Little Rock Things to Do

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I'm old enough to remember when Arkansas Governor Orval E. Faubus tried to stop school integration. In 1957, I was attending Oberlin College which in the 1860s was one of the stops on the Underground Railroad that helped slaves escape from the south. I wasn't sure what we would see if we went to Central High School.

It was fairly difficult to find the High School which is an operating high school. as it was tucked away in a residential neighborhood. There is parking at the new (2007) Visitor's Center which is across the street diagonal from the actual school. The new visitor's center was a part of the 50th Anniversary Celebration. The old one had been at an old gas station across the street.

When we arrived there was a class of 6th graders there. The Visitor Center contained interactive exhibits on the 1957 desegregation crisis. Eisenhower was President then and when he used federal troops to ensure the rights of African-American children to attend the previously all-white school, he became the first president since the post-Civil War Reconstruction period to use federal troops in support of African-American civil rights. I was very impressed by the exhibits contain interactive oral history listening stations and how hard it must have been for the Little Rock Nine. In 1999 the Little Rock Nine each received the Congressional Gold Medal-our nation's highest civilian honor-for their efforts to desegregate Little Rock Central High School

The Visitor Center is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., year round. The park is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day. Reservations are necessary for groups to tour the actual school, but the visitor's center is free.

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The friend we stayed with in Little Rock drove us all around the town the day before we went downtown on our own. One of the places she took us to was the Oakland Fraternal Cemetery. Adjacent to it is the Little Rock National Cemetery a place for Veterans.
There are quite a few old graves in Oakland Fraternal and some stones are very unique like The Weeping Angel stone that is displayed here. Click on it and look at all the details on this angel.
This is one of my favorite things to do - walk through and visit cemeteries.

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Our main reason for a trip to Little Rock was for genealogy. One of the nice things about genealogy is that it takes you to so very many interesting places along the way or at the research place. That was true for this trip. The State Archives are in the side, along the back of the Capital Building. There is plenty of parking but we waited until about eleven o'clock in the morning to get there so that empty spots would be available as people left for lunch.
We went through security and up the elevator to the 4th floor.
There is a very good cafeteria there for the State employees or visitors like us. It closes at 2PM.

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Just the outside appearance of this place is enough to invoke curiosity. Once inside, the exhibits and scenic views are great. We were impressed by the exhibits and displays that created a wonderful trip down memory lane. Of course, Bill Clinton's era of history is my era also, so it was quite poignant. There are many items displayed that were gifts to the Clintons from countries around the world. Once inside, there is a great view of the Little Rock City Skyline. Take time to visit the Oval Office room and The Cabinet Room. There are plenty of docents to answer questions and offer information.
The bridge that is beside the library is scheduled to be restored as part of a 13 acre park around the center. There is plenty of free parking here. Entrance price has a Senior's Discount.
Bill was at the library the day before we visited.

The Clinton Presidential Library is one of the more interesting museums of American history to date. Situated in downtown Little Rock's River Market District, the Library holds the National Archives records of Clinton's Presidency and a museum dedicated to his public service. Architecturally, it is a step forward for Arkansas' capital city. What would look like a bold and modern building on a river in Boston or New York comes across as a gigantic trailer park home in Little Rock. The exterior of the building aside, it is a must-see attraction for anyone visiting Little Rock.

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Arkansas' calls itself "the natural state", and Little Rock demonstrates this motto with its abundance of parks. I visited two parks - War Memorial Park, located at Markham and Fair Park, and Allsopp Park, located at Cantrell and Cedar Park Road. War Memorial Park has a large golf course and walking paths as well as a small fishing pond. The Little Rock Zoo is nearby. Allsopp Park has trails for hiking and mountain bikes.

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The locals I spoke to refer to the Clinton Library as "the trailer on stilts", and one look will tell you why. Don't let the outward appearance discourage you from going in. After going through the metal detector (sigh) and purchasing a ticket you can travel back through recent history. The library is very interactive and hands on. There is a room set up like the cabinet room where you'll learn the rationale for which cabinet member gets to sit closest to the President. Interestingly, the table in this room is actually the one that was used in the Nixon administration. There are displays set up for each year of the Clinton presidency. Yes, Monica is mentioned. No, the blue dress is not there. There is also an oval office set up like the oval office was set up when Clinton was President, as well as a lot of memorabilia from the childhoods of Bill and Hillary. The library is right beside the Arkansas River and area surrounding it is a park. There's a free shuttle that runs from several of the downtown hotels, and there is also some free parking available.

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Admission to the galleries at the museum is free and the
Admission for tour of historic homes:
Adults - $2.50
Children (under 18) - $1
Seniors (over 65) - $1.50

I'd say it is well worth the $2.50 for the tour!

Hours:
Monday - Saturday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sunday: 1 p.m. - 5 p.m.
(Tours depart hourly except noon; last tour is at 4 p.m. daily)
Closed Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year's Day, Easter and Thanksgiving

One of my best friends works part time at the museum. Sometimes she is dressed in period clothes and is working in the kitchen on the tour. I visited in March and got to see her in action. She baked a cake in the morning using a dutch oven and hot coals over and under the oven. In the afternoon she was demonstrating how to spin wool. She was also discussing how the wool is dyed. I learned something interesting which is that most colors were made using various plants just boiled in water - and the color would come out in the water. But the color blue was special. The plant used for blue required an acid to pull the color out, so they usually mixed urine in to make blue!! haha!! I don't think I'd be wanting any blue clothes! :D

The galleries I walked thru which are part of the free part of the museum were interesting. There was an exhibition up about various women's purses. :)

If you are in the River Market area with some free time on your hands, stop by the museum and spend the $2.50 for the tour! :)