June 20, 2003


New Bus Tours Reveal History Behind Central Arkansas Sites

By Jim Taylor, travel writer
Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism

LITTLE ROCK -- For a comparatively small city, Arkansas's capital drew a remarkable share of national and international attention in the last half of the 20th century. It began in 1957 with a well-televised clash between the federal and state governments over the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School and peaked with state native Bill Clinton's tenure as U.S. President from 1993-2001.

As a result, numerous places long important to Arkansans became significant to people from beyond the state's boundaries. The Old State House, for example, was no longer of importance simply because it was the state's first capitol and because it was the oldest such building still standing west of the Mississippi River; it had become the place where Clinton announced his presidential candidacy and where he delivered his election victory speeches in 1992 and 1996. And the William Jefferson Clinton Presidential Center, expected to open next year in a 27-acre park on the south bank of the Arkansas River, will likely extend the city's national profile into the 21st century.

State visitors and Arkansans alike can now sample some of the most prominent historic and architecturally significant sites in downtown Little Rock and North Little Rock aboard a new 33-passenger tour bus dubbed "The Little Rock and Roll." The guided tours feature numerous video clips that can be viewed from any seat via four monitors.

The tours were the brainchild of Cary and Gina Martin, a husband-and-wife team. Cary Martin co-anchors evening newscasts and Gina Martin was a former reporter and program host at Little Rock's ABC-TV affiliate.

"We got the idea to set this up after taking a city tour in Minneapolis/St. Paul," Cary Martin said. "They offered a nice city tour, but we realized that Little Rock has twice as many historic landmarks with twice the significance in half the geographical area. We felt Little Rock was more than ready for a city tour, and, with the Clinton Library coming on, it was an easy decision for us."

"From the 1957 Central crisis to the federal Whitewater investigation," Gina Martin added, "a lot of American history has played out right here. That's why we decided to add a dose of news and a dash of Hollywood to this tour."

The news highlights date back to 1957 and include interview clips with the late Gov. Orval Faubus, President Eisenhower and some members of "The Little Rock Nine." These clips are shown just before the bus approaches Central High School. Other points of interest on the tour are preceded by clips from movies and television shows, including the Old Mill in North Little Rock (seen in the opening credits of the 1939 movie "Gone With the Wind") and Little Rock's Villa Marre, (seen in the opening credits of the television show "Designing Women").

Additional tour highlights include the current Arkansas State Capitol, historic homes and churches of Little Rock's Quapaw Quarter district, the Governor's Mansion, downtown North Little Rock, and the Clinton Library site. Riders are given a "virtual" tour of the latter facility through clips shown on the TV monitors.

Gina Martin said, "We hope residents with family or friends coming into town -- perhaps for a wedding or family reunion -- will use the tours to show their guests the twin cities and the history behind them."

"The tours have become an ideal entertainment choice for local school, daycare and retirement center groups," Cary Martin added.

The round-trip tours are offered to the general public Tuesday through Saturday at 1 p.m. and depart from the Arkansas Junction in Little Rock's downtown River Market District. Tour rates are $22 for adults, $16 for seniors and students, $10 for children 6 through 12 and free for children under 6. Groups making advance reservations are eligible for discounts, and they can arrange special tour times at discounted prices as well.

Two specialized educational tours for school groups have been developed to meet curriculum standards of the Arkansas Department of Education and are available at significantly reduced fees. A "Haunted Tour" for Halloween and a "Christmas Lights Tour" for December are also being planned.

For more information, contact Little Rock Tours by phone at (501) 868-7287 or visit the company's Web site at www.littlerocktours.com. The company also provides step-on guide service and video presentations for charter tour groups and has hosted convention groups, corporate parties, business outings and family reunions.

 

Submitted by the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism
One Capitol Mall, Little Rock, AR 72201, (501) 682-7606
E-mail: info@arkansas.com

May be used without permission. Credit line is appreciated:
"Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism"

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