Arkansas Encyclopedia
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Arkadelphia Arkansas
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Looking for Arkansas events and fun Arkansas activities? Discover famous Arkansas festivals, county fairs, local cook-offs, barbecues, fishing derbies, nature walks, and more!
Arkansas's many museums, galleries and Farmer's Markets offer long term events and exhibits as well.
Visiting Arkansas in the autumn? Take an Arkansas fall foliage tour in the Natural State, and experience the breath-taking beauty of autumn in Arkansas.
Thinking of an Arkansas winter getaway? Experience Arkansas's mild winters while hiking, horseback riding, golfing, and wildlife watching.
Arkansas Air Museum
Airplane enthusiasts will enjoy the Arkansas Air Museum, which is home to vintage aircraft, including pre-World War II racing planes in flying condition, aeronautical memorabilia, and a gift shop housed in a historic hangar at Fayetteville’s Drake Field.
Arkansas Arts Center
Located in Little Rock’s historic MacArthur Park, the arts center is a first-class facility with an internationally recognized collection of drawings with works dating from the Renaissance to the present.
Arkansas and Missouri Railroad
Travel over the Boston Mountains aboard beautifully restored turn-of-the-century cars, passing over three high trestles and through the 1882 Winslow tunnel.
Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources
Films and exhibits relate the history of Arkansas's oil and brine industries and the big 1920s oil boom that caused an explosion of population and wealth in South Arkansas virtually overnight. The museum’s Oilfield Park contains full-size derricks, other equipment.
Arkansas Post Museum
Located near to the Arkansas Post National Memorial is the Arkansas Post Museum, an Arkansas State Parks site, which includes authentic Delta structures and numerous exhibits, including farm implements and Native American pottery.
Arkansas Post National Memorial
The memorial, a National Park Service unit, commemorates the first permanent European settlement (1686) in the Mississippi River’s lower valley. The Post also served as Arkansas’s first territorial capital and was the site of a major Civil War battle.
Arkansas Scenic 7 Byway
One of the most scenic drives in the nation, Scenic 7 runs from the Louisiana border to Bull Shoals lake near the Missouri state line, passing through both the Ouachita and Ozark Mountains.
Arkansas State Capitol
A striking Neoclassical building in downtown Little Rock, the capitol was modeled after the United States Capitol. It has served as the state’s seat of government since it was completed in 1915.
Blanchard Springs Caverns
Ranked among the most beautiful underground discoveries of the 20th century, this limestone cavern is located deep in the Ozark National Forest, 15 miles north of Mountain View. It is the only developed cave system operated by the U.S. Forest Service and is open throughout the year.
Buffalo National River
The nation’s first federally protected stream (1972), the scenic Buffalo National River flows roughly 150 miles and offers boaters premier whitewater floating in the Arkansas Ozarks. The river is flanked by soaring limestone bluffs, beautiful vistas and wilderness areas.
Camden Visitors Center & McCollum-Chidester House
In the spring of 1864, the Union Army briefly captured the town of Camden during a failed Civil War campaign. Gen. Frederick Steele occupied the McCollum-Chidester House at 926 Washington Street, then the home of stagecoach operator John T. Chidester. Now hosting public tours, the house is mostly furnished with antiques original to the Chidester family, who moved into the home in 1857.
Clinton Presidential Center and Park
America's 12th Presidential Library is situated on the banks of the Arkansas River in the River Market District of downtown Little Rock. The $160 million dollar structure contains 20,000 square feet of library and museum space and has earned great reviews from the crowds who have visited since its dedication in 2004.
Crater of Diamonds State Park
North America’s largest diamond (40.23 carats) and more than 70,000 other diamonds have been found in a field south of Murfreesboro since farmer John Huddleston discovered the first such gems there in 1906. Now the eroding surface of a volcanic pipe located about three miles south of Murfreesboro is preserved as Crater of Diamonds State Park, the world’s only site where, for a small fee, anyone can dig for diamonds and keep what they find.
Crowley's Ridge Parkway National Scenic Byway
National scenic byway follows the 198-mile length of the Delta's only "highlands;" comprised of federal, state and county roads. From Piggott to Helena, the route passes by or near five state parks, a national forest, Civil War sites, the former home of Ernest Hemingway, historic homes, museums, rich agricultural areas, and the Delta Cultural Center.
Daisy Airgun Museum
Located in historic downtown Rogers in what is probably best known to locals as the old Rexall drug store building, circa 1890s.
Exhibits depict the company’s history, airguns, advertising and other memorabilia. The "Pre-Daisy" room showcases the story of airguns dating back to the 17th century. The "Early Daisy Years" features the windmill history, the first airguns and the first calendar, poster and magazine advertising. Visitors to the museum move from room to room, through the early 1900s, the War Years, the 1950s and right up to the present day.
DeGray Lake Resort State Park
Arkansas's only resort state park is located about eight miles north of Arkadelphia on 13,800-acre DeGray Lake, formed when the Caddo River was dammed in 1972. Located on an island and reached by a short causeway, the park's 96-room lodge features a spa, swimming pool, well-equipped exercise room, convention facilities, and a full-service restaurant.
Delta Cultural Center
Located in a restored depot and storefront in the historic Mississippi River port of Helena, the center’s exhibits sketch the history and culture of Arkansas’s portion of the Delta, the lower river’s fertile alluvial plain. Exhibit topics include the region’s blues and gospel music, its natural history and the Civil War battle at Helena.
Delta Rivers Nature Center
Designed to resemble an old-fashioned Delta hunting lodge, the center’s exhibits reveal the history and importance of Arkansas’s delta streams and wetlands. Live and preserved wildlife displays include a 20,000-gallon aquarium. The center also offers trails for wildlife observation and a gift shop.
El Dorado Downtown Historic District
Recently listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this downtown contains a significant collection of 1920s and 1930s architecture (courthouse, churches and commercial buildings) made necessary and financed by the oil boom that began in 1921. A walking tour reveals the variety of boutiques, shops and dining options recently brought to the district.
Eureka Springs Historic District
“America’s Victorian Village,” preserves turn-of-the-century architecture with fine dining, shopping, antiquing, spas, historic hotels, art galleries and museums. Winding mountain streets and natural springs provide the scenic setting for this quaint town that has been heavily influenced by its artist community.
It was named one of America’s Dozen Distinctive Destinations by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Nestled in the Ozark Mountains, the entire downtown is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Forrest Wood Crowley's Ridge Nature Center
State-of-the-art displays create a realistic "rain storm," and a movie about the massive 1811 New Madrid earthquake actually "shakes" the audience. The new center has a computerized "fly-over" of the entire 200-mile ridge country, topographical models and a 23-foot-long space satellite photo of the delta landscape.
Fort Smith National Historic Site
The site embraces the remains of two frontier forts and the Federal Court for the Western District of Arkansas. Through a recent multi-million dollar rehabilitation project the historic courthouse and jail building have been restored and now include a visitor’s center. You can visit the “Hell on the Border” jail, “Hangin’ Judge” Isaac C. Parker’s courtroom and see the gallows where justice came at the end of a rope.
Garvan Woodland Gardens
Located on the shores of Lake Hamilton, this 210-acre botanical garden contains the Oriental-influenced “Garden of the Pine Wind” with stream courses, waterfalls, stone bridges, native and Asian plantings. Other features are “Daffodil Hill,” a welcome center, gift shop, canopy bridge, bird sanctuary. Postcard-quality photo opportunities.
The Great Passion Play
This two-hour outdoor drama presents the miracles, trials, crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ on a stage that is almost as large as two football fields. State-of-the-art sound, lighting and special effects make this an unforgettable experience in a 4,100-seat amphitheater. About 250 actors make up the cast and camels, donkeys, horses, pigeons, sheep, and goats are used during some scenes. It features original music composed by Phil Perkins and performed by the National Philharmonic Orchestra of London. It runs from late April through October.
Great River Road National Scenic Byway
The Great River Road shadows the Mississippi River from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. Arkansas's portion of the route, which was designated a National Scenic Byway in 2002, travels the flat terrain of the nation's largest alluvial plain as well as an extraordinary strip of elevated ground known as Crowley's Ridge. At stops on and near Arkansas's Great River Road, travelers can explore the rich heritage of eastern Arkansas's Delta region, including remnants of its original hardwood-forest landscape, Native Americans, the Civil War and more.
Greers Ferry Lake
Nestled in the hardwood forests and foothills between Clinton and Heber Springs, Greers Ferry is the third largest lake in Arkansas’s Ozark Mountains (31,500 surface acres). The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir has served as a national model for environmental cleanliness. Commercial and public use campgrounds, first-class lodging, resorts and championship golf courses are trademarks. The Little Red River emerges icy-cold from Greers Ferry Dam and provides excellent trout fishing waters for miles downstream. The current world-record brown trout (40 pounds, four ounces) was landed on the Little Red in 1992.
Heifer Ranch
At the ranch, one of Heifer International's three learning centers, visitors can participate in educational programming that promotes sustainable solutions to global hunger, poverty and environmental degradation. The Ranch offers a variety of education programs from a couple of hours up to 5 nights long. The 1,200 acre working ranch and experiential learning center includes Global Villages, Challenge Course, Conference and Retreat Center with modern group lodging and dining facilities, Gift Shop, livestock and organic gardens.
Hemingway-Pfeiffer Museum and Educational Center
Visitors to the center step back to the 1930s and tour the restored home and barn-studio where Ernest Hemingway penned portions of A Farewell to Arms and other works. Original furnishings and memorabilia related to his extended visits to the childhood home of his wife, Pauline, add to the interest in this early 20th-century home in Piggott.
Historic Arkansas Museum
Visit the state's oldest neighborhood where medicine came from the herb garden and the newspaper was printed on a hand-operated press. Four original Little Rock dwellings provide the setting as expert tour guides describe life on the Arkansas frontier and costumed living history actors portray early Arkansans. Also on site is a center celebrating Arkansas's cultural and material heritage with full-scale galleries and interactive exhibits.
Historic Washington State Park
This 19th-century restoration village contains the state’s largest collection of pre-Civil War homes open for tours and Arkansas’s Confederate capitol from 1863-65. Weapons and print-shop museums, re-created blacksmith shop, restored courthouses, exhibits on 19th-century construction techniques.
Hope/Clinton Center
On August 19, 1946, Bill Clinton, the nation's 42nd President, was born in the southwestern Arkansas town of Hope. He lived his first four years with his maternal grandparents in a house at 117 S. Hervey Street. Today, the two-and-one-half story, wood-frame structure built in 1917 in an American Foursquare design is the centerpiece of the Clinton Center. With input from Clinton's late mother, the house has been decorated with period furnishings to appear as it did when it served as the future chief executive's home. Guided tours are offered.
Hot Springs National Park
A film and exhibits in the Fordyce Bathhouse Visitors Center located on historic Bathhouse Row tell how a remarkable array of thermal springs in a valley of the Ouachita Mountains prompted Congress to protect the area in 1832. Learn how the town of Hot Springs earned a reputation as “The American Spa.” Thermal baths and massages are available on the Row at the Buckstaff Bathhouse, and at other locations.The park also offers scenic drives and a campground.
Lake Chicot State Park
A former main channel of the Mississippi River, Lake Chicot is Arkansas’s largest natural lake and North America’s largest oxbow lake. The state park offers cabins, camping, hiking trails, a swimming pool, a marina and lake tours for observing wildlife and sunsets.
Lake Dardanelle State Park
New to the park is the $2.4-million, 10,527-square-foot visitor center with exhibits on Lake Dardanelle and the Arkansas River and its tributaries. The center features four large aquariums, state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment, a lab, and touch-screen kiosks that feature information on the park, the area’s water resources and history. Lake Dardanelle, a 34,000-acre reservoir, has become known as one of Arkansas’s hottest bass fishing destinations, hosting over 50 tournaments annually.
Lake Fort Smith State Park
After being closed for several years, Lake Fort Smith State Park reopened in May. The park features all new facilities including campsites, a group lodging facility, picnic sites, a pavilion, marina with boat rentals, swimming pool and visitor center with exhibit gallery.
Lepanto’s ‘A Painted House’
The original house used in the Hallmark Hall of Fame production of John Grisham’s novel, The Painted House, has been re-assembled in Lepanto. The CBS movie included many scenes in the area, including the historic downtown.
Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site
A major U.S. Civil Rights landmark, this National Historic Site is still a working school. The first African-American students – "the Little Rock Nine" – were admitted here in 1957 following a confrontation between Governor Orval Faubus, who used the state’s National Guard to block desegregation, and President Eisenhower, who sent federal troops to enforce it. Located across the street is the Central High Museum & Visitor Center.
Little Rock Zoo
Nationally accredited 40-acre zoological garden, housing over 700 mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians representing 170 species, some of which are on the endangered list. Historic Works Progress Administration-constructed buildings are found throughout the natural tree-shaded grounds, along with a petting zoo, gift shop, food; miniature train rides.
Louisiana Purchase Historic State Park
A boardwalk leads through a rare headwater swamp to a monument marking the starting point established in 1815 for surveys of the Louisiana Purchase territory. Interpretive panels along the way reveal the history of the 1803 land deal, under which the land that would become Arkansas first became U.S. soil.
Magic Springs/Crystal Falls
Among more than 80 attractions and amusement rides at this combination theme and water park are five exciting roller coasters, including the legendary Arkansas Twister, The X-Coaster, The Gauntlet and The Plummet Summit. The beautifully landscaped water park features a 350,000-gallon wave pool, thrilling water slide complex, relaxing lazy river, children’s activity pool and a family splash zone.
Mammoth Spring State Park
One of the great natural wonders of mid-America, Mammoth Spring flows at an average hourly rate of some nine million gallons of 58-degree water. The flow creates a 10-acre lake and then becomes Spring River, a popular year-round canoe and fishing stream. The park, located at the big spring, includes a restored 1886 Frisco Depot with engaging exhibits and a “crew” of workmen and waiting passengers from the early 1900s.
Mark Martin Museum
Museum honoring one of "The 50 Greatest NASCAR Drivers of All Time." Includes several of Martin’s past cars, racing mementos including around 100 trophies and several of Martin’s racing helmets and fire suits
Mount Magazine State Park
Near Paris, the highest point in Arkansas rises from the Arkansas River Valley to an elevation of 2,753 feet. It offers hang gliding, rappelling, rock climbing, horseback riding, camping and hiking. The mountain's main road contains bicycle lanes and from its eight scenic overlooks visitors can see hundreds of miles of beautiful forested lands and mountains. It is also known for its outstanding butterfly population, boasting 94 of the 126 species found in Arkansas.
Mount Nebo State Park
Rising 1,350 feet, Mount Nebo offers sweeping views of the Arkansas River Valley. In 1933, a portion of the mountain was chosen as a park site. Native stone and logs from Mount Nebo were used by the Civilian Conservation Corps to construct many of the park's bridges, trails, rustic-style cabins and pavilions. The park offers 35 campsites and 14 fully-equipped cabins with kitchens. Fourteen miles of trails encircle Mount Nebo. For mountain biking enthusiasts, the 4 1/2-mile Bench Trail is a fairly level route encircling the side of 1,350-foot Mount Nebo.
The Old Mill
An authentic reproduction of an old water-powered grist mill, this striking structure appears in the opening scene of the classic 1933 film “Gone with the Wind” and is believed to be the only building remaining from the film. Commissioned in 1933 the structure was designed to look old so it would appear as if it was built the 1800s. The park is decorated with sculptures of toadstools, tree stumps, and a tree branch-entwined bridge that connects the mill to the rest of the park. Senor Dionico Rodriguez, a sculptor and artist of Mexico City, was responsible for all the details of each piece of concrete work made to represent wood, iron or stone, as well as the designing of the foot bridges and rustic seats. In 1991, Rodriguez’s work at the Old Mill was renovated by his grandson, Carlos Cortes.
McCain Boulevard and Lakeshore Drive in North Little Rock
Old State House Museum
Set in the oldest surviving state capitol west of the Mississippi River, the museum has been designated a National Historic Landmark, though it is probably best known throughout the country as the scene of President Clinton’s 1992 and 1996 election night celebrations. This magnificent Greek Revival structure houses a multimedia museum of Arkansas history, with a special emphasis on women’s history, political history, and historical programming for school children.
Ozark Folk Center State Park
Mountain View is the home of the only park in America devoted to the preservation of Southern mountain folkways and music. The Ozark Folk Center State Park is a “living museum” of traditional pioneer skills, such as furniture making, quilting, blacksmithing, tintype photography, woodcarving and 15 other craft demonstrations. Concerts, performed in a 1,000-seat theater, feature songs and instruments from America’s past.
Parkin Archeological State Park
Parkin Archeological State Park in eastern Arkansas at Parkin preserves and interprets the Parkin site on the St. Francis River where a 17-acre Mississippi Period Native America village was located from A.D. 1000 to 1550. A large platform mound on the river bank remains.
Pea Ridge National Military Park
The site of one of the largest Civil War battles west of the Mississippi River, Pea Ridge marks the successful culmination of the Union's effort to secure control of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers and protect the arsenal at St. Louis, which made easier the supply of General Grant's Vicksburg campaign. The park encompasses 4,300 acres and includes a seven-mile, self-guided tour with 10 stops featuring wayside exhibits, including Elkhorn Tavern. It also has a visitors center, museum and bookstore.
Petit Jean State Park
Popular with families and outdoor enthusiasts, Petit Jean State Park offers a restaurant, swimming pools, playgrounds, tennis court, ball field, boating, fishing, campsites, cabins, lodge and gift shop. Scenic views are found throughout more than 20 miles of hiking trails that lead to mountain overlooks, streams, an abundance of unmarred woods, ravines, springs, caves, interesting ecological formations and 95-foot Cedar Falls.
The history of the area is evidenced by Native American pictographs on a cave wall and the grave of a French explorer’s great love for whom the mountain is named. Pioneers that settled the summit left their mark as did the Civilian Conservation Corp., which constructed Mather Lodge and the dam for Lake Bailey.
Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park
The 1862 Battle of Prairie Grove was the last time two armies of almost equal strength faced each other for supremacy in northwest Arkansas. When the Confederate Army withdrew, it was clear Missouri and northwest Arkansas would remain in Federal hands. Today, historic homes are located on the 500-acre Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park, which has a self-guided walking tour and driving tour.
Queen Wilhelmina State Park/Talimena Scenic Byway
Beginning at Mena, the scenic byway stretches for 54 miles along crests of the Ouachita Mountains before terminating at Talihina, Oklahoma. The route offers numerous vistas from atop some of the highest peaks between the Rocky and Appalachian mountains. Along the route atop Rich Mountain, Arkansas’s second highest peak, lies Queen Wilhelmina State Park with a lodge, restaurant, camping, picnic areas and hiking trails.
River Market District
Formerly a nearly abandoned warehouse district, this area of downtown Little Rock is now filled with restaurants, shops, art galleries, a museum, library, bars and seasonal farmers market. The Ottenheimer Market Hall has more than 17 permanent merchants who offer such specialties as right-from-the-oven pastries, hand-roasted coffee, succulent barbecue to fresh cut flowers, gourmet and prepared foods.
Saracen Landing
New $4.2 million park facility which features a 10,080-square-foot pavilion and concrete fishing pier plus a fountain that sprays water 40 feet into the air; it is also the new home of the Pine Bluff Farmers Market; located on the shores of 500-acre Lake Saracen in downtown Pine Bluff. Perfect for fishing tournaments, educational programs, car shows, picnics, concerts, reunions and weddings.
Shiloh Museum of Ozark History
Dedicated to the study, interpretation and preservation of the rich history of the Arkansas Ozark Mountains, the museum offers lectures, films, classes, tours and frequently changing exhibits of interest to adults and children. Beautiful park-like grounds showcase six historical buildings.
Thorncrown Chapel
Designed by Arkansas native E. Fay Jones, a nationally honored and recognized architect, the chapel soars skyward from an Ozark woodland. Extensive use of glass and wood beams makes nature an integral part of the structure. The chapel was chosen in 2001 as one of the Top 10 Designs of the 20th Century by The American Institute of Architecture.
Van Buren Downtown Historic District
Located along a beautifully restored Victorian Main Street, the district is composed of six blocks of art galleries, antique shops, restaurants and historical attractions. From specialty stores to warehouses, shoppers can search for offer hard-to-find collectibles, one-of-a-kind gifts, original art, local Ozark crafts, home decoratives and extraordinary antiques.
Wal-Mart Visitors Center
The origin and growth of the nation's largest corporation is encapsulated at this Bentonville museum housed in the building that gave birth to the retail giant. In 1962, Sam Walton opened his first discount store in Rogers at 8th and Walnut streets and had 25 employees. Today, Wal-Mart is the world's largest company with more than $220 billion in annual sales and more than 1.3 million employees.
War Eagle Crafts Fairs
Each spring and fall, War Eagle hosts one of the largest crafts fairs in the country. Arts and crafts exhibitors from Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas and beyond come to display and sell their wares. Customers come from all over the U.S.
White River National Wildlife Refuge Visitors Center
A 10,000-square-foot visitors center for the White River National Wildlife Refuge located off Ark. 1 just south of St. Charles in east Arkansas. The $2.6-million facility houses a bookstore and an environmental education classroom. Exhibits cover such topics as an historic timeline of the area, fish and wildlife, bottomland hardwood forests, and birds and migratory flyways.
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