5 of the Best Museums to Visit Near Conway, AR

Conway, AR is teeming with history. Whether you’ve lived here for ages or are new to town, brush up on the city’s history with these five best museums in and around town.

5 of the Best Museums to Visit Near Conway, AR

1. Faulkner County

Located at the former Faulkner County Jail on the downtown County Courthouse Grounds, this institution delves deep into Faulkner County’s storied history and prehistory. Transport yourself back to the time of our town’s forefathers with six comprehensive collections, including archival materials, local artists’ exhibitions, photography, research, educational materials, and historic and prehistoric artifacts.

Faulkner County is also a great place to conduct genealogical research. The collection houses records from the Doolin and Roller-McNutt funeral homes, as well as phone books, school yearbooks, obituaries, and photographic collections from the Fausett and Crank studios. Enjoy a day out of the house and reconnect with your past in the heart of downtown.

2. Baum Gallery

Located in McCastlain Hall on the University of Central Arkansas’s campus, the Baum Gallery boasts both national and international touring exhibits, as well as a wide array of student artwork.

Created for the enrichment of UCA students, faculty, and the surrounding central Arkansas community, the Baum Gallery also accepts artwork submissions from local individuals. If, after your visit, you feel inspired to share your portfolio and story, learn how to submit to the gallery here.

3. Historic Arkansas

Take a brief, thirty-minute drive south of town to visit Little Rock and Historic Arkansas, one of the state’s most comprehensive history troves. Situated across three buildings that have been mythologized in local lore—the Hinderliter House, Old State House, and Arkansas State Capitol—the institution houses artifacts from the state’s early history to chart the legacy and evolution of Arkansas culture and traditions.

4. Museum of Discovery

Thirty minutes south of town in Little Rock is one of the nation’s premier science centers. Featuring over 90 hands-on exhibitions, Discovery is a great place to spend the afternoon with your kids, showing them the institution’s famous Tesla musical coil, tinkering studio, and tornado alley theater, which actually simulates the tornado of 1999 that ravaged the Governor’s Mansion area of downtown Little Rock.

5. Windgate

Located on the ground floor of the Miller Creative Quad on the Hendrix College Campus, Windgate is an art gallery that prides itself in being the premier teaching art institution in the state. With over 350 objects in-house, here you’ll find great exhibitions across many artistic eras and disciplines.

Though the gallery is closed for the summer, it’s primed to reopen on September 10, 2021 with the exhibition Southbound: Photographs of and about the New South. In the meantime, you can listen to several guest speakers that Wingate has uploaded as podcasts to their site.

Now that you’ve got your weekend itinerary queued up, it’s time to plan your course of action. Head to Crain Kia of Conway and let the pros help you find a safe, stylish vehicle that you’ll love driving to each of the above locales. Happy gallery-hopping!

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