The Old Mill is a beautiful spot in North Little Rock, AR amongst a charming neighborhood…read more It's listed as a National Register of Historic Places. Rightly so... the mill is supposedly the "last standing structure" from the movie "Gone With The Wind." The gates opened at 8 AM. Entry was free. By the time we got there, a small group was already taking professional-like photos of their model. The landscaping was nicely manicured. Some of the plants and flowers or trees were labeled with little signs. My girls liked climbing up into the replica "water-powered grist mill." We didn't stay long as dogs were not allowed on the grounds. Our dog stayed in my Jeep while the air-conditioning was on since it was in the upper 80s already. For more info plus an interactive map, go to: https://nlr.ar.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/parks/old-mill/

It's very relaxing and beautiful there and it just takes you back to bygone era, and it's pretty…read moreneat it was in Gone With the Wind.

Visiting the Fordyce Bathhouse was one of the most nostalgic and unexpectedly fascinating parts of…read moreour Arkansas trip visiting family from Florida. I first visited Bathhouse Row when I was 16 years old, so getting to walk through it again decades later with my own 16-year-old daughter felt really special. It's one of those places that stays in your memory because it's both beautiful and genuinely interesting. The Fordyce Bathhouse serves as the visitor center and museum for Hot Springs and spans multiple floors plus a basement - it's filled with restored rooms, exhibits, furnishings, and historical displays. Best of all? Admission is completely free, though donations are encouraged. Honestly, it's incredible how much history and preservation work you can experience here without an entrance fee. One thing I found especially fascinating was learning that the natural spring water can reach temperatures up to 140 degrees. The museum also walks you through the history of hydrotherapy and the various treatments people once believed could heal illness and restore health. Some of the old medical equipment and therapies were truly wild by today's standards. I also loved learning that recreation, socialization, exercise, and relaxation were considered important parts of healing. The old gymnasium was one of my favorite sections because it gave such a glimpse into how wellness was viewed during that era. Some of the antique workout equipment honestly looked both impressive and slightly terrifying at the same time. The building itself is gorgeous and beautifully preserved with stained glass, tiled rooms, vintage bathing areas, and so many details that make it easy to picture what Bathhouse Row was like during its peak popularity. What surprised me most is how accessible and approachable the experience is. You don't need to be a hardcore history buff to enjoy this place. Whether you're interested in architecture, medical history, historical gym equipment, or simply stepping into another era for a little while, it's absolutely worth visiting. For me personally, though, the sweetest part was sharing a place I remembered from my own teenage years with my teenage daughter and family all these years later. That alone made this stop special.

Fordyce Bathhouse Visitors Center is probably where we should have started our visit to Hot Springs…read moreNational Park in Hot Springs, AR. But dogs were not allowed, so we found a dog boarder and came back to explore this FREE museum. The old cranky park ranger that we spoke to inside at the front counter was not friendly at all on 7.21.2025. He was very dismissive and not willing to share any insight beyond the two questions I asked him. Not welcoming. I didn't hear his interactions with previous visitors, but it doesn't matter. We had just walked in and my children were in good behavior. Quite frankly, he's primarily the reason for a star knocked off. TIPS + Don't forget to get your national park passport cancellation stamp. It was to the right when we walked in. + I paid for all-day parking (just a little over $8) in the Exchange Street Parking Plaza garage on Exchange Street. All three of us are highly active, so this was an easy walk for us even in the late July heat. Nice, simple exhibits. We enjoyed seeing how folks enjoyed the thermal springs long ago.

I walked up to the "Testament: The Little Rock Nine Monument" expecting a sculpture -- something to…read moreadmire and move on from. What I found stopped me cold. Nine bronze students stand in a loose circle, right there on the Capitol lawn, facing the very building where decisions were once made to keep them out of school. Life-size. Eye-level. There's no pedestal to separate you from them -- you're right there with them. You can walk between them, around them. They're frozen mid-stride, books in hand, faces calm but unshakable. It felt like I had interrupted something sacred. Elizabeth Eckford looks like she just stepped off the sidewalk from 1957, her book held tight to her chest, eyes ahead, not afraid but definitely carrying the weight of what's behind and in front of her. Each figure carries that same quiet strength -- not defiant, not boastful -- just brave. Braver than I think I've ever had to be. Quotes from each student are etched into stone nearby. I read every one. Some are heartbreaking, some defiant, some just honest. You start to understand that these weren't symbols -- they were kids. Teenagers just trying to go to school.

In 1957 nine strong black high school students, ranging in age from 15 to 17, set off to change the…read morecourse of the nation and lead the way in the integration of schools, following the Brown vs the Board of Education decision. The students enrolled in Little Rock's Central High School and were met with threats, intimidation and harassment. Only 3 of the nine ended up graduating from the school and one was expelled, after retaliating to the harassment she was receiving. These nine statues, titled Testament are a tribute to those students, Ernest Green, Minnijean Brown, Elizabeth Eckford, Thelma Mothershed, Melba Pattillo, Gloria Ray, Terrence Roberts, Jefferson Thomas, and Carlotta Walls. You will find these statues on the lawn of the Arkansas State Capitol facing the Governor's Office. It is a little over a mile from where the High School is located These sculptures are the work of John Deering whose intent was "for observers to become virtual witnesses, imagining themselves amid the blur of protestors, reporters and troops who surrounded the Little Rock Nine." It would be hard for me to give this sculpture anything less than a 5-star rating given its background. I love the determination and perseverance that the statues give off. The set of sculptures does a great putting the viewer back in that time. The sculptures are not uber detailed, but still have an uncanny realism about them. You will find some bronze plaques placed around the statues that have quotes from some of the nine students. The plaques are very weathered and have definitely seen better days. Some of them are hard to read and are in dire need of being repaired or replaced. Anyway, as with most sculpture that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a long stop. I was there less than 10 minutes. So, you may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip. The Capitol has a lot of memorials and statues on its grounds to visit and you can also take a tour of the Capitol building if they are open.

Beneath the Surface in Little Rock, Arkansas, is one of those public art pieces that sneaks up on…read moreyou--in the best way. Tucked along the riverfront near the Clinton Presidential Center, it's not just something you see, it's something you feel (and maybe scratch your head about for a second). At first glance, it looks like a group of ghostly steel fish swimming in mid-air, suspended in a kind of poetic, underwater ballet. But then you walk through it. You start noticing how the fish are grouped, how they're spaced, and how the light plays off the metal at different times of day. Suddenly it's more than art--it's motion, it's rhythm, it's like the Arkansas River whispered a story and the artist froze it mid-sentence. It's peaceful, clever, and just weird enough to make you stop and think, "Why don't more places have floating fish art?" Five stars for turning a simple riverside walk into a moment of quiet wonder.

This is a mural by Matt McLeod who painted the piece in 2015. It is a large mural, covering 4300…read moresquare feet (30-foot-by-142-foot) . Given this large project, McLeod needed assistance, which came in the form of art students from University of Arkansas at Little Rock and the University of Central Arkansas. This larger than life mural is located on the side of the Bennett's Military Supplies building and overlooks a commercial parking lot. It depicts an assortment of koi fish against a gradient green background as if you were viewing them from above. This mural displays some great artwork. Since the mural overlooks a parking lot, briefly parking here to get a closer look is very easy to accomplish. Anyway, as with most murals that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. So, you may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

We were just walking through Little Rock, not looking for anything in particular, when we turned a…read morecorner and bam--there it was. "Everyone's Neighborhood." Bold colors, bright faces, wide-open arms. It didn't whisper. It spoke. This mural doesn't just decorate a wall--it tells a story. People of all kinds, all walks of life, stitched together in paint like a big neighborhood quilt. You don't have to read a plaque or know the backstory to feel it. It's welcoming. It's hopeful. It feels like someone painted it with both love and purpose. The art stretches long and lively across the wall, and it makes you stop. Makes you smile. Makes you think. In a city that's got its share of rough patches, this piece feels like a reminder of what community could look like. It's not just a mural. It's a message. One we need now more than ever. Five stars, no question.

This colorful mural is the work of Matt Mcleod who was commissioned to do the piece by the Downtown…read moreLittle Rock Partnership. It was dedicated in 2021. This mural was a community effort, which I am always a fan of. Everybody from the neighborhood had the opportunity to paint the Everyone's Neighborhood mural (I know....cheesy). The mural was based off a sticker that local graphic designer Josh Coker made. The mural depicts the Little Rock Skyline in a blue frame with the words "Downtown Little Rock" above it and "Everyone's Neighborhood to the left of it. It is all set against a lite blue background and colorful rays coming from the skyline. It has a "Greetings From ...." kind of vibe to it. It is a nice welcome to the city. This mural is definitely worth a peek and is very instagrammable (if that is your thing). The mural overlooks a private parking lot, so briefly parking here to get a closer look should not be an issue. There is also street parking available nearby. Anyway, as with most murals that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. So, you may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

Tucked into the heartbeat of downtown Little Rock, we stumbled upon the "City Dreamers" mural like…read moreit was meant to find us. At first glance, it stops you in your tracks--a massive face in dreamlike repose, floating above the city skyline, with the bridge stretching across like a tether between dreams and reality. It's the kind of mural that doesn't just look pretty--it feels like something. Like hope. Like imagination. Like someone believed a city could be more than just buildings and traffic. You stand there for a minute and you start to wonder what the city dreams about at night. It's vibrant and thoughtful and tucked right into the daily rush of downtown life. And that's the magic of it--it reminds you to pause. To look up. To believe in something bigger than the moment. Five stars. No question. It's more than paint on a wall--it's poetry in color.

This piece is the work of Joel Boyd who completed the work in 2019. It is a 2 part mural with one…read moreside being the silhouette of a woman's head with a city scape painted in it and the other side being the silhouette of a man's head with the Calico Rock area of Arkansas painted in it. You will find this mural on the side of a parking garage and there is street parking on the adjacent street available to park, get out and take a closer look. It is a very nice piece that has some masterfully artwork. This mural demands your attention and definitely got mine. I like the Ying and Yang thing the mural has going on. The blue background of the man goes well with and compliments the woman's red background. I really like this mural. The artwork is on point. Boyd is very talented. Anyway, as with most murals that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. So, you may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

Great Place. Google still sends you over to his old place on Hillcrest…read more This is the real deal right there near the Rep on 6th and Main.

From the owner: Matt McLeod Fine Art Gallery offers paintings, sculpture, drawings, photography and artisan-made…read moregift items, from the country's leading artists. Visit our gallery, at 108 West 6th Street, Suite A, in Little Rock, Arkansas. We are located near the corner of 6th and Main Streets in the heart of Little Rock's Creative Corridor, across the street from the Koi mural on 6th street. We offer commissioned pieces, consulting services for corporate collections and design services for large public art projects and installations. Nothing makes a space warmer, engaging and more attractive than a work of public art. Our experienced staff will bring work from exceptional artists combined with design know how to help you develop a friendlier interior or exterior environment. Let us design a plan to add fine art to your home, office, law firm, hospital, medical clinic, or other corporate space. Contact us to set up your free initial consultation: 501-725-8508 Email us: support@mattmcleodgallery.com

This is the work of French artist Youri Cansell, artistically known as Mantra. He painted the piece…read more2021. It is a very realistic depiction of a butterfly shadow box. Mantra has a fascination with entomology, The study of insects. This fascination reflects in his work that is frequently of insects such as this one. You will find this mural on display in the heart of Downtown Little Rock, right at the entrance of the River Market and side od David's Burgers. This piece is not only detailed, but scientifically accurate as well. Some of Native Arkansas butterflies depicted in the mural include the Parhassius, Cupido, Celastrina, and Lycaena. Also, the shading Mantra uses in the mural is amazing. In addition to the reflecting Mantra's love of insects, the mural gives a nod to the famous Little Rock Nine, a group of nine courageous black students who instrumental in integrating a local high school in 1957, drawing national attention to the civil rights movement. There is metered street parking available within a reasonable walking distance from the mural. The meters run from about 8AM to 6PM, Monday thru Friday. This is a nice mural and I enjoyed the very loose tribute to the Little Rock Nine. If you are near the Market, you cannot miss it. Anyway, as with most murals that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. So, you may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other attractions in the area, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.