Explore Arkansas History at Historic Washington State Park. Take a self-guided tour and stroll the streets of historic Washington, Arkansas, at your leisure and you will discover a unique collection of historic sites in Arkansas. Explore the many historic public buildings and residences, and see museum-quality antiques, guns and knives. Interpretive Guides offer a variety of programming throughout the park, from tours of the sites to living history demonstrations. Structures open for touring vary each day depending upon the day's interpretive theme.
The 19th century town, which was a popular stop along the Old Southwest Trail, includes a print museum, steam-powered cotton gin and the Williams Tavern Restaurant. The 1874 Courthouse serves as the visitor center the park also houses the Southwest Arkansas Regional Archives. The 1836 County Courthouse became the Confederate State Capitol after Union forces captured Little Rock in September 1863. It is believed Davy Crockett, Sam Houston and Jim Bowie all stopped here on the way to the Alamo.
Old Washington has been called the "Colonial Williamsburg of the Southwest" or "Colonial Williamsburg of Arkansas",
Historic Washington houses the Southwest Arkansas Regional Archives which is the primary center for historical and genealogical research in the region. The archives contain rare books, court documents, newspapers, census information, photographs, scrapbooks, sheet music, and assorted family histories.
