Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources in Arkansas, USA - map and visitor information

Research checked: 2026-10-23. Check linked official notices before travel.

The Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources in Smackover explains southern Arkansas's petroleum and brine industries. Combine the indoor boomtown exhibits with the outdoor Oil Field Park. This Arkansas State Parks museum focuses on industrial history and geology, so plan for exhibits and machinery rather than a conventional camping park.

Museum highlights

• A recreated boomtown street introduces the oil-rush era through a jail, café, vintage trucks, and fuel pumps.
• The Oil Field Park displays operating equipment, including a replica 112-foot derrick.
• A short film and exhibits explain oil formation and drilling.

Plan your museum visit

Fees, hours, and seasonal access

Confirm holiday exceptions or special-event hours with the museum before traveling.

Visit responsibly

Keep food and drinks in the designated snack, courtyard, or picnic areas.

Groups and programs

Contact the museum interpreter to arrange a group visit or educational program. Meeting rooms and an outdoor group area are available by arrangement.

Location and arrival

Use 4087 Smackover Highway, Smackover, AR 71762. The museum is on Arkansas Highway 7 south of Smackover.

Nearby parks by road

South Arkansas Arboretum is in El Dorado at 1506 Mount Holly Road. Logoly State Park is near Magnolia at 131 Columbia Road 459. Both are separate road-accessible stops in southern Arkansas.

Explore the oil-field story

Visit the indoor galleries for the human story of the boom. Follow the Woodland Walk to see full-size equipment outside. The museum brochure explains these exhibits and the role of bromine extracted from brine.

Visitor facilities

Facilities include a museum store and picnic area. The exhibit center and Oil Field Park provide wheelchair access. Ask staff about specific access needs before arranging a group.

About the museum

The southern Arkansas oil boom

The Busey No. 1 discovery near El Dorado in January 1921 and Richardson No. 1 discovery near Smackover in July 1922 transformed the region. The museum connects those events to the machinery and communities that followed.

Contact the museum

Call 870-725-2877 or email [email protected]. Use the official museum profile for current hours, programs, and group facilities.