8 Fun Things To Do in Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock, Arkansas, is a vibrant Southern city where history, culture and outdoor beauty converge along the Arkansas River. The city initially got its name from French explorer Jean Baptiste Bénard de La Harpe and his crew, who traveled up the Arkansas River and anchored in a small natural rock harbor. They gave it the description “la petite rock.”
Today, Arkansas’ capital stands tall against the river’s banks and is home to a variety of unique neighborhoods, parks, historic places and cultural offerings. Whether you’re moving to town or just popping by for the weekend, here are some fun things to do in Little Rock, Arkansas.
In This Article
1. William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
Our 42nd U.S. president is an Arkansas native and former governor whose namesake library stores and showcases historic materials relating to his two-term presidency. Opened in 2004, this glass-and-steel structured library and museum features temporary and permanent exhibitions chronicling up to and during his time as Commander In Chief (from 1993 to 2001).
Amid videos, photographs, objects and other mementos, the three-floor building’s collection also includes Clinton’s Presidential limo and replicas of the Oval Office and the Cabinet Room as they looked during the Clinton Administration. The second floor includes a walk-through timeline of the presidency, highlighting significant events by year and corresponding daily schedules.
The design of the building’s main gallery resembles the Long Room within the library of Trinity College in Dublin, which is said to have been inspired by Clinton’s admiration for its look. The floor-to-ceiling bookcases hold boxes from presidential archives.
2. Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site
While still an active public high school today, the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site is perhaps best known as an epicenter of a significant moment in U.S. Civil Rights history.
In September 1957, nine Black students were to integrate Little Rock Central High School, following the U.S. Supreme Court’s Topeka vs. Brown ruling that segregation by race in public schools was unconstitutional three years before. The group of students, known as the Little Rock Nine, arrived for the first day of school only to be denied entrance.
Amid facing ongoing angry mobs, the student group’s challenged entry into the school led to a showdown by then Arkansas Gov. Orval Faubus (who was in opposition and used the state’s National Guard to block it) and U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower (who federalized the unit to enforce the court order and ordered elements of the 101st Airborne Division to escort the students into the school). The students would eventually be permitted entry, but the school was shut down the following year. The school reopened in 1959 and is still an active high school, with more than 2,000 students enrolled.
Start your visit at the Visitor Center across the way from the school. Here, park rangers lead interpretive programs that are available by reservation only — make sure to reserve a spot. Please also note that there is no access to the inside of the school, but it can be seen from the outside.
3. ESSE Purse Museum & Store
If you’re big on handbags, you’ll be amazed at this museum founded by Anita Davis, a lifelong Little Rock resident and extensive collector who was instrumental in revitalizing Little Rock’s South Main Street (also known as SoMa).
To date, the ESSE Purse Museum & Store is among a handful of purse-related museums worldwide, including the Simone Handbag Museum in Seoul. At this Little Rock attraction, its name, ESSE, is derived from the Latin infinitive “to be” and is used to reflect how a handbag is part of a woman’s identity. Like fashion looks, her public persona continues to be evolving.
In celebrating female progression, the museum holds a permanent exhibition called “What’s Inside: A Century of Women and Handbags 1900-1999” that resulted from being a traveling exhibit. Chronicled by decade, this exhibit shows how social times and changes reflected the shapes and styles of purses and other accessories. There is also a separate section for temporary exhibits, which touch on subjects such as the history of home economics. Of course, within the museum’s gift shop, there is quite a selection of pocketbooks, clutches, evening bags and other purse styles to purchase.
4. Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts
Reopened in April 2023 after the completion of a four-year renovation, the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts is a re-envisioning of what was once the Arkansas Arts Center and should be included on any list of fun things to do in Little Rock, AR.
This reimagining now consists of a 133,000-square-foot campus that includes cultivated acreage in Downtown Little Rock’s MacArthur Park, with a collection of 14,000 works spanning from the 1300s to the present day. Art is shown across eight endowed galleries, each individually named after those who contributed to establishing this museum.
Along with a store, lecture hall, art school and community space, the museum has a restaurant named Park Grill with amazing floor-to-ceiling window views of outdoor sculptures and an event lawn. It also shows MacArthur Park, named after the famous five-star general born in Little Rock.
5. Historic Arkansas Museum
It’s easy to spot this living history museum while walking through Downtown Little Rock. The city-block-long venue is a collection of historic buildings and six galleries presenting different aspects of Arkansas through art and artifacts.
Historic Arkansas Museum’s antique buildings date from the 19th and 20th centuries and include Little Rock’s oldest standing building.
Other museum highlights extend to a gallery featuring objects connected to Arkansas’ first peoples, the Caddo, Osage and Quapaw Native American tribes. The permanent memorial, “Giving Voice,” recognizes the 138 enslaved men, women and children who lived where the museum now stands.
Even time spent in the gift shop is good, as the store holds products made in or directly tied to Arkansas.
6. Riverfront Park
Little Rock has over 60 city parks, and Riverfront Park is aligned with the Arkansas River, which makes for an excellent way to spend an afternoon wandering around. This 11-block long greenspace links the city’s downtown to the river, crisscrossing with five bridges that all connect downtown to Little Rock.
The park is also home to more than 100 works of art, with its highest concentration within the Vogel Schwartz Sculpture Garden. It has a landscape design format with a layout described as outdoor rooms shaped by massive and curved steel plates. A walkway intersects with these sculptures, offering a chance for some artistic engagement.
Beyond the sculptures, Riverfront Park is also home to 33 acres of urban parkland that can be used for outdoor events, outdoor recreation and historical attractions. There are dozens of things to do during a visit to Riverfront Park, but some highlights include:
- The Clinton Presidential Park Bridge, a pedestrian pathway that closes the loop on the Arkansas River Trail
- Riverfront Park History Pavilion, home to drawings and maps from early explorers and an Indian Head Statue
- Medical Mile, a 3-D walled mural that was designed to promote wellness-oriented lifestyles
- First Security Amphitheater, Arkansas’s premiere outdoor concert venue and home to several concerts and special events throughout the year
- The William E. ‘Bill’ Clark Presidential Park Wetlands, which are 13 acres adjacent to the Clinton Library, promote the preservation of the ecosystem and include a pedestrian trail and elevated walkway
7. Museum of Discovery
Young visitors to or residents in Little Rock have an attraction that encourages them to delve into STEM through interactive experiences.
The premise of what’s now the Museum of Discovery was started by Little Rock resident Bernie Babcock in 1927 to change public misconceptions about the state of Arkansas.
Over time, this now family-friendly science center changed names and locations. However, it is packed with galleries and exhibitions relating to math, science, engineering and other academic subjects today. It has also recently welcomed a science lab that aims to teach visitors about energy, electricity, and light and sound through different interactive exhibits.
Children can get even more hands-on experience by exploring the two-story, three-tower Climber. As a way to help develop motor skills, youngsters can climb and wander around this structure.
8. Arkansas State Capitol
Also referred to as The Capitol Building, this Neo-classical style building is home to the Arkansas State Assembly and has been used in films as a stand-in for the U.S. Capitol building. It was built on the site of a former penitentiary, with many state convicts having worked on the construction project. The Arkansas State Capitol was partly constructed with granite and limestone from Arkansas, as well as materials from Indiana and Vermont. It also is adorned with six bronze doors and three chandeliers crafted by Tiffany & Co., while its dome contains a gold-leafed cupola.
Guided group and self-guided tours of the Capitol are available, with spots including the Rotunda. Visit their website for scheduling and other important information.
The surrounding grounds of the Capitol also have outstanding features. The Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial honors those Arkansans who served in the conflict, and “Testament: The Little Rock Nine Monument” is a life-size sculpture of each student looking directly toward the Capitol, plus plaques with quotes attributed to them.