Historic Arkansas Museum: A Visitor Guide to Little Rock History

Historic Arkansas Museum sits at 200 E. Third Street in downtown Little Rock. It preserves a historic block on Block 32 of the original city, giving the museum’s buildings and grounds a direct connection to the city’s early development.

The museum is about 4.9 miles from El Rancho Motel, which offers guest rooms.

The museum’s preserved buildings and collections trace Arkansas history from Indigenous Arkansans to contemporary artists and artisans. Founder Louise Loughborough campaigned in the late 1930s to save and restore buildings on Block 32; the museum opened to the public in July 1941.

The c. 1827 Hinderliter Grog Shop is identified by the museum as the oldest building in Little Rock. Other structures include the 1840s McVicar and Brownlee Houses, a reconstructed 1820s Arkansas Gazette print shop and the transplanted Plum Bayou Log House, an 1850s plantation house from Scott, Arkansas.

The 1850s Farmstead includes a kitchen, a timber-frame smokehouse with a root cellar, an outhouse and raised gardens. Together, the structures give the historic block a range of settings to explore, from early Little Rock buildings to a farmstead.

The galleries feature Arkansas-made decorative, mechanical and fine arts, alongside exhibitions and a permanent collection spanning history and art. For another art-focused stop in the city, the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts guide covers its hours, tickets and getting there.

Living Craft brings performers demonstrating 19th-century trades and crafts to the museum, with opportunities for hands-on learning. Living Craft Saturdays are held monthly, and the museum also offers monthly Living Craft Workshops and weekly Guild days. Check the program schedule when planning around a particular activity.

The museum also closes on New Year’s Day, Easter, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Opening hours

• Tuesday to Saturday: 9 AM–5 PM
• Sunday: 1 PM–5 PM
• Monday: closed

Last checked November 2026. Hours can change on holidays and for special events.

Admission to the galleries is free. Grounds tours cost $2.50 for adults, $1.50 for visitors age 65 and older, and $1.00 for visitors under 18; museum members enter free on these tours. Weather can affect tour availability. The museum publishes free parking, and Arkansas.com identifies the museum as handicap accessible.

The Museum Store has separate hours: Tuesday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Hours and tour availability can change, so check the official site before you go.

The museum’s downtown location makes it easy to build a day around Little Rock’s history and cultural stops. The Little Rock history and riverfront route includes other stops around the city.

The museum’s focus on Arkansas-made art also pairs naturally with a visit to the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts.