Museum of Native American History |
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in the Andes created mindblowing pottery ; puzzle out the meaning of the Maya people ’ s “ eccentric ” carvings ; and be amazed by how the people on the Great Plains of North America recorded their history on a bison hide or muslin canvas .
Once you step out of our galleries , which end their story in the mid-20th century , the museum store continues the journey into the present day . MONAH works with dozens of Indigenous artisans , authors and creators to highlight modern Indigenous arts . Whether you bring something home to remember your journey or not , you will always leave with inspiration !
How MONAH Began Over half a century ago , a little boy joined the Boy Scouts and found a few arrowheads for his collection . Over the years , he lost that original collection , but when he was reunited with his Scout master later in life , he started over — and the museum ’ s journey
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began . MONAH ’ s founder , David Bogle , a citizen of the Cherokee Nation , began to collect in earnest 20 years ago , and hasn ’ t stopped yet . Today , MONAH holds within its walls countless memories and more than 10,000 artifacts — including “ Tusker ,” a 12,000-year-old woolly mammoth skeleton , real and complete except one missing toe . Mr . Bogle opened the museum ’ s doors for free in 2006 as a place to see the diversity of the Americas through a new lens . Every time you visit , there is a chance our favorite collector has added something new to view !
Fun for the Family
There is something for everyone in the family to love about visiting MONAH ! Create your own quest within the galleries by searching for an image of a fawn , a display filled with dogs , a child ’ s cradle , and more . But there is also the excitement of exploration outside the galleries . At the end of your visit , grab a tool
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or two and begin the hunt for arrowheads hidden around the tipi in front of the museum . You ’ ll find real , flint-knapped , modern-made arrowheads in the rocks — and you can take one home for free . Come back to the front desk to get a Certificate of Archaeology to celebrate your first dig ! And visit MONAH online at monah . org for coloring sheets , fun with Tusker the woolly mammoth , |
and more .
The Museum of Native American History is open 11 a . m . to 5 p . m . Tuesday through Saturday — closed Thanksgiving Day , Christmas Day and New Year ’ s Day — at 202 S . W . O St . in Bentonville . Admission is always free , as is an audio tour to help you get the most out of your visit . Tusker will be waiting to say hello !
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