River Market District
The Clinton Center and Heifer International anchor one end of the emerging River Market District, a compact area in the heart of downtown Little Rock on the banks of the Arkansas River. It offers visitors a variety of interesting restaurants, bars, live entertainment, cultural experiences and more. You can hop an electric streetcar trolley to get from place to place.
In many of these businesses, you’ll be treated like a neighbor, even if you’re from out of town, according to the Marriott’s Freeborn.
“People here will ask you about your history and background and then connect with you on a personal level,” he said. “There’s a small town-big city feeling here.”
Having a river alongside your city just invites people to the shoreline. Riverfront Park is an 11-block urban parkland along the Arkansas River in downtown Little Rock. Sprinkled with walkways, special lighting and a dozen sculptures, Sunken Plaza, Belvedere Pavilion and Riverfest Amphitheater attract locals and visitors for festivals, special events and concerts.
Those interested in Southern history, especially the 1950s civil rights movement, will want to stop outside Little Rock’s Central High School, where history unfolded in 1957. Nine African-American students attempted to integrate the all-white school but were turned back by Arkansas National Guardsmen. Federal troops were called in to enforce the law. There were clashes, but the students, who came to be known as the Little Rock Nine, were enrolled as the world watched.
The street corner is now a National Historic Site. There’s an interesting interpretation center for visitors, and guides there offer tours of the surrounding neighborhood.
There’s more history to enjoy at the Old Statehouse Museum, located in the midst of Little Rock’s downtown hotel district. The former state Capitol might best be known to the nation as the site of Bill Clinton’s presidential-election-night celebrations in 1992 and 1996.
Culture Scene
If visitors are looking for a play, classical music or a dance performance, Little Rock has excellent choices to consider. The refurbished Arkansas Repertory Theatre is the state’s largest professional theater and is anchored right on Main Street downtown.
The Arkansas Symphony Orchestra plays both indoors and outdoors, depending on the season. It is known for its special celebration concerts at Christmastime and the Fourth of July. It also brings in top internationally known entertainers to perform with the musicians.
Wildwood Park for the Performing Arts in West Little Rock draws top names to its state-of-the-art performance hall. The center is located in a beautiful botanical garden.
The Robinson Center Music Hall, which is undergoing a massive renovation with glass-walled views of the Arkansas River, will be another outstanding choice for entertainment once work is completed. Another entertainment institution, Murray’s Dinner Playhouse, has been a Little Rock favorite for 30 years.
Eat and Drink
There are many exquisite restaurants at which to enjoy a meal in Little Rock, which is known as the dining capital of Arkansas. There’s Southern cooking, fresh seafood, heart-healthy fare and interesting fusion cuisine. But for a change of pace, some folks love to sample the out-of-the-way places with authentic Arkansas food. Some of the stops were once lunchtime hangouts of then-Governor Clinton. They include such longtime favorites as Doe’s Eat Place or Sims Bar-B-Que.
Have you heard of the farm-to-table restaurant movement? How about the grain-to-glass distillery trend? Little Rock has Rock Town Distillery, producer of artisan craft bourbon, vodka and gin. It’s the first legal distillery in Arkansas since the Prohibition days. There are tours available that take you through each step of the distilling process and that end with sips of various spirits.
Rock Town hosts small private parties and corporate events. You can even book a small bottling party where you and your guests get to bottle and label the products on a mini assembly line. “We do events, mainly for charity, with live bands,” said Phil Brandon, Big Rock’s founder and head distiller. “There’s something about real whiskey barrels. People just love to see them and have a drink by one.”
As a destination, Little Rock appears to be gaining a reputation as a surprising choice. “Little Rock has been a well-kept secret,” said the Marriott’s Spencer. “I’ve lived and worked in some big cities, and in Little Rock, you have it all but in a smaller city. The downtown is alive and vibrant.”
