ROGERS (KFSM) — The Rogers Historical Museum held a ribbon cutting Thursday (Dec. 13) to celebrate its reopening after two years of renovations to the building that would become its new home.
From a hands-on children’s gallery that shows the early days of Rogers to an exhibit on the history of Beaver Lake, there’s a little something at the museum for everyone to enjoy.
The museum not only displays Rogers' history but also preserves it. The museum and city have revamped the former Hailey Ford building across the street at Second and Cherry streets downtown.
The building was built in the late 1940s as a car dealership, and it was sold and remodeled in the 1960s to house the Rogers Morning News. The city and the museum had the opportunity to restore the building to the original exterior.
Newt Hailey’s daughter came from Springfield to see the building transformed back to how it looked when she was a little girl.
“It’s exciting for me to come back to Rogers and see it look the way it did 50 years ago,” said JoBelle Hailey Hopper. “It’s very exciting. I’ve had fun walking through, and here’s an example of a tractor my dad used to sell, and it’s just a nice warm feeling. I grew up here playing with my dolls in this building, and it’s just so neat it’s being redone. I’m just so thankful.”
The museum will continue to use its old building across the street.
The museum is free to the public and open Monday through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.