Welcome to the
HARLIN MUSEUM
* NOTICE*
In accordance with current state and county stay-at-home orders issued by the Department of Health concerning the coronavirus pandemic, the museum is currently closed as of March 18, 2020, until further notice.
The Harlin Museum is dedicated to the preservation of the Ozarks’ rich cultural heritage and to the patronage of our innovative present-day regional art scene.
We house items of cultural and historical interest significant to the area known as the Ozarks, which is located in the topographical region of the North American United States known as the Ozark Plateau. We also host a variety of competitive art shows, special historical exhibits, artisan workshops, and community events throughout the calendar year.
The Harlin Museum is located in West Plains, Missouri, a town in central southern Missouri known for its small-town charm, Historic Courthouse Square district, the nearby Ozark National Scenic Riverways, and the Mark Twain National Forest park system.
The museum’s collection includes:
- the Lennis L. Broadfoot collection; the most complete collection of art by the accomplished Shannon County, MO artist. Broadfoot is best known as the artist who immortalized the often enigmatic people, places, and traditions of the turn-of-the-century Ozarks region, in multiple mediums, while also offering a first-hand narrative in the writings that frequently accompanied his works.
- artifacts of the area’s early settlers including a buckboard wagon w/ original harnesses and saddles sold at the Aid’s Hardware on West Plains’ Historic Downtown Square,
- items significant to the area’s original Native American tribes
- military artifacts from WWI & the American Civil War; art depicting local skirmishes & photographs of local militia units
- objects that survived the mysterious & tragic West Plains Dance Hall Explosion of 1928 and original newspaper coverage of the event
- displays honoring area celebrities such as Missouri Sports Hall of Fame baseball player Preacher Roe, Country Music Hall of Fame’s singer/songwriter Porter Wagoner, and Grand Ole Opry star Jan Howard
2020 Calendar of Hathcock Gallery Shows:
January 23 – February 9: Harlin Museum’s 2020 Quilting & Textile Arts Competition Show
February 13 – March 1: Harlin Museum’s 2020 High School Art Show Competition/Young Artist Showcase
March 5 – March 29: Harlin Museum’s 2020 Digital Art Show Competition (Entry Dates: February 28 & 29)
April 2 – April 26: Harlin Museum’s 2020 Spring Art Show Competition (Entry Dates: March 27 & 28)
April 30 – May 24: Harlin Museum’s 2020 Photography Show Competition (Entry Dates: TBD; formerly April 24 & 25)
May 28 – June 28: Ozark Heritage Show featuring L.L. Broadfoot Collection Exhibit
July 2 – August 2: West Plains Gazette Exhibit: A Legendary Tribute to A Beloved Hometown
August 6 – August 30: Welcome to the Wilderness: The History of Hunting, Fishing and Trapping in the Ozarks
September 3 – September 27: ”Filtered Observations: The Works of John P. Lasater IV“
October 1 – October 25: Harlin Museum’s 45th Annual Fall Art Show Competition (Entry Dates: Sept. 25 & 26)
October 29 – November 22: A Solo Photography Show by Carr Ward
December 3 – January 3: TBD
Take a look at our MUSEUM NEWS page for the most recent goings-on at the museum. Stop by the museum to browse items in our museum gift shop, including unique art, books, jewelry, & stationary gifts or souvenirs. The gift shop area is located on the ground floor of the Hathcock Gallery. And, remember, we also sell art! Competition show pieces listed for sale benefit both the artist and the museum, which keeps a small percentage of it’s artists’ sales for museum maintenance and operation. The museum is a non-profit entity supported entirely by public donations and the sale of artist wares. If you would like to donate to the museum, please contact the docent desk at (417) 256-7801. Group tours are welcome; please contact the museum for more info.
#DiscoverYourOzarks #HarlinMuseum
You can also follow our Facebook Page for up-to-date museum info and art news at: https://www.facebook.com/HarlinMuseumWP/
The Hathcock Gallery addition was named after longtime museum board member & president, Roy Hathcock.
You can find the museum just off the historic downtown square on Worcester Ave., one of West Plains oldest streets.