The Arkansas Museum of Natural History and Antiquities, formerly known as the Museum of Discovery, is located in downtown Little Rock, Arkansas. The museum is housed in a historic building in the Arkansas River's River Market District. All of the exhibits at the museum are interactive, with a focus on STEM education. It includes a large collection of live animals as well as a record-breaking musical bi-polar tesla coil.

History of Museum of Discovery

Bernie Babcock founded the Arkansas Museum of Natural History and Antiquities in 1927 to prove H.L. Mencken wrong that Arkansans lacked cultural centers. The museum opened in a downtown storefront and showcased sensational exhibits such as taxidermy specimens, primitive art, and the greatest archaeological fake in Arkansas history. 

To secure the museum's future, Babcock gave it to the city of Little Rock as a Christmas gift in 1929, and it moved to city hall. The museum moved to the Tower Building of the Little Rock Arsenal in 1942 and became the Museum of Science and Natural History in 1964 and the Arkansas Museum of Science and History in 1983. In 1997–98, the museum relocated to the River Market and merged with the Children's Museum of Arkansas in 2003. In 2008, it received a $9.2 million grant for expansion and renovations and reopened in 2012 with a focus on STEM education. In 2015, it debuted a Guinness World Record musical bi-polar tesla coil, and in 2019, it partnered with a local silicone manufacturer to create a hands-on display for children on the autism spectrum. The museum suffered water damage from a burst pipe in 2021 and reopened in August of that year after major repairs. Learn about the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts!

Business Information

Address: 500 President Clinton Ave, Little Rock, AR 72201, United States 

Hours: 

Monday Closed

Tuesday 9 AM–5 PM

Wednesday 9 AM–5 PM

Thursday 9 AM–5 PM

Friday 9 AM–5 PM

Saturday 9 AM–5 PM

Sunday 1–5 PM

Phone: +1 501-396-7050

Founded: 1927