This museum is a history and archeology museum interpreting over 12,000 years of human experience in the Arkansas River Valley of western Arkansas. The interpretation plan covers eleven counties. The Museum is currently occupying parts of two buildings on the campus of Arkansas Tech University, Tucker Hall and the Techionery. Exhibits are available in three galleries and the Museum offers a number of educational tour activities for school groups, evening lectures each year, and a March Arkansas Archeology Month open house each year. Collections now number over 110,000 items; a small research library is available on site. Upcoming projects include consolidating all collections storage to the Techionery Building museum facility, and a large exhibit to open on September 23, 2005 called "Home Front to Battle Front: WWII and the River Valley."

The Museum was formed in December 1989 by the Board of Trustees of Arkansas Tech University as part of a partnership between the University, the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest regional office, and the Arkansas Archeological Survey. The Museum curates a large archeological collection from this area for the Forest Service, and works cooperatively with the Arkansas Archeological Survey to develop educational programs about area archeology. The formation of the Museum allowed the University to begin responsible management of collections obtained by a campus history club during the 1900s, care for a fine arts collection donated to the University that contains numerous historic pieces, and serve as a repository for various campus and local region items representing University and regional history and archeology. Initially located in part of a renovated 1954 dormitory, the Museum now occupies portions of two adjacent buildings on campus. Facilities include three exhibit galleries and a Museum Store.