THE SULTANA
DISASTER MUSEUM
Telling the story of the deadliest maritime disaster in United States history, located in Marion, Arkansas.
THE WORST MARITIME DISASTER IN US 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.
The Future Museum
The Sultana Disaster Museum has recently acquired the historic 1938 Marion High School gymnasium as a location for the new expanded museum. Learn more about the future plans and about how you can donate to the museum's capital campaign.
STORIES FROM THE SULTANA
Solomon F. Bogart
"I jumped over board among countless numbers of drowning men and made my way to the bank after hard swimming 8 or 9 miles."
Ann Annis
"...my husband, with our child, jumped overboard. I followed as soon as I could... I held onto the rudder till I was obliged to let go by the fire."
Capt. James Cass Mason
Captain Mason was uninjured by the explosion and immediately began tearing off pieces of the wreck and throwing them into the water for people to float upon.
The Sultana Association
Founded in 1987, The Sultana Association aims to spread the word about the Sultana disaster, to reach out to descendants, and to offer an opportunity for everyone to learn and become involved.