02/13/2026
Celebrate 75 years with the Old State House Museum this weekend!
From 5-8 p.m. during 2nd Friday Art Night on Feb. 13, the museum will celebrate with live music, food and drinks from the early 1950s, and the opening of a new exhibit. Enduring Image: Arkansas’ Old State House will open on the first floor of the East Wing galleries and will feature historic images of the building and information about its 75th anniversary. Hands-on activities will be provided and official remarks will be given.
On Saturday, Feb. 14, from 11 am – 2 pm, the Old State House Museum will have a DJ playing music from the late 1940s and early 1950s. Light refreshments will be served. Hands-on activities for museum guests of all ages will also be provided.
The Old State House opened to the public as a museum on Feb. 14, 1951. During the opening, speeches were given, organ music was played and punch was served. Guests were invited to dress in costume representing the time period during which the building served as the State Capitol. Governor Sid McMath and former Governor Ben Laney attended, both dressed in period clothing. Arkansas Gazette editor J.N. Heiskell delivered the keynote address and the 58th Arkansas General Assembly unofficially met in the 1885 House of Representatives chamber. Honored guests of the day included 27 of the 40 plus surviving former legislators who served in the first state capitol building. Over 2,500 people visited the museum on its opening day.
