Old State House Museum
The building was the original state house for Arkansas and has a storied history.
Site Details
Pin location is approximate.
300 W Markham St
Little Rock, AR 72201
Family Friendly?
Yes
Visitors Per Year
27,588
The Old State House Museum is more of a hodgepodge of a few different museums given how varied the exhibits are. Some examples:
- There is a section describing in detail the design, construction, and repair of the building itself.
- There is a room focused on the history of the state supreme court that was once housed there, with replicas of court decisions and a short film describing some highlights from that history. For example, there are displays describing cases from the mid-1800’s involving “Debts and Contracts” and “Banks and Banking” that helped to make credit more easily available for farming and commercial transactions, important developments given how impoverished Arkansas was at the time.
- There is a room displaying the gowns worn by women who won the Miss Arkansas contest.
- There are rooms decorated in historic styles sponsored by various women’s organizations, such as the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Daughters of the Confederacy.
- There is an exhibit on the connection between Arkansas and the film industry. The display profiles Arkansans who became famous in Hollywood, including early cowboy star Bronco Billy Anderson, as well as more modern actors like Billy Bob Thornton and Mary Steenburgen. It also describes film scenes that were shot at Arkansas locations, including scenes in “Gone with the Wind” and the 2019 movie, “Mud.”
- There is a display about how Bill Clinton announced his campaign for President and gave his first victory speech at that building.
The Old State House Museum told many different stories, and each appeared to be historically accurate though only loosely connected to one another. Each exhibit has very lengthy text displays and relatively little film or interactive content. Unless parents and their children have particular interests in one or more of the featured topics, it may be difficult to grasp the information being conveyed.
Other than being told upon arrival that the building was situated on the ancestral land of the Quapaw people and that slaves had been auctioned on that property (a fact tangential to the building’s primary significance as a state capitol), there did not appear to be any ideological agenda to the exhibits.
The museum may be boring for children unless they have a particular interest in an exhibit there. The exhibits largely consist of lengthy text displays with relatively few images, films, or interactive content. There is also a lack of a coherent theme across the exhibits other than that they are all somehow connected to Arkansas.
The building was the original home of the Arkansas state capitol, was later turned into a medical school, and was used by Bill Clinton as part of his 1992 campaign for President. The museum probably has the greatest appeal for people interested in historic architecture, restoration, and preservation.
Owned By: Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism
Operated By: Division of Arkansas Heritage
Government Funded: Yes
Did you know?
Bill Clinton announced his campaign for President at the Old State House and gave his victory speech on election night in 1992 at the same place.
Recommended Reading
- A Pictorial History of Arkansas’s Old State House by Mary L. Kwas
Reviewed By
Jay P. Greene
Former Senior Research Fellow in the Center for Education Policy at The Heritage Foundation
The opinions expressed above are those of the Reviewer who is providing a good-faith historical assessment to educate the public. Reasonable opinions can vary, and the Reviewer’s opinion is not necessarily the opinion of The Heritage Foundation or its affiliates.