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RECREATION AND TOURISM
Recreation and tourism facilities abound in North Little Rock and
are publicized by the city's Visitors Bureau and the Advertising
and Promotion Commission.
The city operates 33 parks over 1,900 acres, which include fishing,
boating, camping facilities, RV hookups, marinas, public beaches
and playgrounds. Here's a glimpse of some of the favorite haunts
of North Little Rock residents.
ALLTEL Arena
ALLTEL Arena is a new state-of-the-art multi-purpose facility located
in North Little Rock, Pulaski County, Arkansas. This beautiful arena
has a maximum seating capacity of 18,000 for basketball and all
the amenities to make it a point of pride for everyone in the Natural
State. In addition to being the home court for UALR basketball,
this facility also hosts the Arkansas Twisters Arena Football 2
Team, Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus, Champions on Ice
figure skating exhibition, concerts and a number of other exciting
quality attractions.
Burns Park
Literally, the largest attraction is 1,575-acre Burns Park Ñ
one of the nation's largest city parks Ñ nestled along the
Arkansas River. This heavily wooded area is a natural haven for
birdwatchers, picnickers, hikers and joggers. Burns Park sports
a 36-hole, Championship golf course.
Burns Park offers these amenities:
- Burns Park Hospitality House for gatherings of up to 200 people,
complete with kitchen and air conditioning
- Picnic areas all with washrooms, water, grills, and playground
equipment
- An adult baseball complex with three lighted diamonds
- A women's softball complex with five lighted diamonds
- A boat-launching ramp on the Arkansas River
- 30 RV hookups and pods
- 11 pavilions
- 200 picnic tables
- An amusement park
- Playground equipment for the handicapped
- 17-field soccer and rugby complex
- 15 pavilions
- 7-mile Scenic River Trail
- Equestrian trails
- 36-hole disc golf course
- 36-hole golf course
- Batting Cages
- Bonzai BMX track
- 10-mile Boy Scout trail
- 5-mile Cub Scout trail
- Miniature golf
- Ski complex
- Basketball court
- Covered bridge
The Burns Park Tennis Complex offers six indoor and six outdoor
lighted, concrete courts. The complex includes handball and racquetball
courts.
Emerald Park
This beautiful spot may be one of the best-kept secrets in North
Little Rock. The 135-acre park, located on Scenic Drive behind Pulaski
Technical College, is one of the most scenic parks in central Arkansas.
It features almost a mile of paved trails, several overlooks high
above the Arkansas River and a mile of switchback trails that tie
in with the Scenic River Trail.
Community Center
North Little Rock offers one of the largest and best equipped community
centers in the country. Complete with men's and women's fitness
programs with sauna, weight room, and whirlpool available. Numerous
classes are held and scheduled according to interest.
Other centers Ñ North Heights, Sherman Park and Glenview
Ñ offer game rooms, basketball and classes for senior citizens.
Midnight Basketball programs are offered, too.
Three public swimming pools, four private pools and one private
golf course are part of North Little Rock's amenities. Lighted ball
fields are maintained and operated by volunteers.
North Shore Riverwalk
The North Shore Riverwalk offers a wide variety of adaptable uses
for events ranging in size from 12 to 6,000. The Riverwalk includes
a picturesque promenade featuring the Arkansas River and the Little
Rock skyline. The North Shore Riverwalk is host to the Arkansas
Renaissance Festival, Riverfest and numerous other events. The site
offers a built-in speaker system, amphitheater pad, utilities and
permanent restroom facilities. The North Shore was built with a
combination of city, county, state, and federal funds. The facility
is 266,600 square feet.
The Old Mill
The Old Mill, an authentic re-creation of an old
water powered gristmill dating to 1828, is one of the city's most
popular attractions. Diocinio Rodriquez of Mexico City, an Aztec
descendant, performed artistic concrete work on the mill. Visitors
can tour at their own pace, there is no admission charge, and many
weddings are held there, because the Mill makes such a beautiful
setting for those types of special occasions. Located in the Lakewood
residential area and accepted into the National Register of Historic
Places, the Old Mill is featured in the opening scene of the classic
film, "Gone with the Wind." Dionicio Rodriguez
of Mexico City created the mill with concrete. Visitors may tour
at their own pace (there is no admission charge), and many weddings
are held here because the Mill is such a beautiful setting.
A twenty-three acre water theme park, Wild River Country,
offers activities for all ages. Open from Spring through Fall, the
park features a full-service restaurant, refreshment stands, and
gift shop.
The Old Mill is located at Lakeshore Drive and Fairway Avenue in
the Lakewood residential area.
Laman Public Library
The
Laman Public Library contains more than 250,000 volumes,
130 periodical subscriptions, records, tapes, and large-print books.
The library has extensive reference and genealogy departments, a
new children's wing as well as children's programs and special events/exhibits
year-round. Laman Library provides computerized services as well
as Internet access. Any citizen with a computer and modem can dial
the library and connect with the World Wide Web.
Maritime Museum
Offering a "little pond" to a couple of "big fish"
- the USS Hoga and USS Razorback - land-locked North Little Rock
is vying to bring a flavor of the open sea inland by featuring the
two vessels and their role in U.S. naval history as the main attractions
of its future maritime museum on the north shore of the Arkansas
River.
The Hoga, a 100-foot-long tugboat, won a special citation from
Admiral Chester Nimitz for its rescue work during the December 7,
1941, Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and later served as a fire-fighting
boat for the city of Oakland, California from 1948 to 1993. The
311-foot Razorback, one of only two surviving submarines present
at Japan's formal surrender in Tokyo Bay in September 1945, was
the longest serving sub in maritime history with duty in World War
II, the Cold War and Vietnam, capping its career as the Murat Reis
in the Turkish Navy until becoming decommissioned March 1, 2002,
after more than 58 years of activity.
North Little Rock Mayor Patrick Hays reflected the significance
of ÒHaving these two vessels will serve as a symbol of what
freedom is and what it costs
Other Local Attractions
North Little Rock has so many area attractions available. The following
is a list highlighting some of the fun and interesting places to
visit in the area:
If you would like to take a tour of North Little Rock, you can
contact Little Rock Tours any time.
Website: Little
Rock Tours
There's even a planetarium available, so North Little Rock is able
to offer a variety of entertaining events.
 The
Arkansas Ballet is highlighted by appearances of
internationally recognized dancers. The Arkansas Symphony
Orchestra presents three different concert series each
year. These presentations are either Classical or Pop, and feature
noted artists. Touring Broadway shows are featured by the Broadway
Theatre Series enticing those with more formal entertainment
needs.
Within minutes of North Little Rock are the galleries of the Arkansas
Arts Center, which has been recognized as one of the
best art museums in the South. The museum offers exhibits that are
either changing or permanent, which include paintings, sculptures,
graphics, photography, and arts and crafts. The Children's
Theater stages productions annually, and offers a full
schedule of art classes for the community.
One of the finest repertory companies in the region, The
Arkansas Repertory Theatre, produces several shows
annually. The Arkansas Repertory Theatre is steadily
gaining increased recognition on the national scene; it showcases
popular, contemporary, and classic productions. The Wildwood
Park for the Performing Arts is the newest addition
to the cultural scene in the area.
The following is a list of parks where one might enjoy fishing,
camping, boating, hunting - deer, bear, or duck, RV hookups, bird
watching trails, and marinas.
PARKS WITHIN A ONE-HOUR DRIVE OF NORTH LITTLE ROCK:
Arkansas Department
of Parks and Tourism
- Petit Jean State Park
- Pinnacle Mountain
- Toltec Mounds
- Lake DeGray
- Lake Catherine
- Woolly Hollow State Park
- Hot Springs National Park
- Lake Ouachita (U.S. Corps maintained)
- Ouachita National Forest
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