About Old State House Museum
The Old State House Museum occupies Arkansas's original state capitol, a Greek Revival landmark constructed between 1833 and 1842 and recognized as the oldest surviving state capitol building west of the Mississippi River. The building and its grounds witnessed many pivotal episodes in Arkansas history, including the state's early years after admission to the Union, a notorious fatal confrontation between legislators, and the vote to secede from the United States in 1861. After state government moved to the current Capitol, the building served other public purposes, including use as a medical school, war memorial, and community center before developing into a museum of Arkansas history.
Today visitors can explore historic legislative spaces such as the 1836 House of Representatives Chamber and exhibitions on Arkansas governors, first families, first ladies, political culture, and the building itself. The museum's collections and rotating exhibits connect the landmark to the wider story of Arkansas from statehood to the present. Its combination of authentic political spaces, architecture, and statewide historical interpretation makes it an essential stop for understanding how Arkansas's government and public identity developed.
