313 S Second Street — a former car dealership that was renovated and reopened as the museum’s expanded home in December 2019. Inside are five permanent galleries tracing the region’s story: The Natural State (geography and early settlement), Road & Rail (Rogers’ 1881 railroad founding), America’s Heartland (early-1900s life and business), White River (river communities, the Monte Ne resort, and Beaver Lake), and Our Place (recent decades). A special-use gallery hosts rotating exhibits, so there’s usually something new.
The Children’s Gallery
Kids love the hands-on Children’s Gallery, where everything is meant to be touched: a play kitchen in “Grandma’s House,” tools in “Grandpa’s Workshop,” a recreation of the local Harris Bakery where kids “bake” bread, and a slide modeled on the original spiral fire escape from Rogers High School. Over in the Key Wing Education Center, “Grandma’s Attic” adds dress-up clothes, a vintage stove, and a hand-crank washing machine. It’s a genuinely great rainy-day outing for families.
The Historic Hawkins House
Free guided tours of the Hawkins House — an 1895 brick Victorian home furnished to depict middle-class life in Northwest Arkansas around 1900–1910 — are offered by request, Tuesday through Saturday. Just ask at the front desk; the house is wheelchair accessible. Seasonal themed tours (like a holiday-decorated house at Christmas) and garden tours run at various times through the year.
Admission, Hours & Accessibility
- Admission: Free — both the galleries and the Hawkins House tour.
- Hours: Tuesday–Saturday, 10am–4pm; closed Sundays, Mondays, and City of Rogers holidays.
- Accessibility: Fully ADA accessible; the exhibit building is single-level and the Hawkins House is wheelchair accessible.
- How long: About 45 minutes to 1.5 hours for the galleries, plus 20–30 minutes for a Hawkins House tour.
Parking & What’s Nearby
Free street parking is available right in front of and beside the museum, with more lots throughout historic downtown Rogers. It’s an easy walk to the Daisy Airgun Museum and the 1927 Victory Theater, and the surrounding downtown Rogers dining district is full of local restaurants, coffee roasters, and breweries — find the current spots on our sister sites NWA Food and NWA Brew.
Location & Directions
📍 Get directions on Google Maps
- Address: 313 S Second St, Rogers, AR 72756
- Phone: (479) 621-1154
- Hours: Tuesday–Saturday, 10am–4pm
- Admission: Free
- Website: rogershistoricalmuseum.org
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Rogers Historical Museum free?
Yes — admission to both the galleries and the historic Hawkins House tour is free.
What are the museum’s hours?
Tuesday through Saturday, 10am to 4pm, in historic downtown Rogers. It’s closed Sundays, Mondays, and City of Rogers holidays.
Is it good for kids?
Yes. The hands-on Children’s Gallery has a play kitchen, a workshop, a bakery, and a fire-escape slide, plus a dress-up attic in the education wing.
Can you tour the Hawkins House?
Yes — free guided tours of the 1895 home are offered by request Tuesday through Saturday; just ask at the front desk.
More: all museums & attractions in Rogers or the full Things to Do in Rogers guide.