Drawing of the SultanaThe Sultana Disaster Museum tells the story of the deadliest maritime disaster in United States history and is located at 104 Washington Street in Marion, Arkansas.  It is a very nice museum, planning to grow into a larger space to better tell the story interactively and display more of their artifacts.  A donation campaign is in its final stages for the larger space.  Visit their website to learn more about the museum and the stories from the Sultana and the crew and passengers involved.

From the museum's website (www.sultanadisastermuseum.com):

The Worst Maritime Disaster in U.S. History

In the early morning hours of April 27, 1865, the steamboat Sultana exploded into a fiery blaze on the Mississippi River, eventually drifting and sinking near the Arkansas banks. At the Sultana Disaster Museum, we tell the lost stories of the disaster and those individuals who experienced it.

Sultana Disaster Museum the SultanaThe Sultana, a Civil War-era paddle-wheel steamboat, exploded and burned on the Mississippi River on April 27, 1865. Acknowledged by Congressional Resolution as the greatest maritime disaster in United States history, nearly 1,200 of the more than 2,200 passengers and crew were killed in the explosion and fire which sank the Sultana near Marion, Arkansas, across the river from Memphis, Tennessee. Designed to carry only 376 passengers plus crew, investigations revealed a litany of corrupt practices, including kickbacks, and bribes paid to high-ranking Union officers caused the overcrowding of the boat. The disaster has been overlooked in history since it was overshadowed by the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln and the search for his murderer. Events at the end of the Civil War conspired to wipe the memory of this tragic event from our national history for over 130 years. In its magnitude, the story of the Sultana is as great as that of the more famous Titanic, and yet much more intriguing.

Rendering of the new Sultana Disaster MuseumThe Future Museum

Recently, the Sultana Historic Preservation Society, Inc. acquired the 1939 Marion School Auditorium-Gymnasium for renovation as the future home of the permanent Sultana Disaster Museum. Utilizing the talents of Haizlip Studio of Memphis, TN, a team of architects, planners, and exhibit designers will work on state-of-the-art concepts to be presented in this 17,000 square foot facility. With a more accessible location, the historic building with ceilings nearing 35 feet offers ample capacity for a new, modern, high-tech museum, that will entertain and educate visitors of all ages.  It also allows us to preserve and re-purpose one of the most historical buildings in eastern Arkansas. Rendering of the new Sultana Disaster Museum and Memorial Plaza