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Set in the oldest surviving state capitol west of the Mississippi River, the Old State House Museum is designated a National Historic Landmark, though it is probably best known throughout the country as the scene of President Bill Clinton's 1992 and 1996 election-night celebrations.
This magnificent Greek Revival structure overlooking the Arkansas River houses a multimedia museum of Arkansas state history. Our latest exhibit, Badges, Bandits, & Bars: Arkansas Law & Justice, explores the state's history of crime and punishment from pre-territorial days to the mid-1980s. Other current exhibits include On the Stump: Arkansas Political History from 1819-1919; A Circus Hitched to a Tornado: Arkansas Politics in the 20th Century; and exhibits on the history of the building, Arkansas women in history, the state's governors and the inaugural gowns of their wives, as well as period rooms that show interior decor from the past. In addition, nationally recognized collections that are not currently on exhibit but can be viewed online include Civil War battle flags, African-American quilts, and artifacts from the heritage of Arkansas’s music. Education staff provides programming for students and adults.
Visit the Old State House Museum events calendar for fun, family-friendly activities held throughout the year. Shop the Museum Store for a variety of souvenir merchandise, books and collectibles. See our Arkansas News Archive for more than a thousand articles on Arkansas history. Read the biographies of Arkansas governors. And be sure to visit Trapnall Hall, a restored antebellum home available for special event rental. To be notified of new acquisitions and Arkansas history exhibitions, don't forget to join our online email list.
A museum of the Department of Arkansas Heritage, the Old State House Museum is open daily with the exception of Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
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