"We are wired for storytelling. It's why we love movies and books and YouTube and all these kinds of things, because we all love stories, and we connect to them in some way."

       – Angie Albright

In this episode of I Am Northwest Arkansas®, host Randy Wilburn sits down with Angie Albright, director of the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History in Springdale.

Angie's path from an Iowa farm to leading one of Northwest Arkansas's oldest museums tells its own story about what draws people to this region. Under her leadership, the Shiloh Museum has become more than a repository of artifacts—it's a living community space where the past meets the present, and where everyone's story matters.

The museum brings Ozark history to life through school field trips, heritage preservation projects, and welcoming spaces like "The Front Porch" that invite people in. Angie talks about how they decide what stories to tell, why collecting diverse voices is essential, and how they're evolving to serve Northwest Arkansas's changing population.

Whether you've lived here for generations or just arrived, the Shiloh Museum offers a way to understand the threads that connect us all—and why this place feels like home to so many.

Key Takeaways:

• The Shiloh Museum is a living, evolving community space, not just a place for “old things.”
• Connecting with history helps both kids and adults see how the region—and their own families—fits into the bigger story of the Ozarks.
• The museum covers six Arkansas counties and partners with schools to open history’s doors to over 20,000 students each year.
• They are working to include the stories of all communities, including Spanish-speaking, Marshallese, and African American residents, through events and collecting oral histories, photos, and artifacts.
• Preservation and innovation go hand-in-hand—from saving old log cabins to making exhibits accessible in many languages.
• Most museums only display a fraction of their collection; digitization gives the public more access to stories and artifacts than ever before.
• You are welcome at the Shiloh Museum—there’s always something new to learn, and it’s always free to visit!
• The upcoming U.S. 250th anniversary (in 2026) will be a time for the whole community to reflect on our shared journey and future.

All this and more on this episode of the I Am Northwest Arkansas® podcast.

• Shiloh Museum of Ozark History – Website: shilohmuseum.org
• Visit in person! 118 W. Johnson Ave, Springdale, AR 72764 (Open Monday–Saturday, 10am–5pm, always free!)
• Shiloh Museum on Instagram
• Shiloh Museum on Facebook
• Shiloh Museum Online Collections Database: Collections Portal
• Front Porch Project: community-built outdoor gathering space at the museum
• Ozark Voices Project: collecting and sharing diverse community stories
• Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
• Fayetteville Public Library’s genealogy collection
• Brene Brown & Joseph Campbell (mentioned during the discussion on storytelling)
• Project for Public Spaces & Walton Family Foundation (supported museum grounds project)
• Preserve Arkansas (awarded museum for preservation education)

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