Creativity, History and Discovery Take Center Stage
Arkansas lends educators an impressive range of learning opportunities beyond the classroom. Students can explore African American heritage,visual art, and presidential and early Arkansas history in Little Rock. Just outside the capital, archaeology comes to life at one of the state’s most vital Indigenous ceremonial sites. Engaging experiences invite students to investigate artworks, operate historic tools, think critically about how archaeologists and historians reconstruct the past, and examine primary sources. Numerous institutions offer free admission, guided educational programming, hands-on activities and teacher resources, making Arkansas an especially appealing state that combines history, civics, culture, STEM and experiential learning in an affordable field trip.
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“Plum Bayou provides opportunities to observe archeological research as it’s uncovered, showing students how history continues to reveal itself through emerging evidence.“
Mosaic Templars Cultural Center (Little Rock)
Students can explore Arkansas history through the experiences and achievements of African Americans at Mosaic Templars Cultural Center in Little Rock. Through scheduled guided tours designed for Pre-K through 12th-grade students, groups can learn about Black entrepreneurship, community life, culture, and the organizations that helped African Americans to build economic and social networks throughout Arkansas. Inspiring exhibits encourage visitors to consider how people created opportunity during a time of segregation and social injustice while contributing to the state’s cultural, artistic, and political history. Guided tours typically last 45 minutes to an hour, with self-guided visits available. Extend the experience back into the classroom with workshops, lesson plans, and free loan boxes containing reproduction artifacts and educational resources.
Clinton Presidential Center (Little Rock)
Discover government and civics in a tangible environment at the Clinton Presidential Center. Groups can learn about presidential responsibilities, examine events from the 1990s, and consider how national and international policies are created. Immerse your students in a full-scale replica of the White House Cabinet Room and a recreation of the Oval Office, where students get visual context for studies of the executive branch. The Presidential Library offers free in-person and virtual programs for elementary, middle, and high school classes of 10 or more students. Guided tours are available for Pre-K through 12th grade, with free lesson plans and classroom activities available for teachers.
Historic Arkansas Museum (Little Rock)
At the Historic Arkansas Museum, students can explore history through investigation and questions in a location that encompasses an entire historic city block. The Museum’s remarkably varied K-12 field trip programs offer unique opportunities for groups. Operate a reproduction printing press, churn butter, watch live demos of blacksmithing, assemble a wagon wheel, and experiment with historic surveying methods. Experiences include customizable adventures and guided tours of historic homes and the Museum Visitor Center, with educator packets to connect onsite activities to curricular frameworks.
Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts (Little Rock)
Observation, communication, and scientific inquiry become tools for students visiting the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts. Docent-led K-12 tours engage students and encourage them to slow down, observe, ask questions, and interpret artwork rather than doing a simple walk-through of the galleries. Current Museum offerings include The Art of Looking, Storytelling in Art, and a STEAM tour for grades 3-12, where students approach artworks like scientists using observation, experimentation, and investigation. Self-guided tours are also available, supported by mobile resources, and educators can extend the trip with a Children’s Theatre performance. Educational resources are available, including pre-visit guides, social narratives, and post-trip reflection activities. School tours align with Arkansas visual arts standards and museum admission is always free.
Plum Bayou Mounds Archeological State Park (Scott)
Visit one of Arkansas’ most significant Indigenous landscapes at Plum Bayou Mounds Archeological State Park, where students can learn how archaeologists use physical evidence to understand the people who lived here centuries ago. Formerly known as Toltec Mounds and once used as a ceremonial center by the Plum Bayou people, the landmark preserves the state’s largest and most complex mound site. Guided tours introduce learners to archeological research, mound construction, Indigenous history and ways of life, and the importance of cultural preservation. Plum Bayou provides opportunities to observe archeological research as it’s uncovered, showing students how history continues to reveal itself through emerging evidence. Educators are encouraged to arrange field trips in advance, with interpretive programs offered year-round and children’s guides to support independent exploration for younger learners.
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