Theodore Roosevelt Presidential LibraryPublic Lands Directory

Alerts and conditions

All clear. The managing agency, the National Weather Service and wildfire reporting show no current alerts.

Overview

In 1957, Little Rock Central High School was the epicenter of confrontation and a catalyst for change as the fundamental test for the United States to enforce African American civil rights following Brown v. Board of Education. Learn how the sacrifice and struggle endured by the Little Rock Nine have provided opportunities and opened doors for those seeking education around the world.

From the National Park Service

History

The designation history for this site (every law, proclamation and order, and the administration behind each) is being researched and checked by the Library’s historians.

What to see and do

Activities

  • Arts and Culture
  • Guided Tours
  • Self-Guided Tours - Walking
  • Junior Ranger Program
  • Park Film
  • Museum Exhibits

Browse hiking, biking and paddling routes on AllTrails

Plan your visit

Hours

Little Rock Central High School NHS: The Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site Visitor Center is currently open Tuesday through Saturday (10 am CST/CDT to 4 pm CST/CDT). The Magnolia Mobil Service Station & Little Rock Central High School are closed to the public and not available for public use. The commemorative garden is open daily for public visitation and use from 7 am CST/CDT until sunset. Guests may visit the NHS daily; we recommend the NPS App for digital content on days when the visitor center is closed.

Getting there

From I-630, take Exit 2B (Dr. Martin Luther King Drive). Go south (away from the Arkansas State Capitol) to W. Daisy L. Gatson Bates Drive. Turn right (head west) and continue 0.5 miles. The Visitor Center is on the right at the corner of W. Daisy Bates Drive and Little Rock Nine Way. Parking lot entrance is located just before the intersection with Park Street, directly across from the historic Magnolia/Mobil Gas Station and diagonally across from Central High School (still a functioning high school).

Visitor centers

Weather

Arkansas weather can change quickly. While the state is in a moderate temperate zone, it does experience strong thunderstorms, tornadoes and flash floods. In winter, "snow" events tend to quickly turn to thin ice which can be difficult to see and to clear. Summer temperatures and humidity can lead to dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Visitors are advised to dress in layers and be prepared for precipitation. Average seasonal temperatures (°F): Spring: 62° Summer: 80° Fall: 63° Winter: 43°

Phone: (501) 374-1957

Whose lands these are

These lands are the ancestral and present-day homelands of Native nations. A section on whose lands these are is being prepared with tribal review. In the meantime, Native Land Digital offers a starting point.

Photos

National Park Visitor Center
Little Rock Central High School Visitor Center · NPS Photo / B. Schwieger
Fall colors in the commemorative garden
Commemorative Garden · NPS Photo
a replica of a 1950s bus bench with Central High School in the background
Elizabeth Eckford Bench · NPS Photo
The Magnolia Mobil Gas Station, a white stucco facility with terracotta roof
Magnolia Mobil Gas Station · NPS Photo
The Little Rock Nine exit the doors at Central High under troop escort
The Little Rock Nine · Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site

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