Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the state of Arkansas. Little Rock is a cultural, economic, government, and transportation center within Arkansas and the American South. Several cultural institutions are in Little Rock, along with hiking, boating, and other outdoor recreational opportunities. Little Rock's history is available through history museums, historic districts or neighborhoods.
Little Rock lies at the center of the state, more-or-less where the Ozark Mountains, the Ouachita Mountains, and the Mississippi Alluvial Plain (the "Delta") come together. Traveling east from Little Rock, you traverse flat land nearly all the way to the Mississippi River; traveling west you quickly enter hilly country. Little Rock is Arkansas's largest city, as well as the state capital and major economic center (although northwestern Arkansas, with Walmart, Tyson Foods, and major trucking firms, is rapidly gaining). Little Rock is home to the state's only medical school, and one of the two branches of the University of Arkansas law school.
Metro Streetcar. The trolley will take you to most of the major downtown attractions, as well as across the Arkansas River to downtown North Little Rock. You can pick up a River Rail schedule from any of the hotels or downtown attractions. It passes by every 15 minutes or so. The trolley is a fun, easy way to get around downtown Little Rock. Free. If you'd like to see more than Downtown, a car is your best bet. While taxis aren't as common a sight in Little Rock as they are in Dallas or Atlanta, they are available. You'll definitely be able to find one at the airport, and probably you'll see one pass through downtown if you're patient. A better plan would be to call in advance.
The eastern edge of Little Rock is sparsely populated but is a vital economic area, as Little Rock National Airport and Little Rock River Port are here. 1 Little Rock Audubon Center, 4500 Springer Blvd. Headquarters of the National Audubon Society's Arkansas chapter and a nature education center complete with a 400 acres (160 hectares) park. Many of Little Rock's most interesting attractions are found in its downtown area. 2 Arkansas State Capitol, 500 Woodlane St, ☏ +1 501-682-3000. M-F 7AM-5PM. Completed in 1915, is of some interest as it was modeled after the U.S. Capitol, and as a result, it has been used in several movies.
If you have kids with you, the Little Rock Visitors Bureau website has a kids section with a wide range of activities. Arkansas State Fair. The Arkansas State Fair is held every October at the Arkansas State Fairgrounds, south of downtown. Even when the fair is not in season, the fairgrounds play host to many other special events such as sports competitions and trade shows. Riverfest. Riverfest is Little Rock's premier cultural arts festival, held every Memorial Day weekend (the weekend that includes the last Monday in May) in Downtown's Riverfront Park.
1 Sonny Williams' Steak Room, 500 President Clinton Ave, ☏ +1 501-324-2999. Boasts an excellent wine list, a piano bar, and some of the best steaks and seafood in Little Rock. 2 Sticky Rock and Roll Chicken Shack, 107 River Market Ave, ☏ +1 501-372-7707. Has a musical lineup worth checking out while you're in town. 3 Vino's, 923 W 7th St, ☏ +1 501 375-8466. Billed as Little Rock's original brewpub and serves handcrafted ales, pizza, calzones, and is the place in Arkansas to find premier alternative entertainment, but it also makes for a fine restaurant. The place for LR's tattoo and piercing crowd, but also friendly to older folks.
An Enchanting Evening Winery, 29300 hwy 300 (15 minutes past pinnacle mountain on Hwy 300 west of Little Rock), ☏ +1 501 993-2072, wendy.quaid@fisglobal.com. Small winery featuring a deck that looks out over Pinnacle Mountain and Lake Maumelle. (updated Jun 2022) 1 The Flying Saucer, 323 President Clinton Ave, ☏ +1 501-372-8032. In the heart of the River Market area downtown. (updated Oct 2016) 2 The White Water Tavern, 2500 W 7th St, ☏ +1 501-375-8400. Cheap beer, great food and live music on most nights of the week. (updated Oct 2016)
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Aug, Little Rock typically sees ~33°C daytime highs and 9 rainy days.
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