Museum of Discovery

   This science museum is a little different because it doesn’t have an Imax theater.  Also most of the adults (with and without kids) were playing with the exhibits so for once we weren’t the only ones. ;-D  Tony even had a helper for his turn on the bed of nails.

    The main gallery is all hands-on. Other areas feature an immersive tornado experience, exhibits on how our bodies function, a tinkering studio, terrariums containing small animals, a play area for young children, and a gallery on diamonds which is Arkansas’s state gem.

     

    Some of the hands-on exhibits are not accessible. Many of the devices for inspecting diamonds are fixed to the tables and can not be used by visitors in wheelchairs. The rest of the museum is accessible.

  The museum does not have a parking lot. Metered parking is available on the surrounding streets but it’s easier to park an RV at the Clinton Library lot and walk 1/3 mile to the museum.  Museum  34.74736, -92.26436

Little Rock Zoo

    Although it’s on the small side this zoo includes great apes, big cats, elephants, giraffes and other large animals plus many small animals, birds, and reptiles. Children will enjoy the petting farm and antique carousel. As with most zoo some of the enclosures could be improved to give the animals a larger and better environment.
        
    About 2/3 of the enclosures have railings at eye level, blocking the view for visitors in wheelchairs. The upper level of terrariums in the reptile building are too high to view The terrain is rolling so assistance may be necessary.

   The parking lot is large enough for any RV. A small fee in addition to the zoo admission is charged.  Zoo   34.74739, -92.33047

Arkansas Arts Center

   Although it’s fairly small in size the museum has a large collection of drawings, contemporary craft, paintings, photographs, and prints which are rotated through changing exhibits. The current exhibit traces how artistic styles have changed through the years. Special and traveling exhibits are also featured.

       

   The museum is accessible.

  The parking lot is large and RVs will fit if backed up over the grass or parked lengthwise across the spaces.  Museum   34.73812, -92.26696

William J. Clinton Presidential Library

   The library has a very detailed accounting of each year that Bill Clinton served as president. Reading everything would take days but a few hours still gives visitors a good overview of some of the important issues such as NAFTA, the Family and Medical Leave Act, the assault weapons ban and additional funding for police,  telecommunications reform, CHIP, and the creation of four new national monuments. The failure to pass a national healthcare plan and the Whitewater investigation which led to the Monica Lewinsky scandal are also covered.

  There is little personal or political information about the lives of Bill, Hillary, or Chelsea Clinton before Clinton’s presidency. I always like learning the early years and family life of each president because it gives a bit of insight into the how and why of decisions and projects. Several display cases are filled with gifts from foreign dignitaries and US citizens.

  A interesting temporary exhibit explores the power of music and how it is used in both presidential campaigns and political protests.

  The Arkansas River Trail can be accessed from the library. Follow the trail downhill to a small wetlands and boardwalk loop trail.

      

The museum and trail are accessible.

The parking lot is large enough for any RV.  Museum  34.74533, -92.25956

Arkansas River Trail & Vogel Schwartz Sculpture Garden

  Utilizing abandoned rail lines along both the north and south banks of the Arkansas River this paved biking/walking trail is over 21 miles in length and connects many attractions. Four bridges without vehicle traffic span the river. Two more bridges in the downtown Little Rock area have wide pedestrian sidewalks.

  We really enjoyed this trail and walked/rolled along it on two separate occasions. We parked at the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum and went across the Junction Bridge to the Vogel Schwartz Sculpture Garden. The Junction Bridge is a decommission railroad bridge and features a lift section that is always in the raised position. Elevators are located at each end of the lift section.  For our next visit we parked at the Clinton Presidential Library and crossed the Clinton Presidential Park Bridge, walked/rolled west along the north shore, crossed back over at the Broadway Bridge, and went east along the south shore for a 2.5 mile loop.

 
   The trail is wide and smooth. A few sections require using parking lots and sidewalks.  Wheelchair users may need assistance to access the bridges due to very long ADA compliant ramps. West of the city the trail has gaps on the south shore so a complete unbroken loop is not possible.

  The parking lots are large enough for any RV.  Trail  34.75286, -92.26777  Sculpture Garden

Old State House Museum

   The Old State House is the original state capitol of Arkansas which became the 25th state in 1836. In 1861, shortly after the start of the Civil War, convention delegates voted to join the Confederacy. The Union Army captured Little Rock in 1863 and used the building for a military headquarters. It was returned to Arkansas in 1868 after the state was restored to the Union. By 1911 a new larger building was required and various uses were found for the old capitol including a medical school and headquarters for the state police. It finally became a museum in 1947.

  The permanent exhibits cover all of the governors and their families. First Lady’s gowns are on display, a couple of rooms have been decorated with period furnishings and some of the state chambers have been restored as they appeared in the mid 1800.  A temporary exhibit  "Cabinet of Curiosities” features an eclectic assortment of artifacts from the University of Arkansas Museum which closed to the public in 2003.

                  

  An elevator and two lifts provide access to all levels of the museum.

  The museum does not have a parking lot but there is a limited amount of metered parking on Markham St. and Center St. Museum  34.74849, -92.27276

Historic Arkansas Museum

   The galleries on the first floor of the museum are dedicated to works of art made in Arkansas. Descriptive labels give a brief history of each item but there isn’t an overall historical perspective of Arkansas itself. The second floor has a large Native American gallery with excellent exhibits on the three tribes that inhabited Arkansas until they were all forced to move west to Oklahoma in the early 1800s.

         

   The museum grounds cover an entire block with half of the block depicting a section of the city during the mid 1800s. It includes Little Rock’s oldest standing building, the Hinderliter Grog Shop, which served as a tavern, restaurant, hotel, and private residence. Three restored houses are in their original location. Other buildings have been reconstructed or moved to the museum grounds. Some of the buildings are opened to tour and feature interpreters in period dress.

   The museum is free but there is a small charge for touring the restored town.

   The museum is accessible. The restored town has brick sidewalks. Ramps are put in place to bridge the steps at the entrances to the buildings. The main room in the grog shop is down three or four steps and is not accessible but it can be seen from the landing.

  The parking lot is small. We fit by backing up over the grass. When it’s not busy larger RVs may fit if parked lengthwise across the spaces. Otherwise park in the pay lot south of the museum lot or in the metered spaces on 3rd Street east of the museum. Metered spaces are free on the weekends.  Museum   34.74553, -92.26859