Thanks to the MacArthur Park Group in Little Rock, travelers in the 501 can now explore Downtown Little Rock’s political and historical development with a self-guided tour. The group introduced the Arkansas Political History Audio Tour in May in an effort to promote cultural and heritage tourism in Little Rock. Twenty-three digital tracks are available for download to an MP3 player at no charge from the Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau website at www.LittleRock.com.
The tour leads the listener on an exploration of Downtown Little Rock, highlighting the 23 locations. A sidewalk decal marks each site. The decal is a logo depicting the MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History superimposed on the contemporary Little Rock skyline. The MacArthur Museum, constructed in 1840, is one of central Arkansas’s oldest surviving structures and the birthplace of Gen. Douglas MacArthur.
Each tour stop offers a different aspect of the state’s political history and highlights either a person or an event associated with that particular area.
According to the audio tour narration, “Starting at la Petite Roche (the “little rock”), this tour will guide you away from the Arkansas River in much the same way the town developed.”
Other stops include Trapnall Hall, Curran Hall, MacArthur Museum of Military History, MacArthur Park and the Historic Arkansas Museum. The tour is narrated by Arkansas native and retired television personality Steve Stephens.
While, the tour begins at the “little rock” on the river, you can start at any location on the tour. Just look for the numbered decals on the sidewalk that correspond with the tracks on the audio tour file. A printable version of the tour is available for those who prefer to read along as they walk the tour route.