Little Rock, AR

Little Rock is the capital of Arkansas as well as its largest city. Located in the center of the state on the southern banks of the Arkansas River, it is situated between the Mississippi Delta and the mountains of northern Arkansas. First settled by French traders in the early 18th century, the city emerged as the capital of the newly formed Arkansas Territory in 1821. Steeped in tradition, Little Rock is home to 15 National Historic Register Districts, and more than 200 of its buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Little Rock has a population of about 187,000.

NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS

• The historic River Market district in downtown Little Rock has benefited from the city's systematic revitalization of the riverfront over the last decade. Today River Market is known as the center of live music in Little Rock. Events such as Big Downtown Thursday, the annual Riverfest, and Big Cruisefest at the Rock bring crowds downtown to enjoy the district's fine restaurants, bars, and shops.
• The nine square miles known as the Quapaw Quarter is distinguished by the restored antebellum and Victorian homes surrounding MacArthur Park, as well as the historic Governor's Mansion.
• Built high on the bluffs overlooking the Arkansas River in the 1920s and 1930s, the Heights is one of the oldest and trendiest neighborhoods in Little Rock. The neighborhood is known for its mixture of cozy cottages and eclectic shops.

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

The state government is the largest employer in Little Rock, and the city is an active river port with a large industrial business complex. Several major corporations are headquartered in Little Rock, including Alltell, Dillard's Department Stores, Windstream Communications, and Acxiom. Little Rock is also home to one of the three branches of the St Louis Federal Reserve.

FOR VISITORS

• Little Rock's newest attraction is the William J. Clinton Presidential Center and Park, which includes the Clinton Presidential Library and Museum, the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, and the Little Rock office of the Clinton Presidential Foundation.
• The Little Rock Central High School National Historical Site was opened in 2007 to mark the 50th anniversary of the desegregation of Little Rock's high school. In 1957, America watched on television as nine African-American students, dubbed the "Little Rock Nine," walked into Central High School under the protection of armed Federal troops.
• Little Rock has two museums of African-American history: the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center and the Museum of Black Arkansans and Performing Arts, also known as Ernie's Museum of Black Arkansans and Performing Arts (EMOBA).
• The Museum of Discovery is Arkansas's science and natural history museum. It offers an extensive exhibit on the history of Native Americans in the region.
• The Old State House Museum, housed in the Greek-Revival building that served as the Arkansas state capital from 1836 to 1911, focuses on recent Arkansas history.
• The history of Arkansas during the frontier period is covered at the Historic Arkansas Museum.
• The MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History is located in the Little Rock Arsenal. One of the oldest surviving buildings in Little Rock, the Arsenal was built in 1840 as part of the frontier defense system.

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Little Rock is home to the Arkansas SymphonyOrchestra, the state's only professional ballet company, Ballet Arkansas, and the Wildwood Park for the Performing Arts.

The Arkansas Art Centeris best known for two specialized collections, one of unique works on paper dating from the Renaissance to the present, and one of contemporary art objects made from craft media, such as pottery and weaving.

EDUCATION

Little Rock is home to three institutions that are part of the University of Arkansas system.

• The University of Arkansas at Little Rock was founded in 1927 as the Little Rock Junior College and became a four-year college in 1957. Little Rock University became part of the University of Arkansas in 1969. Today UALR serves 12,000 students, offering more than 100 programs of study with a special emphasis on evening and weekend classes, as half its students balance school with career and family obligations.
• The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) offers six different medical school programs.
• The Clinton School of Public Service offers a masters degree in public service.

Little Rock also has two private historically black liberal arts colleges.

• The Arkansas Baptist College, originally the Minister's Institute, was founded in 1884 by a multiracial consortium of religious leaders.
• Philander Smith College, Arkansas's oldest private historically black college, was founded in 1877 to educate former slaves. The college is affiliated with the United Methodist Church.

  Pulaski Technical College, Arkansas's largest two-year college, offers more than 40 associate degree and certification programs.

LOCAL MEDIA

A wide range of local, regional, and national media serves Little Rock, including 11 television stations and 37 radio stations.

Local publications include:

• The daily newspaper the Arkansas Democrat/Gazette, which is the largest newspaper in the state
• Two weekly papers, the Arkansas Times and the Arkansas Business Weekly
• Little Rock Free Press
• Little Rock Family
• Little Rock Soiree
• Inviting Arkansas
• Real LIVING
• At Home in Arkansas