LASR.net Homepage




Menu

Hope, Arkansas

Hope, Arkansas

This small town in Southwest Arkansas has two claims to fame: it is the birthplace of former U.S. President Bill Clinton and it showcases some of the world's largest watermelons. The Clinton Center preserves Clinton’s first home, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is open for tours. The city’s restored Missouri-Pacific Railroad depot serves as the Hope Visitor Center and Museum and contains local history exhibits and railroad memorabilia. Each August, visitors to the Hope Watermelon Festival sample slices of ice-cold watermelon and view huge melons grown for competition. Nearby Old Washington Historic State Park is a restoration village preserving the 19th-century town of Washington, which figured prominently in Arkansas and Southwest U.S. history. Evidence suggests that Sam Houston, Stephen F. Austin and others plotted Texas’ revolution for independence from Mexico while staying in the town. Washington also served as the state’s Confederate capital after Little Rock was captured by Union troops during the Civil War.

Attractions and Upcoming Events


Hope Visitor Center & Museum

Information center and museum housed in the restored Missouri-Pacific Railroad depot; includes exhibits on former President Clinton'

Hope, AR Museums

Clinton Center & Birthplace

Credit Cards Accepted: MasterCard, Visa Food Service/Picnic Area Available Directions: From I-30 go south to downtown Hope; Ark. 278 & 2nd Street The first home of President Bill Clinton; listed on the National Register of Historic Places; focuses on the 1940s and 1950s;

Hope, AR Historic Homes

Hope Country Club

Course Access: Private
Holes: 18
Reserve Advance Tee Times: 3

Hope, AR Golf Courses

Things to do near Hope, AR

El Dorado Downtown

Directions: U.S. 167 to Main Street Exit. Three miles to downtown. Boutiques and shops on historic square; walking tour of...

Elkin's Ferry Battlefield

The site of fighting April 2-3, 1864 as Confederate troops tried to keep General Frederick Steele's Northern army from gainin...

Arkansas Railroad Museum

Restored steam locomotive 819, a 4-8-4 built in Pine Bluff in 1942. Railroad memorabilia from various Arkansas railroads on d...

Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge

The world's largest green-tree reservoir consisting of the 15,000-acres Felsenthal Pool that is more than doubled to 36,000 a...

Farm & Home Tours

Credit Cards Accepted: American Express, Discover Card, MasterCard, Visa Guided tour of Southern Arkansas University's 65...