Visitor Center at Arkansas Post National Memorial

OPERATING HOURS

The Arkansas Post National Memorial Visitor Center is open Thursdays through Mondays from 8:30 AM to 5 PM, except when closed on New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Keep in mind that times can always change, so be sure to check the National Park Service’s official Operating Hours and Seasons web page for the latest schedule.

AMENITIES

• Ranger-staffed information desk where you can ask questions and pick up a park brochure
• Souvenir and bookstore
• Park film
• Exhibit area
• Restrooms

Information desk at the Arkansas Post National Memorial Visitor Center

PARK FILM

The 22-minute film Arkansas Post: Echoes of the Past covers the Arkansas Post’s 300-year history. Unlike most park films that tend to use photos and a narrator to share historical information, this one feels more like an actual Hollywood movie. It is about a young boy and his grandfather who are camping together by the Arkansas River. The boy asks questions about the people who once lived there, and his grandfather then goes into detail about each group of inhabitants who occupied the area at one time or another. His stories are brought to life with live-action historical reenactments. In fact, just about the entire film is live action. The film is suitable for all ages. It is shown on demand, so just ask the Ranger to start it for you.

EXHIBIT AREA

Exhibit area at the Arkansas Post National Memorial Visitor Center

The exhibit area at the Arkansas Post National Memorial Visitor Center is comprised of information panels and artifacts that cover the history of the trading post. It is divided into rooms, with each one covering a different subject. In the lobby area, display cases hold artifacts that were discovered during archaeological excavations as well as modern pottery and other artworks created by members of the local Quapaw tribe. The Quapaw were allies of the original French settlers who established Arkansas Post.

Quapaw artist’s Painting on Deer Hide artwork on display at the Arkansas Post National Memorial Visitor Center

Quapaw Pottery on display at the Arkansas Post National Memorial Visitor Center

One exhibit room focuses on the Arkansas River and its importance to the people who inhabited the area. From the dugout boats used by the Quapaw to the paddleboats and steamboats that transported passengers and cargo, everyone used the river in one way or another.

Arkansas River exhibit room at the Arkansas Post National Memorial Visitor Center

Dugout boat on display at the Arkansas Post National Memorial Visitor Center

A second room covers the fur trade, the backbone of commerce at Arkansas Post over the years. Numerous animal pelts are on display along with a case of different skeletal pieces. The walls are lined with drawings of animals, and their respective pelts hang below. Visitors are allowed to touch the furs.

Fur trade exhibit room at the Arkansas Post National Memorial Visitor Center

Illustrations of animals and samples of their pelts hang on the wall at the Arkansas Post National Memorial Visitor Center

The Battle of Arkansas Post, fought during the Civil War in early January 1863, is detailed in the third room of the exhibit area. A model of Fort Hindman, an earthen fort built in 1862 as a Confederate base to protect the Arkansas River, is displayed in the middle of the room. There also examples of Civil War uniforms and weapons.

Battle of Arkansas Post exhibit room at the Arkansas Post National Memorial Visitor Center

Model of Fort Hindman on display at the Arkansas Post National Memorial Visitor Center

SCHEDULING YOUR TIME

Plan to spend about 45 minutes at the Arkansas Post National Memorial Visitor Center. This gives you enough time to watch the park film, check out the exhibit area, and talk with a Ranger about what there is to see and do at the park.

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