Little Rock: Arkansas' lively capital abounds with historical gems and other attractions - If You Only Have A Day In … - Brief Article

Travel America, May-June, 2002 by Margaret Dornaus

To get acquainted with Little Rock, start at the river. The Arkansas River, that is. This capital city was born of the Arkansas in 1722, when French explorer Bernard de La Harpe dubbed it "La Petite Roche" after coming upon a small cliff outcropping as he navigated his way down the Mississippi's second largest tributary. Today, a weathered bronze plaque commemorates Little Rock's watery roots. But until recent efforts to revitalize this river city's downtown, the biggest happening along the riverfront was its annual Riverfest--a three-day May extravaganza that attracts thousands to the Riverfront Park Amphitheater for musical performances that range from blues to rock to reggae.

Thanks to an ambitious $300-million plan to revive the city's once waterlogged district, however, Little Rock's riverfront has been reborn. And fueled by the anticipation of former President Bill Clinton's multi-million-dollar library complex (tentatively scheduled to be up and running in 2003-4), the city is rediscovering the area with an explorer's gusto. The result is a vibrant, easily walkable district that's as stately as a riverboat queen.

At the center of this renaissance is an eight-block area renamed the River Market District. This relatively compact space includes boutiques and specialty shops; pubs and restaurants; the Museum of Discovery, where you can conduct scientific experiments, experience the "Worlds of the Forest," or create your own robot; and the crown jewel of the development--Ottenheimer Market Hall--a skylighted space housing gourmet food and specialty vendors. Here, from early spring to late fall, local farmers sell a variety of fresh wares (tomatoes, butter beans, goat cheese)--under colorful, canopied stalls that delineate the market's adjacent outdoor pavilions.

Across the river, Alltel Arena--a state-of-the-art, History center for performing artists and home to Little Rock's East Coast Hockey League team (the Arkansas RiverBlades)--anchors the development. And other attractions--such as the six-story-high IMAX theater at the Aerospace Education Center and Arkansas Arts Center with its world-class collection of drawings--lie just south of the riverfront district.

Additional recent expansions include the Territorial Restoration, a collection of early 19th century buildings, where living history re-enacters relive frontier life on the river in Little Rock's oldest structure, the 1820s Hinderliter Grog Shop. Nearby, the Old State House Museum--site of Bill Clinton's 1992 and 1996 election night victory speeches--also has been restored to its early-1800s grandeur. Inside, rotating exhibits from the museum's collection of Arkansas artifacts (including Clinton's famous saxophone) share space with the old state capitol's 1836 legislative chamber.

Located next door is a convention center where trade shows and fairs exhibit throughout the year. And directly across the street is one of Little Rock's grandest old hotels--The Capital--renovated in recent years to reveal the glamor and grace President Ulysses S. Grant experienced as a guest there. Heading west along the river is the city's historic Union Station, where the Children's Museum of Arkansas features interactive exhibits. And just south of the station is the "new" Capitol, built from 1899-1915 on the site of the old state penitentiary. Constructed mostly of native limestone, the domed Capitol has a 160-foot-high rotunda hung with three enormous chandeliers.

Southwest of the Capitol is the site of Little Rock's infamous 1957 struggle over desegregation, Central High School, a fully operational school and historic landmark. Across the street, the Central High Museum and Visitor's Center (housed in a former Mobil station) recounts the story of the "Little Rock Crisis."

South and east is the Governor's Mansion--occupied for five terms by William Jefferson Clinton and his family. Filled with elegant homes, the area is described in a walking tour brochure. Similar brochures are available for the Riverfront area, as well as for the Quapaw Quarter historical district surrounding MacArthur Park (named for another famous Arkansan, Gen. Douglas MacArthur). Here, the Decorative Arts Museum occupies an 1840 Greek Revival house built by one of Little Rock's most flamboyant early settlers.

Travel a few blocks north to complete the circle to the river market, where the district has been infused with nightlife. Or head back west to Cajun's Wharf for a "flown-in-that-morning" fresh seafood experience embellished by the night lights of the river that Little Rockers have come to know and love.

For information, contact the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau, (800) 844-4781; www.littlerock.com.