Blytheville Air Force Base Exhibition & Northeast Arkansas Museums
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About Blytheville Air Force Base
The former Blytheville Air Force Base played a powerful role in defense from its beginning as a WWII Army Airfield through its1992 closure. The base now stands as a reminder that Northeast Arkansas was on the front lines of the Cold War, including the Vietnam War, and remained active through later conflicts such as Operation Desert Storm.
As a major Strategic Air Command facility, the base was reportedly number five on the Soviet target list during the Cold War, and B-52 crews stood at the ready for nuclear response missions. Today, an exhibition preserves this period through artifacts, photographs and personal accounts from the people who lived and worked here.
BAFB Exhibition
The Blytheville Air Force Base (BAFB) Exhibition preserves the powerful legacy of the base and the role it played in the Cold War. The BAFB exhibition lets visitors get a glimpse of what life was like on the base during this pivotal era, with original furniture from the high-alert compound on display, as well as uniforms worn by servicemen, military memorabilia and a tribute to General Ira C. Eaker, whose name the base carried during its final years of operation as Eaker Air Force Base.
Additional Exhibits
Current and recent exhibitions explore Cold War topics from the Apollo 11 mission and America’s space race ambitions to Senator J.W. Fulbright’s Arkansas roots and the role of arts and culture during Cold War diplomacy. The Memorial Room, a permanent exhibit, remains one of the most powerful stops in the museum, sharing personal stories from soldiers who survived combat and honoring those who lost their lives, including firsthand accounts connected to the infamous Hanoi Hilton prisoner of war camp.
The Upcoming National Cold War Center
The National Cold War Center, currently in development in Blytheville, is set to become a world-class facility that will be the nation's official Cold War museum. Organizers continue fundraising and planning efforts while actively creating new exhibitions, like the upcoming Berlin Wall Collection, compiling oral histories, restoring original materials and preserving artifacts tied to one of the most defining periods in modern history.
Other Northeast Arkansas Museums to See
The National Cold War Center is also a founding member of the Northeast Arkansas (NEAR) Museum coalition, making Blytheville the perfect jumping-off point for a road trip through the region’s rich heritage. Once you have explored the air base flight line, use Blytheville as your basecamp to see the rest of the NEAR circuit.
From Native American archeology to the Civil War to Johnny Cash, museums in Northeast Arkansas span all sorts of topics and time periods. While you're here, don't miss a chance to tour these fun, sometimes quirky, always informative museums.
- Delta Gateway Museum: Located in a historic former department store, this museum tells the story of the Delta’s transformation from swampland into a center of agriculture, transportation and steel production.
- Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and Educational Center: Visit Piggott to see the barn studio where Ernest Hemingway wrote portions of A Farewell to Arms while visiting his wife Pauline’s family.
- Matilda and Karl Pfeiffer Museum & Study Center: Explore a beautifully preserved Tudor Revival estate featuring rare minerals, native gardens and connections to regional film history.
- Historic Dyess Colony: Johnny Cash Boyhood Home: See where the “Man in Black” grew up on a New Deal-era farmstead that helped shape his music and storytelling.
- Southern Tenant Farmers Museum: Learn about the interracial labor movement in Tyronza that fought for the rights of sharecroppers and tenant farmers during the Great Depression.
- Sultana Disaster Museum: Uncover the tragic story of the deadliest maritime disaster in United States history, which unfolded on the Mississippi River in 1865.
- Hampson Archeological Museum State Park: View a remarkable collection of artifacts from the Nodena people, a sophisticated Mississippian culture that lived in Northeast Arkansas centuries ago.
- Museum Lepanto USA / A Painted House: Get a glimpse of early life in the Arkansas Delta and visit the film set inspired by John Grisham’s A Painted House.
Where Northeast Arkansas History Comes Together
From the high-stakes tension of the Cold War to the humble roots of music legends, a trip through Northeast Arkansas offers a chance to explore the people, places and events that helped shape American history. Spend a day at Blytheville AFB, find literary landmarks, hear Delta stories, and discover archaeological treasures all in the same trip. Along the way, settle in with classic Delta restaurants, small-town hospitality and comfortable lodging that make Blytheville an easy and welcoming home base for the journey.
