Museum of the Arkansas Grand Prairie - Stuttgart, Arkansas - Museum

The Museum of the Arkansas Grand Prairie is located at the corner of Park Avenue and Fourth Street in Stuttgart, Arkansas. It is open 8am to 4pm Tuesday to Friday and 10am to 4pm on Saturdays but the museum is closed Sunday and Monday as well as all public holidays. The museum depicts the history of agriculture and the pioneers who farmed the Grand Prairie of eastern Arkansasfrom the 1800's to 1921.

The man considered to be the founder of Stuttgart is the Rev. George Adam Buerkle, who was born near the German city of the same name. He immigrated to America in 1852 and settled in this area a few years later when he was eventually appointed post master of the post office. A large German community lived here and for many years services in the Lutheran Churches were conducted in German.

The 20,000 square foot museum has over 10,000 artifacts displayed through various exhibits depicting the rich history of the Grand Prairie. All of these artifacts were donated by descendents and pioneers, many of whom are still working on the land their ancestors farmed on many years before. Visitors can learn how the prairie pioneer farmers lived, worked and played through these various exhibits.

There are several replica outbuildings representing the early days of Stuttgart for visitors to explore including a prairie house with artifacts dating from the late 19th and early 20th century. There is also a replica of the Lutheran Church founded by the Rev. Adam Buerkle and a replica prairie house school similar to one established by a colony of Mennonites from the Midwest in the 1880s. Visitors will also be able to see a newspaper shop, firehouse and outhouse as well as old farm machinery.

One of the most popular exhibits is the Water Fowl Wing with examples of the species that frequent the Mississippi Flyway mounted and displayed for visitors to look at. Here they will also be able to listen to audio of each bird's call, as well as seeing a river bottom guide boat, a presentation of a rice field with geese and ducks feeding, and a display of Indian duck effigy pottery from AD 1100.

The museum is a non-profit organization that receives it funding from private and individual donors. Admission to the museum is free, but visitors are encouraged to make a donation with brass plates in the museum listing the contributions of donors. Anyone that provides a donation will also receive the Sodbuster, which is the official newsletter of the Museum of the Arkansas Grand Prairie.

Visitors wishing t stay near the museum overnight or perhaps longer can find a couple of places to stay within two and a half kilometers. Stuttgart Super 8 Motel and Days Inn and Suites are both located in West Michigan Street and can easily be reached within a few minutes by car. Hungry visitors can go to South Main Street where there is a restaurant called La Petite Cajun Bistro, which offers a mix of American, Cajun and Creole cuisine.