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    Arkansas State Capitol

    4.2 (30 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 3:00 pm

    Arkansas State Capitol Photos

    Recommended Reviews - Arkansas State Capitol

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    Izzie P.

    STUNNING building. If you don't care to see people working or for the gift shop go on a Sunday morning!! I went and was the ONLY person in there (besides security) for around two hours!! It was amazing, all the main rooms you'd see on a weekday were still open so you got to see it all still. It is the perfect time and place for grad photos or engagement pictures.

    Helene S.

    Nice self guided visit to the Arkansas State Capitol. After a short security check, we were given a booklet that guides you through the Capitol. The security guards also gave us a quick briefing. The Arkansas State Capitol was built after the St. Louis architect George Mann showed his winning design for the Montana State Capitol to Governor Daniel Jones in 1899. After a selection process which was opposed by future Governor George Donaghey, Mann's design was approved. Once Donaghey was elected Governor, he removed Mann from the project. Construction took 16 years. The new Capitol was built on the site of a state penitentiary. The incarcerated provided labor for the job. They lived in prison dormitories that were parallel to the building. The Capitol is built from limestone that was quarried in Arkansas. It went over the 1 million dollar budget costing over twice as much, $2.2 million. Take time to explore the common rooms like the house and senate as well as the information along the state flag lined corridors. Make sure to go to the fourth floor. Loved seeing women in politics even in the early 1900s. No need for a reservation. Open until 3 PM on Saturday. Lots of parking available on the weekends.

    Tammi W.

    Didn't go inside but the grounds around the capital have some beautiful monuments. Definitely make a stop.

    Joycelyn C.

    A nice site to check out, especially at night. A little smaller than I expected. I enjoyed seeing the different memorials around the capitol building.

    We've been to 38 state capitals and this is one of our favorites. We stopped on a Friday afternoon. Their website says they close at 3:00 on Friday. We also stopped at an Arkansas welcome center on the highway earlier in the day that had hundreds of pamphlets about Arkansas attractions but nothing about the capital. Didn't seem like they wanted people to visit the capital based on short hours and no literature so we didn't expect much. Boy we're we wrong. Once we got inside, we found out that they are open until 5:00 on Friday. The website is wrong and it needs updating. There were no guided tours but they had a printed handout we could use for a self guided tour. The associate at the desk where we checked in was very personable and helpful. We started our walk around and the place was beautiful and clean. When we got to the Governor's office, the receptionist waved us in and welcomed us. She was personable and apologized that we couldn't see the inner office because there was a function going on at the time. We then checked out the House and the Senate. There was also a new display being set up "Voices and Votes - Democracy in America" designed and circulated by the Smithsonian. We talked to a couple of the capital police officers who were providing security. They, too, we're personable. There was a military retirement ceremony going on in the rotunda while we were there. It was interesting to watch. The police that we spoke to said that they regularly use the capital for a lot of similar functions. That's better than some capitals we've been to that are basically empty and feel like a museum. We then wanted to see the Treasurer's vault we saw in the handout. Once we found the office, we were welcomed in and invited to actually go into the vault. We were told about the history of the vault and then my wife was handed 21 pounds (tens of thousands of dolof $100 bills to have her picture taken! They are proud to say that this is the only state capital that will let you into their vault. The capital is very nice but the people were even nicer. Of our 38 capital visits, this is easily in the top 5.

    Looking down in the rotunda
    Bob D.

    Had a really nice free tour here and learned a lot about the capital. Our tour guide was very engaging and told some great stories.

    Robert T.

    Guided tours were cancelled due to COVID, but we were still able to do free self-guided tours. You can sometimes walk into the Supreme Court, house, and senate gathering rooms depending on what is going on. The 4th floor has the best exhibits in my opinion. You can reach it using the small staircase or the elevator. You'll see a few on the 1st floor too but it's more like clutter. Finding parking was tough due to reserved spots, but it was doable.

    Love & #BlackHistory! #AnniversaryOuting #TeamHart
    Juliet H.

    Behold, the dome! It's cute and all, but that's not the capitol's selling point for me. This is my 2nd visit to the capitol building, but it ain't to see the building, it's to see the Little Rock Nine memorial statue. -- Gah! I just love it! The setup with the "Nine" looking toward the capitol building was a phenomenal placement idea. Also, the plaques with quotes from each of the nine kinda' does it for me. Great history and great execution. Governor Huckabee DID THAT during his tenure! I'm a proud supporter, and I'm not even an Arkansan. Footnote: *I beg your pardon, I'm feelin' really colloquial tonight.*

    Memorial to Confederate Women at the Arkansas State Capitol
    Bruce K.

    Just passing through, I made a slight detour and stopped here to walk the grounds of the Capitol and take some pictures, capturing my ninth State Capitol (see the list). On a Sunday afternoon, I had no trouble parking my u-Haul across the street in an empty parking lot for a half hour and was not hassled. Built between 1899 and 1915, the Capitol is a stunning building with a massive dome that can be seen from quite the distance. Lots of grass and trees on the grounds, which have been dotted with a number of important memorials including a Monument to Confederate Women, Medal of Honor recipients and the Arkansas Vietnam Veterans Memorial. All are worth a look. Sadly, not open for tours on this particular Sunday.

    Boon C.

    This my 8th State Capitol visit. This is not the most fancy state Capitol but have beautiful dome. The front entrance is permanently close for symbolization. This state capital is where Bill Clinton work for 10 years in 3 term. He was elected as governor then lost his second term. Then he reelected for two terms before become the president. Like most of the state capital, they have two wings. But this state capital include the Supreme Court other than the house and senate. I like the big dome that allow visitor to the fourth floor. You can look down and give you an awesome view. We went to the senate and house chamber. They also have the shoe shine on the third floor. We saw a lot of statues at the surrounding state Capitol lawn. The entrance is from the tunnel below the front entrance.

    Land Maps
    Jimmy K.

    I had a great time on my Capitol visit. Mostly everyone was friendly. I took the walking tour. I was a little curious and tried to get in every door. I got a couple of dirty looks, especially from the State Auditor's office. Maybe I overstepped my boundaries though. The Supreme Court was pretty cool, as was the Land Commissioner's office. They were extra friendly and welcomed me right in. The room with all the old maps was really cool. On the second floor, the Treasury is a must stop! The gentleman there was so nice and brought me right in. He gave me the full tour right into the vault and offered a ton of information. The highlight was stacking $500,000 cash in my hands and then taking a pic for me. Even though I couldn't keep it, it kept me smiling all night! The second floor also hosts the Governor's Reception Room, very nice. I knocked on the door to the Governor's Suite and was surprised when they buzzed me in. They were a little confused as to why I was there but I explained I was on the tour and requested to meet the Governor. The nice lady went into the back (probably just to humor me) and returned a minute later. She said he was not available to see me at the moment but that I could make an appointment and come back. The third floor held the House and Senate chambers, also cool to see. There wasn't much more to keep my short attention span occupied so I called it a day. The building itself is very beautiful and parking is available outside. I would definitely recommend stopping in if you have an hour to kill.

    The front
    Ginger V.

    A great experience with the people here. The Capitol is beautiful, and you can walk in to almost every area. Upon arrival, we had a chance meeting with both the Secretary of State and the State Treasurer. Both were so friendly and spoke to us for about 20 minutes. We love visiting capitols, but this was by far one of the best experiences!

    State Capital Building

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    Arkansas fails to care about a it citizens. They do not answer the phone, even hang up on people. They also give you a fake email address.

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    Review Highlights - Arkansas State Capitol

    Take time to explore the common rooms like the house and senate as well as the information along the state flag lined corridors.

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    Little Rock City-of

    Little Rock City-of

    3.7(3 reviews)
    1.3 mi

    I listen to a lot of country, a lot of rap, and a Little Rock. So I fit right in here. (Jk, I'm not…read morebig into country or rap but it worked for the intro, did it not). Little Rock in brief summary, is an absolutely gorgeous City which will live forever in my heart, both because of the bittersweet distant memories, and some more recent ones with Starlight, and even moreso - the amazing concerts I've had here. My first memories of Little Rock were with the love of my life when we were traveling all over the country, driving through here on a sticky summers' day. The first thing we discovered here was the River Market. We've traversed Arkansas on a number of fateful occasions over the years and each one has left a real impression on me. Almost always in the heat of the summer, except when I did my tour here, in late Autumn. When it is at its most comfortable, really. My most recent experience was bringing Starlight through here in the heat of the summer - and she and son and mochi all enjoyed the Frozen Custard from Shake's, and we had a little look around the downtown. You can see her eating it in the attached pic. My best experience here was for a concert. We absolutely packed the River City Coffee Cafe with over 100 people and it was one of the most memorable concerts I ever had. So LR will always be special to me and it's a truly beautiful place. And no, while I may have Little Rock in my heart, I do not have Little Rocks anywhere on my body, despite what you may have heard from multiple sources.

    The photo doesn't do any justice to how high the grass/weeds are; nearly hip high…read more I watched children have to walk through this mess to get to school. Do better Little Rock. Cut the weeds back so the children and other pedestrians can have a clear path to get where they need to go.

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    Little Rock City-of - Downtown goodness for the children's book-lover in you!

    Downtown goodness for the children's book-lover in you!

    Little Rock City-of
    Little Rock City-of - Little Rock Art Night!

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    Little Rock Art Night!

    Historic Arkansas Museum

    Historic Arkansas Museum

    4.2(17 reviews)
    1.1 mi

    It's rare for me to give less than 4 stars. But this was not what I was expecting. I really thought…read morethere was going to be history of the trail of tears which is why we came. Also the Heritage website is confusing so we went to the wrong place first. But the artwork was pretty and it is free to go through the museum so it wasn't a total loss. I do appreciate all the Arkansas made art. I'd still say to visit as long as you are aware what it is. To be fair, they did appear to have a section blocked off so I wonder if they were changing out the displays.

    This museum is free and gives you a history lesson on Arkansas. It not only has a brick and motar…read morebuilding, but their are mock log cabins and other similar structures across the street. There is also a private parking lot for the museum on that side of the street and you will find metered street parking within a reasonable walking distance. You can enter the museum from two opposing sides. The main entrance has some enticing sculptures out front and are popular with people taking pictures on. I will admit that their is not much to this museum. It is two levels of exhibits that are available to view. The first is where you will find an information booth, gift shop, meeting room and open space vacant exhibit area. The only actual exhibit on the first floor is Conspicuous Consumption: If you've got it, flaunt it! That displays antique furniture and artifacts. The second floor has the majority of the exhibits including Arkansas art, some of which you can purchase, a large native American exhibit, and the Sturgis Children's Gallery, which is pretty much a kids play area. The native American exhibit is the most detailed and where I spent the majority of my time. The knife exhibit was closed while I was there. I really wanted to see it, but oh well. Visiting the museum is 100% free, but they do offer paid tours. In addition to the inside exhibits, the tour includes a mock historic town located outdoors that has brick/wood made buildings and structures. This is a nice museum. It is pretty clean and well organized. I spent about an hour checking out the museum and walking the grounds. It is definitely a must see while in Little Rock.

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    Historic Arkansas Museum
    Historic Arkansas Museum
    Historic Arkansas Museum

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    MacArthur Museum Of Arkansas Military History

    MacArthur Museum Of Arkansas Military History

    4.4(14 reviews)
    1.5 mi

    This two-floor mansion which it seems will soon be adjacent to a much larger art gallery offers…read moreboth a general history of the state of Arkansas and its contribution to military history as well as a specific exhibition dedicated to its namesake. Douglas MacArthur is an interesting historical figure; while the place unsurprisingly paints a favorable picture of him, the museum presents some controversy for the viewer to think about. Much of the other exhibitions were primary source photographs or paintings from the time of various wars. It isn't fancy, but it does allow the viewer to make up his or her own mind, and there's plenty to ponder. Given that the museum is free to enter, I expect that visitorship will only grow as the next door building opens, and I certainly think it's worth a look.

    This museum is awesome. It gives you a good look at the State's military history. It is in an old…read moreArsenal building and has two floors of exhibits. It has artifacts, displays, videos, pictures, and placards detailing Arkansas and some of the state's famous residents' contributions to wars including the Civil War, WWI, WWII, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Gulf War. There is parking right out front of the museum and in the lot that belongs to the neighboring park as well. One of the best parts of the museum, and there are many, is that it is free. The museum has a meeting/conference area on the 2nd floor, where chairs are situated in a square around the room's perimeter. The museum is small but packed. It is also well organized. There are no guides and there was only one guy sitting at the front desk at the entrance and he never left his post. Some of the more notable exhibits in the museum include the General MacArthur exhibit on 2nd floor. General MacArthur was actually born in Little Rock.....who knew? There is also a large exhibit on Asian Americans that fought in WWII, women suffrage posters/cartoons and a Jeep display. If you do visit this Museum, I encourage you to venture outside and take a look a the nearby memorials, markers, and placards. They added to my museum experience. I highly recommend checking this museum out. I really enjoyed my time here and learned a lot. Between the adjoining park, the fine arts, memorials, and other attractions, you can actually make a day of it.

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    MacArthur Museum Of Arkansas Military History
    MacArthur Museum Of Arkansas Military History
    MacArthur Museum Of Arkansas Military History

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    Arkansas State Capitol - landmarks - Updated May 2026

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