Overview
Marion is in the Arkansas Delta, and is like a middle-class Memphis suburb on the Arkansas side, if there was one. You'll find a supply of higher quality hotels and restaurants here, but, more interestingly, a museum about a tragic event that occurred at the end of the Civil War.
1 sights · 1 things to do · 2 places to eat · 2 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Marion
Sultana Disaster Museum
This museum recounts the tragedy of when a steamboat carrying Union POWs back home exploded on April 27, 1865, taking some 1500 lives with it in what is considered to be the largest loss of life in a maritime disaster in…
Wapanocca National Wildlife Refuge
Representative of the Northern Backswamps, with bald cypresses and tupelos, and the Northern Holocene Meander Belts, with oxbow lakes and levees, of the Arkansas Delta region.
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Mar–May, Sep–Nov. Summer highs reach about 92°F; winter lows dip to about 33°F. Very hot (Jul, Aug) — plan outdoor time for mornings. Wettest: Apr and Mar. (climate data from nearby Memphis)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- MEM Frederick W. Smith International Airport, Memphis — 17 mi away (major hub). Directions
- JBR Jonesboro Municipal Airport, Jonesboro — 50 mi away. Directions
This town is just north of I-40, on the west side of the Hernando de Soto Bridge from Memphis (Tennessee)|Memphis).
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
- Places to stay listed here: about $86–$86 a night (typical $92), from 2 listed prices.
- Estimated daily budget per person (room, two meals, local transport and an activity): budget ~$130, mid-range ~$170, comfortable ~$250.
See the Sleep guide ↓ for places to stay.
Sample 1-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Sultana Disaster Museum
- Lunch Tacker's Shake Shack
- Afternoon Wapanocca National Wildlife Refuge
- Dinner Colton's Steak House & Grill
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Get in
This town is just north of I-40, on the west side of the Hernando de Soto Bridge from Memphis (Tennessee)|Memphis).
See
Do
Eat
Eat Tacker's Shake Shack
A diner with lots of Elvis, Lucille Ball, and John Wayne memorabilia, and probably food akin to burgers and shakes that is not so good for you, if you are into that.
Eat Colton's Steak House & Grill
Steakhouse with an old West type theme and peanuts to snack on. It's a regional chain but kind of unique nonetheless.
Sleep
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My experience
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