Arkansas Vacation Travel 
Transportation Services and Bus/Coach Information

Many new facilities are opening or being improved in our state parks 
thanks to the Arkansas Conservation Amendment, which provides a dedicated 
fund to build and maintain conservation resources for the future. In 
this newsletter you’ll find information on:

- THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE COMMEMORATION 
—Earn your Louisiana Purchase commemorative patch

- LOUISIANA PURCHASE STATE PARK REOPENS

- AQUATIC EXHIBITS OPEN AT LAKE DARDANELLE

- NEW WEB SITES COME TO ARKANSAS STATE PARKS
*Old Washington, Arkansas's 19th-Century Village
*Ozarkfolkcenter.Com Gains An On-Line Store
*Petit Jean State Park 
*Arkansas's Diamond Field

THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE COMMEMORATION 
This year marks the 200th anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase of 
1803, and state parks, museums and other sites throughout Arkansas are 
hosting programs, living history presentations, special events and exhibits 
commemorating the bicentennial. For a list, visit www.lapurchase.org.  
Families, scouts, church groups, history classes and others can earn a 
beautiful Louisiana Purchase commemorative patch by downloading the 
patch booklet from www.lapurchase.org, completing the questions and/or 
visiting sites in Arkansas as listed and sending in their completed form. 
You don’t have to come to Arkansas to earn your patch, but traveling 
Arkansas will make it even more fun!

LOUISIANA PURCHASE STATE PARK REOPENS
Louisiana Purchase State Park has reopened following the construction 
of a new boardwalk and exhibits. The National Historic Landmark, 
features one of the last remaining headwater swamps and the granite monument 
marking the initial point of the survey of the lands of the Louisiana 
Purchase. The $15 million land deal from France doubled the size of the 
young United States and from this initial point in eastern Arkansas 
emanated surveys for Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota and 
part of South Dakota. The new boardwalk provides barrier-free access to 
the swamp’s interior and includes wayside exhibits with information 
about the Louisiana Purchase, the survey and the natural resources of this 
unique and beautiful swamp. Learn more, find programs and download a 
poster at www.arkansasstateparks.com/LouisianaPurchase

VISITOR CENTER FEATURING 7,000-GALLONS OF AQUATIC EXHIBITS OPENS ON 
LAKE DARDANELLE TO RAVE REVIEWS
Perched on the lakeshore with a sweeping view of scenic Lake 
Dardanelle, Arkansas's newest state park visitor center opened to rave reviews. 
The new 10,527-square foot center in Lake Dardanelle State Park features 
a major aquatics exhibit of four aquariums holding fish representative 
of the local waterways including Lake Dardanelle, the Arkansas River 
and their tributaries. Touch screen kiosks detail the streams, habitat 
and the fish in each aquarium. A working beehive; children's games and 
books nook; and variety of interpretive and interactive exhibits fill the 
exhibit hall. Funded by Arkansas's Conservation Amendment, the 
structure is both the park visitor center and an environmental education center 
with classrooms, lab capabilities and computer connectivity. Lake 
Dardanelle State Park, just off I-40 at Russellville, has campsites, picnic 
sites, a barrier-free fishing pier, marina, fishing tournament 
weigh-in-pavilion and miniature golf course. Learn more about Lake Dard!
 anelle State Park at http://www.arkansasstateparks.com/lakedardanelle.

NEW WEB SITES COME TO ARKANSAS STATE PARKS

OLD WASHINGTON, ARKANSAS'S 19TH-CENTURY VILLAGE
Historic Washington is a lovely, tree-shaded town in southwest Arkansas 
where you’ll travel back to the 19th century as you stroll on plank 
sidewalks and down quiet lanes past gardens, churches and Greek Revival 
homes. Established on George Washington's birthday in 1824, today the 
town is one of America's premier historic villages. It is a National 
Historical Landmark, on the National Register of Historic Places, and an 
Arkansas state park you'll want to visit.
Visit the park's new web site, www.oldwashingtonstatepark.com. Learn 
about this state park featuring over 30 carefully restored historic 
structures.

OZARKFOLKCENTER.COM NOW FEATURES AN ON-LINE STORE
Dedicated to the perpetuation and interpretation of the Ozark Mountain 
heritage, Arkansas's Ozark Folk Center State Park is known for 
traditional music, its Crafts Village and the caliber of talented artisans who 
demonstrate the homestead crafts and pioneer skills essential to the 
early settlers of these scenic hills. In the Ozark Folk Center's Country 
Store you can find handcrafted, heirloom-quality treasures like white 
oak baskets, quilts, potter, shuck dolls, rocking chairs, toys and more. 
Now you can shop from home at the Center's new on-line store. Just go 
to: http://www.ozarkfolkcenter.com/products/.

PETIT JEAN STATE PARK 
Arkansas's original state park now has its own web site, 
www.petitjeanstatepark.com. This colorful site is a wonderful way to get the details 
on the activities, facilities and beauty of Petit Jean State Park, 
Arkansas's legendary state park atop scenic Petit Jean Mountain. Visit the 
park's new web site and you'll see why Petit Jean is renowned as an 
unforgettable travel destination.

ARKANSAS'S DIAMOND FIELD
Crater of Diamonds State Park, well known as the world's only diamond 
field where the public can search, now has a web site you can search, 
too. Visit www.craterofdiamondsstatepark.com and get the details about 
this one-of-a-kind travel attraction. You'll learn about park facilities; 
the geology of the eroded, ancient gem-bearing pipe that creates the 
37-acre diamond field; and impressive diamonds that have been unearthed 
at this eighth largest diamond deposit in the world. 





Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism
www.arkansasstateparks.com

www.arkansas.com

www.arkansaskids.com








Arkansas State Park Newsletter
http://arkansasstateparks.com/newsletter/