Guided tours and programs are fun at the Old State House Museum! The Education Department offers a variety of tours and programs to fit every group and grade level. Click the links below to find out more about our topic tour offerings.
Explorers (Grades K-3)
The Explorers Tour provides information about Arkansas's first state capitol in grade-level-appropriate language and emphasizes many of the public's favorite exhibits.
Footsteps & Foundations (4-8)
Students can relive history under the shade of historic arbors as they experience our building and grounds tour. Aesthetic and educational, Footsteps & Foundations provides students with a holistic review of the Old State House Museum as groups travel the parameters of the building and beautiful grounds. An interpretive guide will share the stories of those honored in the Monument Garden, as well as provide answers to questions about the cistern, the archaeological discoveries, the Lady Baxter cannon and the missing statues. Footsteps & Foundations will also reveal the trials and tragedies that occurred while constructing Arkansas's first state capitol. From shipwrecks and vanishing floor plans to encroaching urban development, the Old State House Museum has weathered many storms over the years. Learn more about frontier engineering through our beautiful Greek Revival building, as well as some of the preservation efforts that have taken place here. You're sure to get your exercise, so don't forget to wear comfortable shoes and bring a jacket in case it's cold outside.
Governor’s Review (4-8)
Elementary and middle school classes will enjoy themselves as they discover history, government, social customs and more in this fast-paced educational adventure! Governor's Review provides an enriching and enlightening experience for your vibrant, inquisitive students. Lead by an enthusiastic guide, discussions in exhibit galleries will be more in-depth, emphasizing specific themes and concentrations such as 19th-century textiles in "First Ladies Inaugural gowns," the political process via the "1836 & 1885 Legislative Chambers," and lifestyles of the late 18th and early 19th centuries as found in "As Long as Life Shall Last: The Legacy of Women in Arkansas." Student participation is greatly encouraged and assists in "solving" many of the Old State House Museum's myths and mysteries!
Grand Survey (9-12)
High school students will find this "grown-up" styled tour a refreshing transition into adulthood. The Grand Survey offers a more mature approach to many of the major exhibits inside the building. Participant discussion and reflection are noticeably present during presentation of some of our more serious concentrations, including architectural style and design with "Pillars of Power," social thought and expression in "First Families," political theory via the Legislative Chambers, and suffrage and voter's rights in "As Long as Life Shall Last: The Legacy of Women in Arkansas." The tour will include the Museum’s changing exhibits. Click here to see what is currently showing.
Many of our tours were designed for youth and school groups, but they can usually be adapted for groups comprised of families with children. And all tours can be customized for students with special needs.