Experience the best of Little Rock

Little Rock lies on the Arkansas River in the centre of Arkansas, named for a small rock outcrop on the riverbank that French explorers used as a landmark. The River Market district has restaurants and a market hall, and pedestrian and cycle bridges, including the Big Dam Bridge, cross the river. The William J. Clinton Presidential Center, opened in 2004, stands on the riverfront, and the State Capitol, modelled on the national Capitol in Washington, was completed in 1915.

Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site marks the 1957 desegregation crisis, when nine Black students entered the school under federal troop protection, and the school still operates. The Old State House Museum and the Historic Arkansas Museum preserve earlier history. Pinnacle Mountain State Park, with a cone-shaped peak for hiking, lies west of the city, and Hot Springs National Park is about 90 km south-west.

Arkansas cooking includes barbecue, fried catfish, rice dishes and cheese dip, and the state is a leading rice producer. Heat and humidity mark the summers, winters are mild with the odd spell of ice, and spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons, though spring thunderstorms can be strong.