Exciting Way to Experience Arkansas History

You may not think of the state of Arkansas as being a hot bed of history, but you may be surprised. The museum offers a trip back to frontier history. You can tour the historic grounds surrounding the museum, part of which is a neighborhood established before the civil war. The oldest home in Little Rock is located here. There are four other pre-Civil War homes that have been restored to their original appearance. Guided tours are available of the houses, as well as the neighborhoods. Living history characters present stories and presentations that expose visitors to life as it was years ago. Inside of the museum there are displays of art, artifacts, and displays.

The museum is open year round and they often feature festivals and heritage events, as well as the living history performances. There are six galleries in the museum featuring decorative and mechanical displays, as well as fine art. The museum is an affordable event for people young and old. Tours are free the first Sunday of the month, and admission to the historic homes is $2.50 for adults and $1.00 for children. There is a senior discount price of $1.50 for those over 65 years of age.

The museum is an excellent destination for school field trips. Arkansas teachers can incorporate state history into their lesson plans in a creative, fun way for students. If students are able to experience history through their senses like touching, tasting, and smelling the experiences, they will remember it far longer than if they were reading it from a book. Kids will get to see the real lives of Arkansas frontier families, instead of just reading about them. Students can visit on field trips, but there are also educational boxes filled with historic materials available for loan to teachers. You can also download materials from the museum's website. The museum suggests doing each of these for a full lesson, beginning in the classroom, visiting the museum, and returning to the classroom for discussion and wrap up activities. Programs are available for a variety of age groups. Kids can visit on field trips year after year and never see the same program twice. Programs are designed to suite grades K - 3rd, 4th - 6th, and 7th - 12th.

In addition to field trips, the museum offers unique professional development opportunities. Plan your next in-service program at the museum so teachers can learn all about how to incorporate Arkansas history into their lessons. Teachers are able to share their ideas and gather new ones, as well as get tips from the museum curators.

Everyone who visits the museum will want to stop by the museum store. Take home a piece of the history you just experienced. Items include books and prints, textiles and quilts, toys and games, gift items like pens and jewelry, hair accessories, collectible items with the museum logo, and Arkansas handmade crafts like candle holders, baskets, doilies, handcrafted brooms, handmade dolls, and stoneware. For a unique way to learn about Arkansas history, pay a visit to the Historic Arkansas Museum in Little Rock.