Wings Of Change: How Drake Field Shaped Northwest Arkansas
Class | Registration opens Tuesday, August 19, 2025 10:00 AM
Discover the untold story behind the transformation of Drake Field and its powerful influence on the development of Northwest Arkansas. Join AAM Executive Director Laci Prince and museum founder Marilyn Heifner as they explore the rich history and evolution of this iconic airfield. From its early days to its modern impact on regional growth, this conversation reveals how aviation has fueled progress in surprising ways. Plus, take an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the Arkansas Air and Military Museum—where history takes flight.
Admission cost is included in the program fee.
Activity Level: 1
This program will meet in person at Arkansas Air & Military Museum, located at 4290 S. School Ave., Fayetteville, AR 72701. Please read your class reminder email for the exact room location.
Class changes occasionally happen, please watch for (and read) announcements or emails from OLLI regarding your class.
Click on the link below for a Google map shot of our location:
AR Air & Military Museum
Marilyn Heifner
Marilyn Heifner is a former librarian, teacher, and lifelong reader with a deep love for Fayetteville and Arkansas. Her career includes serving as the Mayor of Fayetteville and Executive Director of the Fayetteville Advertising and Promotion Commission, where she worked for 22 years. Marilyn is the current president of both the Fayetteville Evergreen Cemetery Association and the Butterfield National Historic Trail Association. A passionate advocate for preserving local history, she founded the Arkansas Air Museum to safeguard aviation history in Northwest Arkansas. In 2023, she was honored with the Washington County Distinguished Citizen Award and the City of Fayetteville Historic Preservation Award. As president of the Evergreen Cemetery Board, she has researched the lives of those buried there, uncovering stories that reflect Fayetteville's rich history.
Laci Prince
Laci Prince has been the director of the Air and Military Museum for 3 years.