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Historic places in Little Rock

13 historic buildings, sites and memorials in Little Rock.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

Historic places in Little Rock

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    Butler Center for Arkansas Studies

    The largest facility dedicated to the study of Arkansas history, housed in two historic buildings (built in 1882 and 1914) adjoined by a present-day structure. The Main Library of the Central Arkansas Library System is next door.

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    Central High School National Historic Site and Museum

    This National Historic Site is dedicated to the Central High integration crisis of 1957. The visitor center houses a permanent exhibition on the event and the iconic facade of the school can be viewed from across the street. Reservations are mandatory to tour the school as it is an operating school, and you are asked not to enter it on your own.

    Mon-Sat 9AM-4:30PM, Sun 1-4:30PMFree

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    Historic Arkansas Museum

    Preserves four historic antebellum homes, also has a gallery with changing exhibits. General admission free.

    Guided tours: adults $2.50, children $1

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    KATV-7 Building

    Worthen Bank Building

    This 1928 building that now houses Little Rock's local ABC-affiliated television station was once the headquarters of the W.B. Worthen Banking Corporation, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The bank is today still in operation, though its name has disappeared into a triple merger, first by Boatmen's, then NationsBank, and now Bank of America.

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    Little Rock Zoo

    Many different animals from all over the world. In addition, the zoo's entrance plaza contains "Over the Jumps: The Arkansas Carousel", a National Register of Historic Places entry with an unusual distinction: it's the world's only waving carousel.

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    MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History

    The museum, housed in its namesake's birthplace and the only surviving structure from the Old Arsenal, features military-related exhibits from the 19th century to the present. Also nearby is the Arkansas Korean War Memorial which was unveiled on June 25, 2007.

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    Mosaic Templars Cultural Center

    9th and Broadway. The original headquarters of the Mosaic Templars (a black fraternal organization, now defunct save for a single chapter in Barbados), destroyed by fire in 2005, has been reconstructed to house a cultural center dedicated to the history and culture of black people.

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    Mount Holly Cemetery

    Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and known by the nickname "The Westminster Abbey of Arkansas", this historic 19th-century cemetery is the final resting place for many noteworthy Arkansans. Among the most notable: David Owen Dodd, the "Boy Martyr of the Confederacy"; Pulitzer Prize-winning poet John Gould Fletcher; and William Woodruff, founder of the Arkansas Gazette, the oldest newspaper west of the Mississippi. Also buried here are 10 former Arkansas governors, 14 former Arkansas Supreme Court Justices, 21 former mayors of Little Rock, and 6 former U.S. Senators.

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    Museum of Black Arkansans and Performing Arts Center

    EMOBA - Ernie's Museum of Black Arkansans

    This museum housed in the historic First Baptist Church celebrates the colorful culture, history, and heritage of African American people in Arkansas.

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    Museum of Discovery

    Ste 150. Science and history museum with interactive exhibits. Great for kids.

    Mon-Sat 9AM-5PM, Sun 1-5PMAdults $6.35, children $5.85

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    The Old State House

    Oldest surviving state capitol building west of the Mississippi. It is now a state history museum, where you can see the old House of Representatives Chamber. The museum also has a permanent collection of history-related exhibits, and temporary exhibits are shown occasionally. If you have kids, don't miss Grandmother's Cottage, a hands-on room where visitors can examine with a variety of objects from the 1920s-30s.

    Mon-Sat 9AM-5PM, Sun 1-5PMFree

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    Trapnall Hall

    A historic antebellum house that may be rented to host special events.

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    YMCA Building

    Bill Clinton was a frequent visitor to this YMCA branch during his years as governor of Arkansas. The building was built in 1928 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. But in 1995, the YMCA of Metropolitan Little Rock shuttered the branch due to declining membership. The building is now awaiting restoration.

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Little Rock (CC BY-SA 4.0).