National U.S. Marshals Museum      

After two-year study by The U.S. Marshals Service,  Fort Smith, Arkansas, has  been selected as the host city for the Agency's new museum. Director John F. Clark made the announcement on January 4, 2007 after receiving recommendations from a 10-person museum committee that has been studying the issue for the past two years.  Read More

With the forthcoming United States Marshals Museum in Fort Smith, Arkansas, there have been many questions as to what might be included as exhibits. In determining this, see a composite of photographs from our previous exhibit, which highlight some of the artifacts and case work. The place and time of each photograph varies, but all were taken between late 1988, when the tour began, through early 2003.

Prior History

Laramie, Wyoming was the home of the National United States Marshals Museum formerly known as the "America's Star" traveling exhibit , to commemorate its 200 year history,   It traveled to 13 different cities in the United States for  2 1/2 years. 

When the bicentennial celebration came to a close in 1991, the United States Marshal Service was looking for a permanent home for the exhibit and other items and artifacts. A committee was formed to explore the possibilities. There were several cities that expressed interested in hosting the museum: Washington D.C., Nashville, TN., St. Louis, MO., Ft. Smith, AR. and Laramie, WY. 

The museum was located in Laramie, Wyoming, in the lower level of the Wyoming Territorial Park's Horse barn theater.  The museum featured an impressive array of artifacts, some of them dating back nearly 212 years. One of the more popular displays was "The Gunman:" Romance and Reality" which showcased  Hollywood's perception of the West through a series of short clips of Western movies. Artifacts from the other displays included a large collection of U.S. Marshal badges, arrest warrants of notorious outlaws and a stunning collection of seized jewelry by the U.S. Marshals.

As of January 2003 the museum was closed and was placed in storage.  The U.S. Marshals Service began the process of finding a new site.