While visiting family in Arkansas from Florida, we decided to spend some time exploring local…read morehistory and stopped by Ka-Do-Ha Indian Village. The experience includes a small museum, preserved burial grounds, and an area where visitors can search for arrowheads. We spent over an hour there simply walking leisurely, reading plaques, exploring the grounds, and taking everything in. I actually enjoyed going through the museum twice -- once before touring the grounds and then again afterward because seeing the burial areas and artifacts in person gave much better context to what we were viewing inside. One detail that really stood out to me was the intricate beadwork on a pair of Indian baby shoes displayed in the museum. The craftsmanship and patience behind something like that was incredible to think about. The grounds were well maintained, peaceful, and you could tell they're continuing to improve and add additional features over time. Admission for our family of 5 was around $50 total. While that's not outrageous by today's standards for museums and historical attractions, it did feel a little high relative to the size and simplicity of the site itself. I'm glad we experienced it once and I do believe in supporting local historical sites and preservation efforts. If you enjoy history, archaeology, or quieter educational stops while traveling through the area, it's worth experiencing at least once.

The museum here, though small, deserves to be savored. Walk through and give yourself plenty of…read moretime to read and observe. The collection of arrowheads and Caddo pottery collected at the site is exquisite. It is very well documented and lets one get a true feel for the history of this site. The outdoor exhibit is also thoughtfully and respectfully done. The attendant on the day we were there, Kolton, was very well informed and helpful.

This is a surprisingly very good museum. We stopped here to do some geocaches and saw that it was…read morefree. We were not expecting much but we were blown away at how interesting and how big it was - inside and outside. We had no idea about the oil industry in southern Arkansas so that in itself was fascinating. There was almost too much to take in. The exhibits were well done and covered a wide range of topics related to the 1920's oil boom and life in this area. You could easily spend two hours here. A hidden gem for those who like history and science.

Smackover: the town that God forgot after six o'clock. That sentiment was from Methodist preacher…read moreT.O. Rorie who wrote about Smackover in his 1920s book, 'Hellhole of the World.' The good reverend certainly knew how to craft a catchy title. Was it apt? Well, maybe God forgot about Smackover before six o'clock, too, based on the contents of this great museum that weaves a number of stories and timelines throughout the two-story complex and grounds. Don't let the very State Department of Transportation-looking exterior or dull name keep you away. This museum is a surprisingly good time for adults. Children will like it even more. You'll know that you're in for more than the average visit when you board the elevator. The slow ride to the second floor jump starts a narration with visual displays on two sides of the cab that are quite entertaining. Once off the elevator, take a look over the wood railing to see the town below you. Before you descend the steps, there are some interesting vitrines about oil history. My favorite was the origin of the term 'snake oil.' When you do make it to the first floor, the little town is quite realistic right down to the uneven mud grooves recreated in concrete. Old vehicles, old-timey storefronts filled with artifacts inside each of them, and sound effects add up to give an authentic feel to 1920s Smackover. Kids will run around excitedly to take in all the visuals. Adults can read the many captions and stories at every turn. Some of it is fascinating and some of it is heartbreaking. Life here was incredibly tough. (Even horses died of exhaustion and it wasn't unusual for them to collapse and drown on the rain-soaked mud streets.) Add in lawlessness, gambling, prostitution, and the daily dangers of working in the fledgling oil industry and it's a wonder that anyone survived to tell their tales. There is a lot to see outside on the grounds of museum, too, including a large oil derrick and an assortment of old machines and parts. Still not not sure if you want to visit? Well, there's a two-headed calf on display in a glass case. Still not sure? Well, there's a good gift shop and, yes, it sells Smackover t-shirts. That convinced you, didn't it?

Although my daughter enjoyed Discovery Place, I found it woefully inadequate compared to similar…read moreinteractive children's museums that I've visited in other cities. Many of the "exhibits" barely deserve the title (resembling something closer to simple children's play areas), and roughly half of those that do appear to be out of commission. Furthermore, the entire building suffers from a sense of decay that feels like it's a couple cigarette burns in the carpet shy of becoming a crack house. That said, there are two specific offerings that save this review from single-star oblivion. First is the Tesla Coil show, which makes up for what it lacks in presentation (the video before the show is almost unbearable) with an admittedly cool display set to music. This comes at no extra cost, which is a nice change from other museums where shows like this typically require an additional ticket purchase. The second shining attribute is the mural work on the main wall, which displays a terrific woodland scene and clearly required a great deal of time and effort from a talented artist. If you believe those two experiences are worth the $5/person cost of entry, by all means, visit this museum. But if you are expecting anything - literally anything - else, you are going to leave disappointed.

Visited Texarkana because husband was on a business trip, so needed somewhere to take the kids in…read morethe day. The place was kind of old looking inside and kind of a mess when we walked. Some things looked like they could really use a deep clean/update. We were the only people in the place (other than the staff member and her kids). For $5 I feel like it was better than having my kids in a hotel room all day, but it just wasn't what I was expecting. The only cool thing about the place was the Tesla show (which I had to go tell a staff member it was 11:30 which was the time the door said they did the show) and cool mural on the wall.

Just an amazing place. It was like walking back in time! This place out of all the places I…read morevisited made the trip worth it. The tour guides knew everything about the owners and history of the home. It gave a lot of insight on the time period when the home was build. The best part was five bucks gets you a very personal tour. This was one of the best tours I've been on. Worth a visit if our in the area and definitely worth a visit if your passing through.

I was in Texarkana in December for work at the same time that we had our short government shut down…read moreso I had a day we had to kill before the defense budget was passed and we got back to work the next day. I found this house on Yelp's things to do search...it was slim pickins for sure. I rounded up four other coworkers to go as well. We couldn't take pics inside so I just have the exterior. It's been a few months so I don't totally recall the history but I think that the original owner was the only lawyer in town. His wife would fly to Neiman Marcus in Dallas twice a year to shop. The photos of the shoes that are on yelp from the business owner are just a small snapshot of all the shoes. There were so many that were cute by today's standards. I loved looking at the shoes. The house was made so that all rooms were an octagon, I think I recall the reasoning was because you get the most light that way. But again...I could be butchering this story. The house had many rooms and a lot of detail. The family donated it to the city as a museum and left a lot of the decor and just took stuff that was sentimental. I think a nephew still lives in town. The house and the grounds definitely needed TLC and preservation. But that costs money and I don't think they're raking in the dough. When we got to work the next day I told one of the dudes that lives in Texarkana that we went there and he knew all about it and mentioned the wife flying to Dallas for shopping lol. So...long story short...if you're in the area and looking for something to do I think this is a great choice. It's cute and informational and supports the community.

I Hope that you like Hope as much as I Hoped you would, but there's always Hope that if you have no…read moreHope of ever liking Hope, that you may grow to love Hope as I love Hope, and I Hope you do. They have a Hopespital or two, they brew their own beer which is why it always smells like Hopes, and a lot of people here have injured legs which is why everyone is always Hopeing around on one leg. Hope is a magical City where Bill Clinton came into the world. And came quite a few times in Hope I should imagine. At least I Hope so. They used to have one of the greatest BBQ spots in the world but lately since Uncle Henry left Hope has become more and more sleepy. I'll have to try it down in Louisiana at some point and as for all of you guys, you should come and visit Hope and the Clinton birthplace and whatever other good stuff you find in the area.

This is a neat little town. They're most well known for being the childhood home of Bill Clinton…read more(and Mike Huckabee) and the House museum where it was. Other than that, there's a few restaurants and stores, relatively quite overall.

This place, I can dig it. It's a simple, friendly, small southern town visitors center that seems…read moreto have really gained its' focus in the last thirty years or so. Hope is the self-titled Watermelon Capital of the World, and I suppose if Bill Clinton had never been born here and risen to become the 42nd President of the United States, this place would be more centered around the giant fruit, than about the Clinton family and legacy. The museum here offers free admission which is nice. There shouldn't be any complaints about something when it's free. The only thing it will cost you is your time, and how long you might spend in here is up to you. I found that the time slips away from you here, as it does often here in the deep southern part of this great country. This is a neat place. It's an old railroad depot, that's still functional to some degree and utilized by Amtrak. There is a delicious restaurant right across the street from here, called Tailgaters Burger Company, which is what motivated us to pull off the interstate in the first place driving back to Shreveport from Hot Springs on a family vacay. Had this Visitors Center not been in such close proximity from the restaurant, I can tell you with all sincerity, that I wouldn't have even bothered trying to find it. Had there been some sort of substantial admission fee, I wouldn't have gone in, but being so very close to the restaurant, being a gorgeously interesting old railroad depot, being open during the hours we were in Hope, and being free, I curiously wandered inside. I am somewhat familiar with Bill and Hillary's lives together, coupled with their meteoric rise from small southern state governor and First Lady to this land's highest office and beyond. It's captivating here to mosey along the old pictures, articles, and artifacts, mostly capturing that aforementioned rise to the highest power for the Clintons. I found myself rather easily transported back to the 1990's. The lone employee seeing over this museum-visitors center the afternoon we visited, was extremely friendly and quite helpful. It was a real pleasure talking with her about all things Hope. Overall, the nice family lunch across the street matched with the impromptu tour of this property, made for a pleasant finale to our summer trip to southern Arkansas. I highly recommend pulling off that interstate and giving this place a good look over. Call in advance for their daily open hours.

My husband and I loved it here! They stayed open a little later so we could visit while we were…read morepassing through Hot Springs, and they were so easy to communicate with and really went our of their way for us! We didn't mind the price of admission, since they give so much back to the community. Excellent cause, such cool selection of collections, and a great tour with fun backstories! We came specifically for Star Wars nostalgia, but were pleasantly surprised with how much else was there! We would definitely come back if we are ever passing through Hot Springs again!

This is a great place to go for a little nostalgia. If you grew up in the '70s, '80s, or '90s--or…read morejust love vintage toys--you have to check out the Retroverse Museum. The toy collection is insanely fun and super well-curated. I saw everything from original Star Wars figures to Matchbox cars and He-Man. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable about the collections. You can tell a lot of love went into this place. New pieces are added as they are found "in the wild" or donated by collectors and families of collectors that have passed. They even have some duplicate/overflow items available to purchase in a little gift shop area. Tickets are a little pricy, but proceeds are used to maintain the museum, as well as a variety of community events.

Great collection of cars! Staff was friendly & an overall great place for fans of classic cars!read more

Review is not of the museum itself; it is of the ownership or management of the museum. We are…read moretraveling through, heading west to home in New Mexico, and Hubby specifically chose this place from the Texas travel guide to visit during the short time we would be in town. After arriving at the location, we discovered that the museum is open only on Saturday and Sunday. This information should be given to the travel guide and disseminated to the readers who might want to see the place. The outside looked interesting. Too bad we could see the inside!!