Things to do with kids in the Little Rock area

Handy for planning getaways or just a day out of the house, I thought I'd make a list of the places I know around here that are good for families and kids.

FREE places

Witt Stevens Jr Central Arkansas Nature Center
Open Tues-Saturday 8:30 am-4:30 pm, Sunday 1-5 pm

Regularly Scheduled Programs 

Geocaching: Nature Downtown 

8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.  Tuesday-Saturday

1-5 p.m. Sunday

Fish Feasting

2 p.m.  Every Wednesday

Alligator Feeding

2 p.m.  Every Friday

Lil' Wild Ones: Nature Stories and Activities

2 p.m.  Every Second Saturday
River Market District, Downtown Little Rock

"The center focuses on the wide variety of outdoor recreational opportunities that our state’s fish and wildlife resources provide. Exhibits highlight the role of fish and wildlife management and many of the projects conducted throughout the history of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. The location along the Arkansas River allows many watchable wildlife activities within an urban area. Basking water turtles, butterflies and migrating pelicans are common sights. A portion of the Arkansas River Trail crosses the site, offering more options for exploration. The grounds of the center include beds of native plants found throughout the state, while the main building includes an exhibit hall, aquariums, gift shop, theater and special educational programs." 

Heifer Village
Open Monday-Saturday 9 am- 5 pm

1 World Ave., Little Rock, AR 72202

 

"A place for learning about solutions to global hunger and poverty, Heifer Village will spark commitment in all who experience it, furthering Heifer International's mission to end hunger and poverty while caring for the Earth."

Historic Arkansas Museum
Museum: Open Monday- Saturday 9 am-5 pm, Sunday 1-5 pm (FREE)
Historic Grounds Tour: Open Monday-Saturday 10 am- 4 pm, Sunday 1-4 pm ($2.50 per adult, $ for children under 18)
200 E. Third Street, Little Rock, Arkansas 72201

"The Historic Arkansas Museum is a historic site museum of Arkansas's frontier days. Five pre-Civil War houses, on their original block, are restored to antebellum appearances, so you can learn about life pre-Civil War in Arkansas. Guided tours of the historic houses encounter actors portraying original residents, making it easy to step back in time and learn about the history of Arkansas.
The Historic Arkansas Museum center features the museum's outstanding collection of Arkansas-made decorative, mechanical, and fine arts objects in six galleries. You'll also find a wonderful museum store, living history theater, educational areas and much more."

MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History
Open Monday-Saturday 9 am-4 pm, Sunday 1-4 pm
503 East Ninth Street, Little Rock, Arkansas  72202

"The MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History relates the military heritage of Arkansas and its citizens to a diverse and widespread audience. Located in the historic Arsenal Building in MacArthur Park--one of Central Arkansas's oldest surviving structures and the birthplace of one of this country's foremost military heroes--the museum collects, preserves, and interprets our state's rich military past from its territorial period to the present."

Arkansas Arts Center
Open Tuesday-Saturday 10 am-5 pm, Sunday 11 am-5 pm 

9th & Commerce

9th & Commerce

 9th and Commerce, Downtown Little Rock

The Arts Center is free to enter and see many exhibits. Some exhibits and performances by the Arkansas Children's Theater have admission fees.

Old State House Museum of Arkansas History
 Open Monday-Saturday 9 am- 5 pm, Sunday 1-5 pm
300 W. Markham · Little Rock, AR 72201

The Old State House houses many permanent exhibits about Arkansas history and new exhibits come in regularly as traveling exhibits.

Pinnacle Mountain
Day use: Open 6:30 am- 1 hour after sunset
Visitor Center- Open 8 am- 5 pm daily 
Trail Rides: Hours vary, check website ($25 per person)
" 

The park offers a wide variety of hiking trails including the 1 1/2-mile West Summit Trail, 1 1/2-mile East Summit Trail, 2 1/2-mile Base Trail, 2-mile Rocky Valley Trail, and 1-mile East Quarry Trail. In addition, the park includes two barrier-free trails. These are the 1/2-mile paved Kingfisher Trail and 0.6-mile paved Arkansas Trail in the Arkansas Arboretum. The park serves as the eastern terminus of the 250-mile Ouachita National Recreation Trail which stretches from Pinnacle Mountain State Park to eastern Oklahoma.

 

Two mountain bike trails opened in the park in early October 2010. The new seven-tenths-of-a-mile Rabbit Ridge Mountain Bike Trail and 7.4-mile Jackfork Mountain Bike Trail offer bikers more than eight miles of single track, mountain bike trails." There are also playgrounds at some of the parks.

Big Dam Bridge

Take a walk along the longest pedestrian bridge in North America that has never been used for cars or trucks. This bridge also connects to several hiking trails and connects Little Rock and North Little Rock.

Places with Admission Fees

Museum of Discovery
Open Tuesday-Saturday 9 am-5 pm, Sunday 1-5 pm
Adults: $10
Children 12 and younger: $8 (kids under 12 mos old are free)
Seniors (60+): $8
500 President Clinton Ave Suite 150, Little Rock, AR 72201

"Tour our galleries:  Amazing You, Earth Journeys, Discovery Hall, Room to Grow, Tinkering Studio, AETN Public Media Center, the WOW Traveling Exhibit Gallery, the Arkansas

Discovery Network Traveling Exhibit Gallery"

 

Clinton Presidential Library 

Open Monday-Saturday 9 am-5 pm, Sunday 1-5 pm

Adults $7

Seniors (62+) $5

College Students (with ID) $5

Kids 6-17 $3

Kids under 6 FREE

FREE ADMISSION on President's Day, Fourth of July. On Veteran's Day, all active and retired military and their families get free admission.

Downtown Little Rock

"Featuring 20,000 square feet of exhibit space, the Clinton Library chronicles American history at the turn of the 21st century. Interactive exhibits, including a White House Cabinet Room reconstruction and a full-scale replica of the Oval Office, give visitors a first-hand look into the life and work of the 42nd president. Other featured exhibits include 13 policy alcoves and an interactive 110-foot timeline within which the history of the Clinton Administration unfolds. Another section of the museum is designed to present exhibits about life in the White House: showing the splendor of state events, the spirit of holiday celebrations and how the Clintons made the White House their home. Also included is a gallery designed to rotate exciting new exhibits through the Library on a regular basis."

 

Little Rock Zoo

Open daily 9 am-5 pm, last admission at 4 pm

Adults $10

Seniors (60+) $8

Kids 12 and under $8

Kids under 12 mos old are FREE

$2 parking fee will be assessed at the entry

1 Zoo Dr, Little Rock, AR 72205

 

Zoo animals include tigers, lorikeets, lemurs, gorillas, cheetahs, penguins, and many more!

9th & Commerce