Here at the Bauxite Museum, we keep history alive. From the town's earliest days as a mining town in the late nineteenth century to the modern day with its school district, Bauxite has a rich history that we seek to preserve.
Bauxite ore from this region was crucial to the United States’ success in the Second World War. The demand for bauxite, the raw material that yields aluminum, spiked when the U.S. entered the war in 1941 and began rapidly manufacturing large numbers of military aircraft. Mines in this area supplied over 95% of the nation’s bauxite to produce the aluminum for over 300,000 fighters, bombers, cargo planes, and passenger planes built for the war effort. The growth in local bauxite mining from less than half a million tons a year before the war to over six million tons in 1943 boosted the Arkansas economy even as it contributed to American victory overseas. With the placement of this official marker, the Arkansas250 Commission, appointed by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, recognizes this site, for the events that occurred here, as among the most significant in Arkansas history. It was chosen by the commission for the consequential role played in Arkansas history in the 250 years from the birth of American independence to the semiquincentennial celebration on July 4, 2026.
Nestled in the heart of Saline County, the town of Bauxite, Arkansas, holds a legacy as rich as the mineral for which it’s named. Established in the early 1900s as a company town for what would become ALCOA, Bauxite grew into a thriving, self-sustained community built on the mining and processing of one of the world’s most important ores—bauxite, the source of aluminum.
From the humble beginnings of ore discoveries in the 1890s to becoming home to the world’s largest alumina refining plant during World War II, Bauxite has played a pivotal role in American industrial history. The museum is housed in the historic Community Hall, affectionately known as "The Hall," once the heart of town life and still a proud symbol of its heritage.
Inside the museum, you’ll find artifacts, photographs, and personal stories that bring to life the everyday experiences of miners, their families, and the vibrant community that surrounded them. From the bustling company store and the only basketball court in the county to patriotic efforts during wartime and the rise and fall of a town built on red rock, the Bauxite Museum preserves and shares the story of a town unlike any other.
We invite you to explore the enduring legacy of Bauxite and the people who made it more than just a mining town—who made it home.