Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site

Visiting Little Rock Central High School was a powerful experience. The building itself is a stunning example of Gothic Revival architecture, standing as a testament to resilience and progress. Walking through its historic grounds, I couldn't help but reflect on the pivotal events of 1957 and the Bravery of the Little Rock Nine. The site balances beauty with the weight of its past, serving as an essential educational landmark that reminds us of the ongoing journey toward equality. A must-visit for those interested in civil rights history. The visitors center is free and incredibly well done. Take your time!!! The high school is still a working and functional school so there is no admittance to inside but you can walk the beautiful grounds.

Fortunate to have been able to attend the ranger-led program on our visit - A very important event in our country’s history that should not be forgotten -

They offer a 1 pm guided tour every day. Our tour guide Ranger Randy was very knowledgeable and gave an excellent tour, but unfortunately he is retiring so you’ll probably get another tour guide. Hopefully they will be just a good. Make sure to book reservations in advance if you want the guided tour, or just stop in anytime if you want to do a self guided tour. The guided tour really makes the story come alive, so I would recommend it. Our tour lasted about 2 hours and was half inside and half outside. There is also a visitors center if you want to look around on your own.

Interesting piece of history, especially if you like to learn about the civil rights movement. I will say walking about the school is kind of pointless. The front of the school is worth seeing, but the sides and back of the school are not in the best neighborhood. Plus there is a lot of construction so the sidewalk is closed. You can’t go in the school, because it is still an active school.

Nice. School is still in use. Huge. Principal was nice to let us in even though it wasn’t open to the public that day.

Informative, cozy museum! They’re well-arranged and good story-telling. We can visit outside the high school too.

If you're ever in Little Rock and enjoy learning about the Civil Rights movement, this is your place. The visitor center was very informative and thoughtfully planned out. The high school itself is not available to tour since it's still an active high school but you can walk the grounds. My mom and I enjoyed our experience there and the staff at the visitor center have a wealth of knowledge. Pick their brains! They are super friendly and kind.

Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site is a marvelous resource. It's chock-full of important history in a small, manageably-sized museum that's a must-see site for visitors to Little Rock. Not only does the museum provide quite an education in what happened in the Central High integration crisis of 1957, but it delves into the roots of that confrontation, in the long history of racial segregation preceded by slavery. The museum itself is attractive, featuring artwork by local artists as well as a nice gift shop with books, posters, curios, and other educational resources. I highly recommend this museum. Photos below are from the interior of the museum and some of its exhibits in March 2018.

In 1957, nine black students entered the school past violent protestors. The city planned to desegregate the high school but the governor swore the schools would remain segregated. Their are interactive displays that recreate the tension filled weeks & included recollections of the Central High Nine and others that are involved. The whole neighborhood has been preserved around the national park service visitor center. The magnificent Little Rock Central High School, even in 1950's Magnolia Mobil gas station was left intact & homes in the area reflect the 1950's.

Brought my daughters here in July 2025 for the Little Rock 9 history lesson. They are both now in middle school and I thought it was time. Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site was free to visit. The staff members were welcoming and helpful. Clean women's restroom. Ample parking. The actual high school is brisk walk away or you may street park there too. It's a beautiful school. The displays here were nice, but definitely in depth for their age. They enjoyed the old photos. The question "why" repeated the entire duration of our visit. Cancel your national park book while you're there. They had multiple stamps.

Visiting the Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site felt like stepping into a pivotal moment in history. The school still buzzes with student life, but nearby, the visitor center shares powerful stories and artifacts from the 1957 The ranger-led tour brought to life the courage of the Little Rock Nine and the fierce resistance they faced. Walking the grounds and the Commemorative Garden, I felt the weight of the past--and the hope for progress. It's a moving, essential experience.

We had the opportunity to visit this site and attend a free tour with a ranger. The tour lasted around 90 min and was extremely informative. On the tour, you have a chance to want around the exterior of the school, but will not be permitted to enter inside. Check the site for tour schedule and call ahead to reserve- highly recommend checking this out!

The visitors center has a really well done museum with the information presented so it flows and you can understand it. We spoke with two different rangers who really knew what they were talking about and helped make the events come alive for my son and nephew. We all left with a deeper appreciation and understanding of what people went through to push for civil rights!

If you have not heard of the Little Rock Nine, then that is sad. They were a group of High School Students that led the charge in integrating a high school in Little Rock in the face of violent mobs, death threats, harassment and intimidation. Only 3 of the students actually graduated from the school and one was expelled after retaliation when she was being harassed. The school, Little Rock Central High School is still operating today. You can visit the steps of the school, but you are nit allowed to go in for obvious reasons. The Visitors Center is located across the street from the school and has its own private parking lot, with an overflow lot available. The Visitor Center is managed by the US Park Service and is manned by US Park Rangers. They were very friendly. The Center is set up in a way that you should start counterclockwise. Some of the exhibits include civil rights legislation, a comparison of Black versus white schools during that time, Brown vs the Board of Education decision, Native Americans, Emmit Till, and of course telling the story of the Little Rock Nine. There are also some interactive exhibits that allow you to hear stories of the Little Rock Nine and also hear their actual voices. It may not be very big, but it is a very informative Center and I learned a lot. It is also very clean and well organized. And to top it all off, it is free. You cant get better than that. In addition to visiting the school, I recommend taking a trip the the Arkansas State House where you will find the Little Rock Nine statues across the street. I did not have a car and walked there from the Center and it took about 35 minutes or so. It is about a 5 minute car ride from the Center. This is a must see while in Little Rock. If you could only visit one attraction while in town, this should be it. This site does a good job putting you back in that time and I give it my highest recommendation.

This famous high school is apparently still a school, and while the visitor center looks like any National Parks site, this is otherwise an ordinary residential neighborhood, which only serves to emphasize the banality of evil. The story is reasonably well-known, but for those who aren't familiar represents an educational opportunity, and I certainly learned some new details upon perusing the visitor center and walking the site. While I did have some idea of the history, I didn't expect the building to be as architecturally impressive as it was. Large tour groups starting coming through within a few minutes of the official opening time; there was no evident way for the passing tourist to join in or to go inside the school, so it was a relatively short stop for me but still the better part of an hour. The exhibitions at the visitor center present a picture of both fairly astonishing backward thinking, but also a reminder of progress. Some of the pieces make dubious attempts to tie the story here to other varying social issues around the country; I wish they'd keep their focus. But there's certainly plenty worth paying attention to. Visitors would also be well advised to note that a separate memorial to the Little Rock Nine exists near the state house which is only a mile away or so.

The exhibit at the visitor center is important and deeply informative. I knew of the Little Rock 9 and their role in fighting for civil and educational rights during the civil rights movement. But there was so much I didn't know, and learned while there. The memorial gardens are very small -- I was hoping for a larger garden walk with more information (things to see or do). It's about 100 feet in total. Walking over to the school was powerful. The school is still active, so you can't go in. But seeing it and walking the steps was powerful. The building is huge, just like the role it plays in history. The old visitor center is a restored mobile gas station, made to look like it did during that era. You cannot go in, but it's neat to see as well. In all, I'd have loved to see more pictures and pictures and markers where certain events happened in the area. Expanding the garden walk would also be nice.

This tour centers on the integration crisis resulting from nine black students integrating into the all white Little Rock Central High School. First things first: this is very worthwhile, but you need a decent attention span. This is not a flashy type of tour, and you don't go inside the school. No multimedia exhibits. It's quite academic. It's two hours of education, but it's important, and the rangers do a fantastic job. Our ranger was Patti Cummings, and you could tell she's very passionate about the subject. She has done a lot of research and reading, and actually did this job unpaid/volunteer for two and a half years before becoming a paid employee. The visitor center is nice. Clean bathrooms and a neat gift shop with a lot of books and souvenirs. There is an exhibit explaining the basics. The first 45 minutes to an hour is spent in a classroom where the ranger takes you through history, from slavery, to the constitution, to the civil war, Jim Crow, and beyond. These subjects are essential to understanding what happened at Little Rock. The next 45 minutes to an hour are spent outside at the actual school. Patti used a ton of photos (you can tell she worked really hard to put the packet/presentation together) and storytelling to help us understand what the nine black students went through. We then walked around the exterior campus while she explained some facts about the building itself, as well as more history. The whole tour was about two hours, and again, more academic rather than multimedia based or flashy. But so interesting, heartbreaking, and important. The tour is free. You must schedule ahead of time on the NPS website. I actually had to call, leave a message, and then had a helpful ranger call me back, then I got an email confirming my time. You are to park at the visitor center, not at the school. Plenty of spaces. And again, kudos to Patti, she was awesome. There was another ranger on site (three or four alternate giving the tours), and you could tell he really cared about it as well. 100% worthwhile.

Wonderful interactive display telling the story not only of the Little Rock Nine, but of Civil Rights in the United States. It's free, so no excuses take the time to check it out. You can also explore the exterior of the high school and gas station across the street. Now, be sure to do your part to support Civil Rights for all!

Wonderful visitor's center with the passport stamp, gift shop, and museum telling the story of bravery, persistence, and strength of the students, family, and all those supporting equality. Such sweet and tear-inducing stories of the students and the terrible prejudice and harassment they faced. Also included other struggles with inequality and unfair treatment (women's rights, other ethnicities, individuals with disabilities, etc.). The high school itself is beautiful but the history adds a deeper layer of remembrance for those who stood up for desegregation

I grew up learning about this school and the Little Rock Nine. I could lay it all out to explain it, but I see other people already have in their reviews. No matter how much you know, have read, learn, etc....you don't really get the feel of it unless you go to the school. It is a "wow" moment for sure! You can only imagine the stress and pressure those nine brave kids faced. I learned something new when visiting the museum...I knew the guard was called in to protect the students, but I had no idea the Army's 101st Airborne Division was called in to escort the students into the school. President Eisenhower took action and it was the first time since the post-Civil War Reconstruction period that the federal military force was used to support civil rights. The National Guard remained for the rest of the school year. The school is still an active high school. I must say, it is absolutely beautiful. The architecture was amazing when it was built and is still amazing to this day. When it was built, it was declared the most expensive and beautiful school building before it was ever finished. It cost $1.5 million to build in 1927 and was the largest high school on record until the late 1940s. That is expensive today...can you imagine back then? Holy Smokes! How could they afford to build such a school? Because the money that was supposed to go for other schools was taken away to build this one school...that wasn't very nice. I've never seen a high school stadium surrounded by a really high wall, but this school has one! Apparently, that is part of the history too...the high wall so folks couldn't see what was going on in there...just sad. You are welcome to drive by and around the school. You can walk around the grounds within reason as well, but do keep in mind it is still a school. I was really hoping there would be some sort of tour of it or in certain areas, but there isn't...and that is due to it being an active school. The welcome center and museum are full of information and pictures though. When visiting the museum, be sure to watch all the movie clips...very informative. I really enjoyed learning about each individual student. If you are visiting the area, put this on your list. If you are passing through...it's definitely worth a stop. Just keep an open mind when dealing with the staff. On that note, the only downside is the staff is not really nice and their personal opinions conveyed to any visitor is something most visitors can do without. Everyone is different and to assume you think you know people just because of how they look or because they are from a different area is inappropriate. I feel talking with people helps us all to learn, but you should try to "listen" too...and that goes for everyone.

Definitely worth a stop. Very humbling experience. This is a huge school and I wish I had the time to take a tour.

"All The World Is Watching Us" Although Thurgood Marshall (who would later be appointed by LBJ as the first black Supreme Court justice) argued successfully in Brown v. Board of Education, a landmark 1954 Supreme Court ruling that declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional, desegregation was slow in the south. The Little Rock Nine were a group of nine black students who were selected to enroll at the all-white Central High School in Little Rock in September 1957. Built at a cost of $1.5 million in 1927, it was one of the top and most affluent high schools in the country which was also a sharp contrast for other high schools in Little Rock. Their attendance at the school was a test of the unanimous landmark decision. On the first day of classes, Arkansas Governor Orval Faubus sent the Arkansas National Guard to block the black students' entry into the high school. Subsequently, President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent in federal troops to escort the Little Rock Nine into the school and protect them throughout the school year. He also federalized the entire 10,000-man Arkansas National Guard in order to remove them from Governor Faubus's control. Despite the protection, the students and their families faced a barrage of verbal harrasment, threats, angry mobs and physical violence. Their ongoing struggle brought national and international attention to the civil rights movement. Today, Little Rock's Central High School is a fully functioning school. Visits are currently limited due to COVID, but the visitor's center caddycorner across the street has several very interactive displays. The first part of the museum gives a historic background that led up to the desegregation challenges. "Memories of the Crisis" allows you to hear about the stories from The Little Rock Nine themselves regarding the treatment and threats they and their families received, other student and teacher interations and the legacy that these pioneers have left. Visitors are limited to 10 people, although we were the only ones inside for over half of our visit (there was a family of three for a short while). Parking is available at the visitors center. Admission is free.

Wow! What a history lesson. I love the acknowledgments of the history that took place at this location and to see the Nines' names in stone - absolutely humbling! Left speechless

This was not what we expected but turned out to be so much more and was an absolutely wonderful afternoon. Because of covet you can't go into the high school but we had an excellent presentation by ranger Randy, and I can't emphasize excellent enough. He spent about 45 minutes or so giving us the history and then we walked over to the school and he did a great job of having us try to imagine what it was like for those nine heroes. He was very engaging and told the story extremely well. Normally you need a reservation but we were between Christmas and New years and had no problem getting in the day of. It is free but I would definitely pay to see something like this.

This place was fascinating! And they have all COVID protocols down and are strictly adhering to them. It's not a huge museum, but very informative and VERY COOL!!!

So much history. I knew nothing about the Little Rock Nine. What a brave group of young students. This high school was built years ahead of its time and the black students wanted to have the same experience as white students. They fought for the right to get a education and won. Still so much work to be done. Go check this place out.

Excellent display summarizing the African American civil rights movement from the 1800s till 1950s. Entrance is free. The focus is on the Little Rock Nine but still a great history lesson for all. They have a few replica models of the high school and a few audio stations but most will be reading wall posters. It also briefly touches on Japanese Americans and Alaskan Native Americans.

Seriously a awesome experience. We went on a tour at one and was so impressed by how knowledgeable and professional our guide was. He had said he was new and we would of never known. We were guided to the historical site and walked in the steps of the little Rock nine. We were even gifted goodie bags for our classrooms and my kid received a valuable first hand experience.

I'm a total nerd so I geek out hard over history and culture and revolution and things of that sort. It doesn't help that I'm a teacher who actually studied the history of education. I. fricking. love. this. place. It's such a powerful place. The tour was so convenient, well thought out, and informative. I wish we were able to go into the school, but apparently they're not opened on weekdays. By the way, it's an operating school. So not only is it a huge part of history, it's still a functioning school. I went with a friend who's from around there, so he's was very knowledgeable of the neighborhood and its history. His high school was actually the rivaling high school, so he was disgruntle quite a bit during the trip and shared a bit of what he knew. While the history was skewed a bit, I still think it's a great stepping stone into American Educational history as well as state vs federal history.

Pro - The National Park Service offers a guided Streetscape Tours. Call ahead and reserve a spot. The Rangers are very friendly and knowledgeable on the history of the events, the high school, and the people in attendance.

I knew as soon as I landed in Little Rock I was going to visit Little Rock Central High School and the Little Rock 9 Statue. I've been planning this for weeks. I am surprised how emotional I'm feeling today. But.... I woke up this morning and the first article I read was the shooting of another black man by a police officer. *sigh* I was driving up Daisy L Gatson Bates Dr and the tears started flowing. In 1957, nine children enrolled in Little Rock Central High School. My heart just felt so heavy as I walked the grounds. I can't imagine what it must have been like to hear people call you the N word as you walked to your desegregated school. I can't imagine what it felt like to have someone spit in your face and threaten your life. I can't imagine what it felt like to sit next to your fellow students who didn't want you there. But, because of the Little Rock Nine, I am. And, I thank you.

We drove by here to take a pic out of the outside. It sure is huuuuge! Kids were active in school when we went so we could not go inside.

Wow! Beautiful building and a great story about some important history. We just drove by and took a few pictures due to covid but still glad we took the time to see what we could.

This is a very well done NPS site. Visitor center has very informative content on an important event in US history. Friendly rangers. Junior ranger program is targeted for older kids. Definitely worth checking out.

This is still a real working high school. To take a tour you have to call 48 hours in advance and be with a ranger.

What a great history lesson! This was a teachable moment for us all. Take the time! And as a bonus, this school has great architectural design! Incredible!

Small but powerful! I recommend this location to anyone in or passing through Little Rock! This single school shaped many of the changes which we continue to see evolving in today's society. The museum has historical photos and broadcasts and interviews places into a very easy to understand format for all ages. Tours are available of the still functioning school which highlight the struggles of the times and the impact of how they shaped modern day schools and culture. Staff is very friendly and knowledgeable.

Our NPS tourguide, Rebecca, gave the best tour I've ever done. She was so passionate about Black History and wasn't shy to give us her perspective. She gave a comprehensive and engaging presentation about the history of slavery and segregation in the US, so that we could better understand what happened in Little Rock in 1957. She then guided us through a rainstorm to see the site itself. What a trooper!

The Little Rock Center High took nation attention in 1957. There was nine African American students attending this high school during the racial segregation. The Governor of Arkansas prevent this nine students to attend the school and the president Eisenhower intervene allow them to attend. I learn this incident from Bill Clinton Library when he award this nine students for bravery. This nine student is now know the Little Rock Nine. Beside the famous history, we decide to visit this high school due to their famous stair. The front of the school is a three layer pair of stair with the beautiful brick wall make up the beauty of the front. The school gothic look add some nice feature and the pond also enhance the look of majestic. The home of tiger can bring the knowledge to future of Arkansas other than the history was made.

One of the most humbling experiences I have ever had! I was unable to book a tour, but the visitor's center filled that void for me. The park ranger on staff was so kind and chatted with me for quite some time about book recommendations! In my opinion a must visit if you are in the area and be sure to book a tour ahead of time! The info to do so is on nps.gov

Central is THE high school of all high schools. The National Park Service has made this school a National Historical sight. There two corners and properties adjacent to the school are also National Historical sights. In many ways, Central High School is the embodiment of the Civil Rights era within America. To summarize, the historical relevance is the story of the, "The Little Rock Nine." Nine students were selected to integrate Central High and they were faced with angry mobs of White people screaming racial slurs and chanting hateful words at their attempts to integrate the school. Additionally, the governor of Arkansas had the National Guard block the school doors, so that the children could not enter the building. Eventually, the federal government had to get involved and the Army was sent to the school grounds in order to protect the students and facilitate the integration process. The obstacles and struggles that they were faced with demonstrated a different time, in America, when segregation and hatred towards African Americans was socially accepted as a standard legalized practice. For this reason and many more, it is historically relevant and arguably the most well known high school in the United States. The school itself is architecturally stunning. It is grandiose in size and quite captivating. It has a fountain/pool in the center and has ornate brickwork and carved statues. There is a full sized stadium and several other athletic courts on the premises also. The high school is still used to this day. Guided tours, by a Park Ranger, are offered a couple of times per day. The tour takes about an hour to complete. Across the street, is where guests can find the museum and visitors center. It is a small museum dedicated to this historically monumental event, but it really captivates its importance. In total, the museum takes about 45 minutes to complete. There is a gift shop and auditorium. Admission is free and if you arrive during school hours a Park Ranger will be there to greet you. We noticed a student from Central took over the front desk around 4pm. Essential pit stop if in Little Rock.

Tours are at 9 am and 1 pm but you are not allowed in the school building because of Covid, so they just lead you around the grounds. Our guide Dave basically took us on a tour of the visitor's center (kitty corner from the school) and told us everything he would have said in the tour (since we arrived at 10 am.) The visitor's center had displays on the events leading up to Little Rock Nine (basically laws passed saying schools must be desegregated) and the event itself where nine black students tried to attend a white high school of 2,000 students and the National Guard prevented them along with a white mob meant to intimidate. It also had a section on other racially motivated incidents. The entrance to the museum was free and it had nice bathrooms, free plentiful parking, great brochures for this and other local tourist sites, and an awesome tour guide. Masks and social distancing applied, but we were the only people there until the last 5 minutes. We were there an hour and 15 minutes, but that was with leisurely chatting with the guide. You could zip around much faster if you wanted and pop across the street to look at the school. Wonderful! Do not miss!

This tour was deeply impactful, and I'm so grateful to the National Parks Service for providing it. We learned so much and were humbled to walk up the same steps that the Little Rock 9 did. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and easily engaged us in conversation. The gift shop was full of resources and the tour guide and other staff were able to make helpful decisions on book choices.

While overall we enjoyed the tour today of Central High School, we nearly walked out of the tour today when the otherwise competent guide announced she did not like Thomas Jefferson, and was entitled to dislike him because she grew up 15 miles from where he lived. And he owned slaves. This was an ignorant, "woke" interpretation of our country's history and the author of one of the most brilliant documents in the history of the world. Please advise your rangers to refrain from political statements. It angered us to hear this ignorant position, and almost resulted in our leaving a very enlightening presentation.

Unfortunately we didn't get to spend a lot of time here, and I didn't know they did tours! We were literally just passing through Little Rock on our way home to CA and stopped for lunch. I was very excited to stop at the school and see it in all it's historical glory. We walked through the museum which was really well done. Since we didn't have much time it was sadly a quick run through. We walked over to the school itself and I was able to get some good pictures. I would love to go back and get a tour, talk to a ranger, and get my passport stamp!

This is a great lesson in US History, from the Founding Fathers and the Constitution and Bill of Rights, all the way up to the Japanese Internment, Civil Rights movement, Women's Liberation, and the ADA act for disabilities. It is a history of our ideals as Americans, and you would be surprised to learn the real facts that you may take for granted in your daily life today about the freedoms you enjoy and the equal protection of all citizens under the law. In 1957, three years after the famous Supreme Court Ruling of Brown vs. Board of Education, which made the post civil war "states rights laws" of "Seperate but Equal" phrases unconstitutional according to the 14th Ammendment to the US Constitution, 9 African American teens decided to enter the all-white Central HIgh School in Little Rock. They were harrased by angry white mobs who assembled with the encouragement of Governor Forbath of Arkansas, and the kids went home. NEws outlets capture this on TV and print, and it hit the national and international news, and President Dwight Eisenhower called in the Army's elite 101st Airborne to escort the 9 kids back to the school. And thus, one of the most pivotal moments in the Civil Rights movement started, right here in Little Rock. This was before Rosa Parks, Freedom Riders, the March in Selma, or Dr. Martin Luther King's famous "I have a Dream" speech. Using multi-media in easy to follow presentations, the history of the founding of our country, where the concept of "all men are created equal" meant only White land owners, to today where we think in much broader terms, thanks to many landmark pieces of legislation, like the 14th Ammendment, Voting Rights Act, the Civil Rights Bill, and others, as well as the courage of a few to fight the inequalities of their times. This exhibit, which is free, is worth a 20 minute detour in your day to learn about real events in our histry as a nation, many of them in the recent past, that shaped who we are today. They talk about many things, from reconstruction, Jim Crow laws, Suffragettes, Equal Rights Ammendment (which still hasn't passed), Native Americans, even about the farm Labor movement in addition to others I have already mentioned. They don't mention the Chinese Exclusion Act's history (mostly in California), nor anything about the Gay Rights movement. Being in the Bible Belt of the South, perhaps they never will. We'll see. If this exhibit, and if America truly believes in the 14th ammendment, which passed to reverse the Dred Scott case which ruled that blacks could not become citizens of the US, then this should protect perhaps one of the last minorities for equal protection, Gay Rights, too, just as it was used to advance the rights of Blacks in the reconstruction era. The 14th ammendment, states in Section 1: Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws. This Ammendment wasn't passed until 80 years after the Constitution was written. Anyone who says they are a strict Constitutionalist, must include the Bill of Rights (The ammendments to the Constitution) which have evolved over time as society has evolved.

I definitely think this place is a must stop if you are in Little Rock. It is a big part of US History, big things happened here. I think it's very cool that the outside of the school as well as the rest was so well maintained and that there is a museum here. The structure of the school itself is massive when you actually walk up to it. You don't realize how many steps there are until you are looking up the stairs. It was a good experience to come by here.

The Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site is a visitor center and museum that is run by the National Park service near Central High School. The high school is still operating but the nearby land is owned by the federal government and maintained as a museum to commemorate the conflict resulting from the desegregation of public schools after the Brown v. Board of Education decision by the US Supreme Court. The visitor center has an information desk, gift shop and restrooms. The museum explains the events leading up to the Army being deployed to the high school to protect the "Little Rock Nine" so they could go to the mostly white school. The exhibits also go step by step through the conflict between the Arkansas governor and President Eisenhower. The exhibits are well-maintained and interesting. I was outside on the street corner taking pictures of the school, which you're not allowed to enter because it's still operating. I was very emotional from thinking about the conflict and how far the country has come in 50 years. A black woman walked by and said to me, "It's a great sight to see, isn't it." It really was.

This is an amazing opportunity to look at our country's history. If not for lessons learned we are doomed to repeat the same mistakes. It gives me an exceptional perspective of where we are today as a country and yet we continue to make reoccurring strides to discriminate against others because they are not like us. We are all Americans. Living under one nation. With the same expectation to be treated and respected for who we are - equally. God Bless America and may our future be different than our past.

Our park ranger gave over an hour lecture on the history of slavery and black discrimination in the US. I feel that most people who come to this site already have some basic knowledge and would just like to learn about one specific event in history. She also spent too much time giving her own personal opinion of things. The lecture could be shortened by 30 minutes. It would be nice to see some video clips. The high school tour consisted of walking in and sitting in the auditorium. Since it is an active high school, we could not see anymore. I did learn some information about the event that I did not know, so in the end it was worth the trip.

We went to the national park museum across the street as well. The experience was very educational and worth the time. The exterior of the school was beautiful and a lot larger than I ever imagined. I wish there was a better representation of the bench Elizabeth sat on. The current bench is a platform for advertisement and embodies the lack of respect still shown in this country today.

Visited the national historical site visitor center and learned quite a bit. A lot to learn about our history right here. The high school is breathtaking in its beauty.

The great experience . You must take tour to,get the whole experience. Our tour guide was engaging, and well informed. A historical site in living and active neighborhood and school

I've been to almost 50 national parks and this might just be my favorite. It has about everything you could want in a historic site - a modern visitor's center with a wide array of interesting books and trinkets in the gift shop, an informative and interactive museum, a free tour that includes a small presentation, and really informed and intelligent park rangers. Make sure you read up on the parks website about tour offerings - you do need a reservation and they are a bit limited since the high school is still operating today so they need to work around the school schedule. We signed up for a 9am tour on a Monday and had about 6 other folks on our tour. The park ranger first lead us to a presentation room and gave some background information via powerpoint before walking us over to the school itself, where we walked the halls and heard stories about the Little Rock 9 as well as the history of integrating the school. After the tour, we asked the ranger tons of questions that she knew all the answers too and even pointed us to some books in the gift shop that may spark our interest. We spent about an hour and a half after our tour in the museum - which goes in depth to integration nationally, the school, and the Little Rock 9. This is a MUST DO for anyone in Little Rock and a really important site to bring children (and adults) to reflect on the history of this country. Thank you NPS for preserving this site!

Something that is a must see if in Little Rock. I came out for the LR Marathon/ Half Marathon and came over. The process of integration is an important part of US history and a shame that it took so long to happen. The museum itself is small and sits across from Central HS. The museum gives a good timeline of the key events/ cases leading up to the Little Rock 9 and integration in AR and the aftermath of integration, including how students and society reacted. You also get a look on how LR led to integration changes elsewhere.

We were Finally able to visit! Ranger Randy gave us a tour and he was Amazing! If you have time to do the tour, I highly recommend it. The Visitor Center has lots of information.

Me and my children love Central. My oldest graduated in 2012. My youngest will graduate from Central in 2022. Great school. Offers every AP class except AP Mandarin Chinese. And they would probably make that happen with interest.