Little Rock is the largest city and the capital of the US state of Arkansas. Its history goes back to the 1800s, but it was Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Bénard de la Harpe who in 1722 named the area Little Rock after a rocky outcrop that travelers used as a landmark between the Mississippi Delta and the Quachita Mountains. In 1812, fur trader William Lewis established a place here, and in the following years ferry service was established across the Arkansas River, and a small garrison was stationed.

In 1819, the Arkansas Territory was founded, and Little Rock became the capital in 1821, and for a brief transition, the city was called Acropolis. In 1850, more than 2,500 lived in Little Rock, and the city grew over the century to 38,000 residents. Throughout the 20th century, the city continued to grow steadily, and Little Rock was expanded in with modern high-rises and with the development of many suburbs.

Today you can enjoy some great walks in downtown Little Rock and along the Arkansas River. A good start is at Little Rock City Hall, which was built in Neo-Renaissance style in 1907. Across from City Hall is the neoclassical Robinson Center Music Hall from 1939, also known as the Joseph Taylor Robinson Memorial Auditorium. The center is home to the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra.

Continuing east, you come to one of Little Rock’s best-known buildings, the Old State House, which was constructed 1833-1842 as Arkansas’s government building. It was in the Old State House that Arkansas’s secession from the union was passed in 1861. The Old State House was the state Capitol of Arkansas until 1912, when the state’s new and current government building was opened. The beautiful house has been a museum since 1947, and it was here that Clinton announced his candidacy for the presidency in 1991.

Along the Arkansas River, in central Little Rock, there are many lovely parks and the Arkansas River Trail, which you can follow. On the walk, you can also cross the river on The Junction Bridge, which is a former railway bridge that was built in 1884. At the southern end of the bridge, you can see what remains of the rock outcrop that once gave the city its name Little Rock. Continue on the north side and cross back over the river to the east on the Clinton Presidential Park Bridge, which was also built as a railroad bridge and opened in 1899.

Back in Little Rock on the south bank, you can visit the William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum. At the museum, you get an excellent insight into Bill Clinton’s two presidential terms, and here is a replica of The Oval Office in the White House in Washington as it looked during Clinton’s presidency. In the large area around the presidential museum, you can e.g. see the old Choctaw Station, a 1901 railroad yard that today houses The Clinton Foundation and other institutions.

In downtown, you can visit the River Market District, which is Little Rock’s entertainment district with cozy streets, shops, cafes and restaurants. In the area, you can visit the Historic Arkansas Museum, which provides an insight into Arkansas’ history through several preserved houses from old Little Rock and houses that have been moved here from other places in the state. At the museum you can explore a nice collection of e.g. art and furnishings, and among the houses is the Jesse Hinderliter House, which dates from the 1820s and is thereby the city’s oldest building.

If you continue through downtown along the central streets, Main Street and Capitol Avenue, you can visit the neo-Gothic Cathedral of St. Andrew, which is the city’s Roman cathedral. It was built 1878-1887 and has an interior worth seeing. In the western part of downtown Little Rock, you can visit the government building Arkansas State Capitol, which was built in the years 1899-1915. Capitol is known for its large dome and for the many monuments and memorials in the area around the stately building.