When in Arkansas, one has to notice that President Clinton has been there. You can’t get far from Texarkana without passing through Hope, Arkansas. You might not see much of the town if you blink or stay on the freeway, but you’ll certainly see the sign that states “Hope, Arkansas: Birthplace of President Clinton”. The Clinton library is hard to miss, too. It is an icon of the city’s upbeat urban feel: a long, slender, modern glass building that has a spectacular view of the Arkansas River and downtown Little Rock. In all of Arkansas, there’s not a more populated and hip place to hang out than downtown Little Rock.
We hoped to get to visit the museum while we lived there and found that they had tours for homeschooling kids if you call well in advance and plan your visit. I don’t think we had to pay anything for our visit (except maybe my husband’s entry fee?).
The term ‘Library’ in the title certainly doesn’t mean the kind of Library that you or I would think of. Archives and information, yes – but you can’t go there to check out books. Instead, you can get a glimpse of a span of US History and learn about the man behind the desk and the years he was our president.
My favorite two things in the museum were the White House video (done by Laura Bush) and the replica of the Oval Office. However, there were a lot of really interesting photos and some neat artwork given to the Clintons.
The elevator beside the building’s glass exterior is an excellent spot for portraits of your kids. I got a few shots of mine there, as you can see.
Another great thing about this field trip is that you can get there on the trolley system that runs through downtown Little Rock. Other famous stops on the line are the River Market (where you can get fabulous food or buy produce at the farmer’s market), the Peabody Hotel (where you can watch them roll out the red carpet for their duck mascots), and a few other nifty museums and libraries. The Clinton Museum is just one stop on a list of neat places you can see – all within a few blocks of downtown Little Rock.
Quick Links:
Sprittibee’s Homeschool Series (links to other field trips, book lists, etc…)
Official Clinton Library and Museum Site
Arkansas Trolley Field Trip
I live 25 minutes from downtown Little Rock! What great pictures.
Those are some great pics, Bee. And I’d like to go see the library sometime, even though I’m not much of a Clinton fan. I’m sure it won’t be as much fun as it would be if y’all still lived there, though. 🙂
I am loving the light in the elevator pics. Great perspective on hubby with the kids too!
Oh! I haven’t seen that Chihuly before – lovely!