Old State House Museum

Old State House Museum The Old State House Museum (OSH) is the original capitol building of Arkansas and the oldest standing state capitol building west of the Mississippi River.
(497)

Since 1833, OSH and its grounds have witnessed many of the important events in Arkansas history. The Old State House Museum, an agency of the Division of Arkansas Heritage, houses both permanent and temporary exhibits in our historic building. Learn more at www.oldstatehouse.com. We are closed each Monday, as well as the following holidays: Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Y

ears Day. Admission is free. The Old State House Museum complies with the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) guidelines; handicapped visitors to the museum can enjoy full access to any exhibit area.

This month's entry in our new Artifact of the Month feature (seen below) is a cabinet card photograph of the 1902 Little...
08/26/2026

This month's entry in our new Artifact of the Month feature (seen below) is a cabinet card photograph of the 1902 Little Rock Travelers professional baseball team. Cabinet cards were photographs mounted on heavy card stock paper or paperboard, suitable for display on a shelf or cabinet. They were typically 4-by-6 inches in size, and the larger size allowed for detailed identifying information to be included. The Little Rock Travelers were a minor league team that was a charter member of the Southern Association, which operated from 1901 to 1961. Spanning much of the Deep South, the league included the Atlanta Crackers, Birmingham Barons, Chattanooga Lookouts, Memphis Chicks, Nashville Vols and New Orleans Pelicans, among others. The 1902 Travelers played their home games in West End Park, which is now the site of Little Rock Central High School's Quigley Stadium. For more on the history of the Travelers, visit https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/arkansas-travelers-baseball-team-1180/

The Old State House Museum began collecting artifacts of Arkansas history in the 1950s. Images and descriptions of many of the artifacts are available online on our website. You can view our collections by exploring different topics, like "Medicine in Arkansas" or "Arkansas Eateries." Alternatively, if you are looking for a particular item, you can search the collection by keyword.
To view and search our collections, including this cabinet card, go to https://collections.oldstatehouse.com/collections

Join us Wednesday, August 26, 2026 from 9:30 am - 10:00 am for our weekly Little Beginning's PK Program!  We will have s...
08/23/2026

Join us Wednesday, August 26, 2026 from 9:30 am - 10:00 am for our weekly Little Beginning's PK Program! We will have songs, stories, and hands-on activities. This week's theme is Rocks and Mineral! There are parking meters along Markham St. or you can park in the DoubleTree Hotel parking garage next door for an hourly rate.

In the early to mid-20th century, Hot Springs, Arkansas was a hub for illegal activity, especially gambling. Beginning i...
08/17/2026

In the early to mid-20th century, Hot Springs, Arkansas was a hub for illegal activity, especially gambling. Beginning in 1926, with the implicit blessing of newly-elected Mayor Leo McLaughlin, Hot Springs was an “open” town where gambling, voter fraud, and even gangsters such as “Lucky” Luciano often ran rampant—that is, until 1967 when Arkansas Governor Winthrop Rockefeller took office. Rockefeller ordered the Arkansas State Police to conduct raids on illegal operations, angering many local officials, but ultimately ending illegal gambling in Hot Springs. This roulette wheel, set of dice, and poker chips are currently on display here at the Old State House Museum in the America 250 Exbibit: Before Us, Beyond Us and came directly from these gambling establishments in Hot Springs, seized by the Arkansas State Police during the 1967 raids.

Join us Wednesday, August 19, 2026 from 9:30 am - 10:00 am for our weekly Little Beginning's PK Program!  We will have s...
08/16/2026

Join us Wednesday, August 19, 2026 from 9:30 am - 10:00 am for our weekly Little Beginning's PK Program! We will have songs, stories, and hands-on activities. This week's theme is Dinosaurs! There are parking meters along Markham St. or you can park in the DoubleTree Hotel parking garage next door for an hourly rate.

Beat the heat and come inside for this month’s 2nd Friday Art Night! We’re featuring a back-to-school theme — with infor...
08/11/2026

Beat the heat and come inside for this month’s 2nd Friday Art Night! We’re featuring a back-to-school theme — with information packets on our school-based programs, tours, and School Bus Fund assistance for public school field trips. We’ll even have back-to-school-themed refreshments for everyone, including a refreshing cocktail for the adults, and all our exhibit galleries will be open to browse.

Join us Wednesday, August 12, 2026 from 9:30 am - 10:00 am for our weekly Little Beginning's PK Program!  We will have s...
08/09/2026

Join us Wednesday, August 12, 2026 from 9:30 am - 10:00 am for our weekly Little Beginning's PK Program! We will have songs, stories, and hands-on activities. This week's theme is Sea Turtles! There are parking meters along Markham St. or you can park in the DoubleTree Hotel parking garage next door for an hourly rate.

Friday Favorites: Summer Interns!  We had 3 interns this summer either from UALR or UA Fayetteville and they were all hi...
08/07/2026

Friday Favorites: Summer Interns!

We had 3 interns this summer either from UALR or UA Fayetteville and they were all history majors. This summer they learned the history of our building and how to greet visitors. They also assisted with guided tours and programs on-site. They worked at 2FAN, Statehood and other summer events. They toured our Central Management Facility, Historic Arkansas Museum, and Mosaic Templars Cultural Center. They attended a Teacher Professional Development workshop that we hosted along with Economics Arkansas. And they all did Arkansas history presentations to staff at their going away potluck! Thank you, Veronica, Eric and Dane for spending your summer interning at the Old State House Museum. We appreciate you!

For America’s Bicentennial Celebration, Johnny Cash commissioned a suit from famed designer, Nudie Cohn.  Cohn, sometime...
08/03/2026

For America’s Bicentennial Celebration, Johnny Cash commissioned a suit from famed designer, Nudie Cohn. Cohn, sometimes referred to as the original rhinestone cowboy, designed items for Cash as well as Dolly Parton, Hank Williams, Elton John and Elvis Presley. On July 3rd, 1976, Cash wore the “Nudie” suit as the Grand Marshal of the National Bicentennial Parade down Constitutional Avenue in Washington D.C. Prior to the parade, Cash debuted the suit on March 20th for “Johnny Cash Day” in Arkansas where he treated fans to a short concert at Rison High School.

The Bicentennial suit is a part of the Old State House Museum’s permanent collection and is currently on display as part of the "Before Us, Beyond Us" exhibit, celebrating America's semiquincentennial.

Join us Wednesday, August 5, 2026 from 9:30 am - 10:00 am for our weekly Little Beginning's PK Program!  We will have so...
08/02/2026

Join us Wednesday, August 5, 2026 from 9:30 am - 10:00 am for our weekly Little Beginning's PK Program! We will have songs, stories, and hands-on activities. This week's theme is Seashells! There are parking meters along Markham St. or you can park in the DoubleTree Hotel parking garage next door for an hourly rate.

Want to help make a difference in your community? Become a VOLUNTEER at the Old State House Museum! We offer many ways t...
07/31/2026

Want to help make a difference in your community? Become a VOLUNTEER at the Old State House Museum! We offer many ways to give back by donating just a few hours of your time, including greeting guests, assisting at special events, helping with basic research, and many more.
For more info on how you can help, call or email Amanda Colclasure, 501-324-8642, or [email protected], or Cary Cox, 501-324-8647, or [email protected] .

Address

300 W Markham Street
Little Rock, AR
72201

Opening Hours

Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 1pm - 5pm

Telephone

+15013249685

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Old State House Museum posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Museum

Send a message to Old State House Museum:

Shortcuts

Share

Category