I would recommend the Gangster Museum if the history is interesting to you. It's a very…read more"tourist-y" place but it's also historically accurate and the staff is good at what they do. I have been 3 times total. Once as a tourist myself, and twice taking others after I moved here. Some loved it and found it very interesting and others were bored to tears, visibly yawning as we walked from room to room. I think it's terrific, but again, subjective. /Gangster

I cannot say this place is amazing but I will say they try very hard. It's amazing to me how much…read morehistory there is that ties the mob to Hot Springs and yet there's only this tiny little place capitalizing on it. So many cool stories that could be capitalized on. They don't have a ton of paraphernalia but the tour guide is very knowledgeable and the videos share a great deal of history and neat tidbits. If I was a millionaire, I'd be all over marketing this as the original vacation spot to the mob and bootleggers... so much that could be done. It's worth the hour here to check it out.

This museum is a must see if visiting Hot Springs! Our toddler absolutely loved all the fun things…read moreto play with and see. Especially the indoor water physics machine thing (not sure how to describe it but it was so fun for all of us)! Didn't see the shows offered but we were content seeing all the dinosaurs.

We had so much fun here! I have been here with my students on field trips before but it was our…read morefirst time coming as a family. We spent more than 2 hours here and it didn't even feel like it because every time we turned around we found something new to do!

It was my daughter's first trip to Hot Springs so of course we had to stop here! We had a blast!…read moreFrom holding a baby gator, to feeding the gators "biscuits", to playing with the baby goats, to feeding the silly donkey that opened his mouth and leaned his head back for more, there wasn't a part we didn't enjoy!

This was our second visit, and it's a lot of fun! The staff is nice and the prices are very…read morereasonable, even with the extras for feeding some of the animals. They also have alligator feedings on certain days. The zoo has wolves, raccoons, alligators, peacocks, and a few other animals for guests to enjoy. For the petting zoo portion, there are goats, emus, birds, turtles, and rabbits you can feed. You can even hold and feed a baby alligator! Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo has been around for decades, and it shows in a few areas. There are a few enclosures that could use some updates. Other than that, I definitely recommend this place if you're in town.

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?

This place is a total blast from the past! We took the VIP…read moretour which was informative, educational (not only for the young audience), and also helps children in need (you can hear more about it when you take the tour.) So many items, toys, games, it's hard to believe just one person collected them all. Take lots of pictures. It was fun!

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 History of the Local area. Great knowledgeable workers with history of the plantation. This…read morehome is in the middle of great agriculture and great views of the levee that protects the home from the Mississippi River.

This place was a wonderful discovery in on way driving to Shreveport. It is a restoration of a…read morehouse located in a cotton plantation. We got an incredible tour with a great guide (the same in charge of the office) who explained us the history, life an legacy of this place. The entrance is only $5 per person and includes the guided tour. The visit was totally worthwhile. 100% recommended!!

Dropped by Tuesday and no one was here. Waste of a detour from my long road trip of 2600 miles…read more Even called to see if they were at lunch. No answer. I have a 100 year old friend that was a Heart Mountain camp and wanted to see this.

Did not know that there were 2 internment camps in the state of Arkansas. It is in a very small…read moretown and we happened to see a sign while on a road trip and decided to stop by and check it out. It has only been opened to the public about three years. Staff member was very professional, knowledgeable and friendly. Unbelievable how this could have happened to Japanese-Americans during the war. Museum is well organized and will definitely be coming back to see videos and walk around and see and read the history of this camp. Very well worth stopping and checking it out--admission is free!

What a little diamond in the rough..we visited from California and my son was absolutely in love…read morewith this museum..he's a train enthusiast and was so excited to see all of the trains and history all on display..the volunteers were so wonderful to explain everything and were very accommodating of our stay..we highly recommend this location to anyone looking to learn more about trains!

This is such a nice museum; a hidden gem of sorts! There are…read moreall types of train cars to peek in and explore. Plus, there is a model railroad and small gift shop. Admission is free, but don't forget to ring the bell upon entering so the friendly volunteer can give you all of the fun facts and interesting details about the trains on site. It's great for aspiring train conductors of all ages!

This museum was one of the features on our "Hop On Hop Off" bus tour with our American Queen…read morecruise. Sooooooooo much stuff and local history, peoples stuff. I mean, you barely even know where to look or where to start! There are high school pictures, memorabilia, trinkets, record albums, statues, antique arcade games, historical and interesting artifacts from decades, pretty much you name it! My mom could have stayed for hours.. me not so much. Our group spent about an hour there though, exploring and pointing out different items. Once I got past the overwhelming volume of items and started focusing more on a small section at a time, I enjoyed it quite a bit. If you go upstairs you can take a look at an old radio station and it's set up (you know, kind of WKRP style) Definitely gives you a feel for the pride this curator has for his town and all the nostalgia he's collected. Very interesting place. Great job, nice collection.

" This Museum Has Some Very Interesting Items "…read more We went to the Greenville History Museum and met the owner Benjy Nelken of the Museum. The Museum is a very interesting place where you can go through some never seen before items, and relive the history of he city of Greenville. The owner walked around with us answering all of our questions about the very unique items in the Museum. A must see place when you are visiting Greenville.

Found the museum driving by to Petit Jean. The front desk…read moreattendant has incredible knowledge of the car collection and history of the Rockefeller's who established the building. Very nice collection to see while traveling.

The cars were wonderful and the venue clean. However, the displays were disorganized; not in era,…read moremake, or any other discernable order. Inconsistent data listings of vehicle stats and poorly written bits about the vehicles made the visit much less fun.