Attractions and continuing events quick list

There are a lot of attractions and continuing events in Pine Bluff and Jefferson County. This quick list will get you up to speed on what's happening.

Events
Farmers Market at Saracen Landing Come and enjoy the fresh air and the fresh produce at the new Saracen Landing Farmers Market located at the Lake Saracen Pavilion just off US 65-B near the Jefferson County Courthouse (also accessed from Regional Park entrance roadway). Market hours are from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. each Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday (Spring through Fall). For additional information, contact Trudy at 870-536-0920. saracenlanding.com
Motocross Track Racing Family motorcycle racing at its best every third Saturday, except December and January. Look for signs on race day on US 79-B North at Arkansas River Bridge. Gates open at 7:30 a.m. and close at 5 p.m. on race days. Admission is $8 (under 6 and over 65 free). For more information, contact Gary Cicero at 870-879-5144 or check out the website, pinebluffmx.com.
Attractions
Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame Located in the Pine Bluff Convention Center, this museum features exhibits and displays celebrating the careers of Arkansas stars of stage, screen, recording, etc. Open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, seasonal. Free Admission. Call (870) 536-7600 or 1-800-536-7660 for more information. Check out this and other attractions at the Convention Center website at pinebluffcvb.org or pinebluffonline.com.
Arkansas Railroad Museum See railroading memorabilia plus historic rail cars and engines, including the 819, circa 1942, which was the last 4-8-4 Northern-type steam locomotive to be built at Pine Bluff shops. Museum open weekdays and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Located at 1700 Port Road (Port of Pine Bluff Exit) just off U.S. 65-B. Call 870-535-8819; or arrange tours through the Pine Bluff Convention and Visitors Bureau, 1-800-536-7660. Admission is free but donations accepted.
Arts and Science Center for Southeast Arkansas Visit the Arts Center at 701 Main Street to view works from the center’s permanent collection and traveling exhibits from around the country, as well as works by regional and local professional and amateur artists. Accredited by the American Association of Museums and recently named Museum of the Year by the Arkansas Museums Association. Call 870 536-3375 for more information. Open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. Free Admission. artssciencecenter.org
Civil War Sites Union Army: An Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial historical marker is being erected at 714 West Fourth Avenue in Pine Bluff in honor of the Boone-Murphy House, which is being restored to its 1860s appearance when it was used as the residence (and Union headquarters) for Gen. Powell Clayton from 1963 - 1865; Clayton became the first governor of Arkansas when it was readmitted to the Union after the war.
Civil War Sites Confederate Army: Camp White Sulphur Springs Confederate Cemetery, on Luckwood Rd. three miles west of I-530/U.S. 79 at Sulphur Springs, was placed on the Civil War Discovery Trail in 1997 and the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. Once badly neglected, today is is landscaped around 138 individual markers to soldiers known to have died in hospitals at Sulphur Springs during the war. A living history reenactment encampment is held at the cemetery each October.
Dexter Harding House Tourist Information Center Find it at 110 N. Pine Street. This quaint dwelling was once located elsewhere in the city and was the home of a pioneer settler in the area, Dexter Harding. It now serves as Pine Bluff’s Visitor Information Center and the offices for Pine Bluff Downtown Development. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Additional information is available by calling 870-536-8742.
Gov. Mike Huckabee Delta Rivers Nature Center Opened in 2001 by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, the $4.5 million center in Pine Bluff’s Regional Park offers unique Delta attractions: a one-half mile nature trail; instructional/historical displays of the Arkansas River; a 7,000-gal. river aquarium; a 16,000-gal. oxbow lake aquarium; and a 13,000-SF museum resembling a Delta hunting lodge. Closed Mondays. Open Tuesday-Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Sunday 1 to 4 p.m. Free Admission. (Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend: open until 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday.) Call 870-534-0011 or visit the website at deltarivers.com. Exit 35 from I-530/US 65 onto US 65-B for about six miles; turn into Regional Park and follow the signs.
Grider Field Museum Located just off US 65 South at Pine Bluff’s municipal airport, Grider Field, this museum is housed in the terminal building. It spotlights the period of time when the Pine Bluff School of Aviation, established by the U.S. Army Air Corps, trained more than 9,000 pilots for World War II. See restored aircraft hangers, barracks, memorabilia, and World War II aircraft. Hours are from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Additional information is available by calling 870-534-4131or visiting the website: http://www.cityofpinebluff.com/grider/history.htm.
Japanese Garden Located at the Pine Bluff Civic Center Complex at 200 East Eighth Avenue, this garden was a gift from Pine Bluff’s Japanese Sister City, Bando City (formerly called Iwai City). It was originally designed on the traditional principles of Japanese gardens by five Master Japanese Gardeners. It is referred to (by signage) as the International Friendship Garden, two-thirds of which consist of a large berm with trees and shrubs, along with a strip of white pea gravel representing a River of Friendship, and a grassy area representing the lowlands of Japan.
Keepers Of The Spirit An exhibition of the history of Arkansas AM&N College (now the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff). See the exhibit in the West Wing, Leedell Moorehead-Graham Gallery of the Hathaway-Howard Fine Arts Center on the UAPB campus or call (870) 575-8000 for more information.
Martha Mitchell’s Home Place Pine Bluff native Martha Beall Mitchell was thrust into the spotlight of the Watergate Affair, becoming a catalyst for national news during the Richard Nixon administration. Her childhood home at 902 West Fourth Avenue, circa 1887, was restored by the Bob Abbott Family and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. To arrange a tour, call the Pine Bluff Convention & Visitors Bureau at 870-536-7600 (or 1-800-536-7660).
Murals on Main Paintings of Pine Bluff’s history form an outdoor art gallery on buildings in the downtown area. Created by professional muralists, the murals capture scenes from the city's past. Stop by The Chamber office, 510 Main, or the Dexter Harding Tourist Information Center, 110 North Pine, to pick up a brochure for self-guided tours.
Pine Bluff Art League Gallery This league of local artists, with offices at the Donald W. Reynolds Community Services Center at 211 West Third Avenue, offers classes and workshops plus a continuous exhibit of original artworks along the hallways of the Reynolds Center. Paintings, which are for sale, can be viewed Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. or call 870-534-1699 for more information.
Pine Bluff/Jefferson County Historical Museum This museum is in the historical restored Cotton Belt railroad depot at 201 East Fourth Avenue. It is the definitive place to visit for a glimpse of the county’s history. See exhibits such as: Dolls With Stories to Tell Bayou Meto Waterfowl Three Wars Treasures Lost The Quapaws-Pine Bluff’s First Inhabitants The story of the Arkansas Flag A Fabric in Time: Bits and Pieces of Black History in Jefferson County Call (870) 541-5402 for more information. Admission is free but donations accepted.
Trinity Episcopal Church Located at 703 West Third Avenue, Trinity is the oldest Episcopal Church in continuous use in Arkansas (construction began in 1859). It is also a great example of pure Gothic architecture. Tours are available by calling the church office at 870-534-3832.
University Museum & Cultural Center Located in Childress Hall of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, this museum was established in 2005. Its many features include a large collection of photographs, catalogs, yearbooks, letters, artifacts, exhibits, portraits and other ephemera that document the lives of the people who helped to shape the history of the University and the Delta. Museum hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., weekend hours are by appointment only. Additional information is available by calling 870-575-8000.

Events

Farmers Market at Saracen Landing

Come and enjoy the fresh air and the fresh produce at the new Saracen Landing Farmers Market located at the Lake Saracen Pavilion just off US 65-B near the Jefferson County Courthouse (also accessed from Regional Park entrance roadway). Market hours are from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. each Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday (Spring through Fall). For additional information, contact Trudy at 870-536-0920. saracenlanding.com

Motocross Track Racing

Family motorcycle racing at its best every third Saturday, except December and January. Look for signs on race day on US 79-B North at Arkansas River Bridge. Gates open at 7:30 a.m. and close at 5 p.m. on race days. Admission is $8 (under 6 and over 65 free). For more information, contact Gary Cicero at 870-879-5144 or check out the website, pinebluffmx.com.

Attractions

Arkansas Entertainers Hall of Fame

Located in the Pine Bluff Convention Center, this museum features exhibits and displays celebrating the careers of Arkansas stars of stage, screen, recording, etc. Open Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, seasonal. Free Admission. Call (870) 536-7600 or 1-800-536-7660 for more information. Check out this and other attractions at the Convention Center website at pinebluffcvb.org or pinebluffonline.com.

Arkansas Railroad Museum

See railroading memorabilia plus historic rail cars and engines, including the 819, circa 1942, which was the last 4-8-4 Northern-type steam locomotive to be built at Pine Bluff shops. Museum open weekdays and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Located at 1700 Port Road (Port of Pine Bluff Exit) just off U.S. 65-B. Call 870-535-8819; or arrange tours through the Pine Bluff Convention and Visitors Bureau, 1-800-536-7660. Admission is free but donations accepted.

Arts and Science Center for Southeast Arkansas

Visit the Arts Center at 701 Main Street to view works from the center’s permanent collection and traveling exhibits from around the country, as well as works by regional and local professional and amateur artists. Accredited by the American Association of Museums and recently named Museum of the Year by the Arkansas Museums Association. Call 870 536-3375 for more information. Open Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. Free Admission. artssciencecenter.org

Civil War Sites

Union Army:

An Arkansas Civil War Sesquicentennial historical marker is being erected at 714 West Fourth Avenue in Pine Bluff in honor of the Boone-Murphy House, which is being restored to its 1860s appearance when it was used as the residence (and Union headquarters) for Gen. Powell Clayton from 1963 - 1865; Clayton became the first governor of Arkansas when it was readmitted to the Union after the war.

Civil War Sites

Confederate Army:

Camp White Sulphur Springs Confederate Cemetery, on Luckwood Rd. three miles west of I-530/U.S. 79 at Sulphur Springs, was placed on the Civil War Discovery Trail in 1997 and the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. Once badly neglected, today is is landscaped around 138 individual markers to soldiers known to have died in hospitals at Sulphur Springs during the war. A living history reenactment encampment is held at the cemetery each October.

Dexter Harding House Tourist Information Center

Find it at 110 N. Pine Street. This quaint dwelling was once located elsewhere in the city and was the home of a pioneer settler in the area, Dexter Harding. It now serves as Pine Bluff’s Visitor Information Center and the offices for Pine Bluff Downtown Development. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Additional information is available by calling 870-536-8742.

Gov. Mike Huckabee Delta Rivers Nature Center

Opened in 2001 by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, the $4.5 million center in Pine Bluff’s Regional Park offers unique Delta attractions: a one-half mile nature trail; instructional/historical displays of the Arkansas River; a 7,000-gal. river aquarium; a 16,000-gal. oxbow lake aquarium; and a 13,000-SF museum resembling a Delta hunting lodge. Closed Mondays. Open Tuesday-Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Sunday 1 to 4 p.m. Free Admission. (Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend: open until 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday.) Call 870-534-0011 or visit the website at deltarivers.com. Exit 35 from I-530/US 65 onto US 65-B for about six miles; turn into Regional Park and follow the signs.

Grider Field Museum

Located just off US 65 South at Pine Bluff’s municipal airport, Grider Field, this museum is housed in the terminal building. It spotlights the period of time when the Pine Bluff School of Aviation, established by the U.S. Army Air Corps, trained more than 9,000 pilots for World War II. See restored aircraft hangers, barracks, memorabilia, and World War II aircraft. Hours are from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Additional information is available by calling 870-534-4131or visiting the website: http://www.cityofpinebluff.com/grider/history.htm.

Japanese Garden

Located at the Pine Bluff Civic Center Complex at 200 East Eighth Avenue, this garden was a gift from Pine Bluff’s Japanese Sister City, Bando City (formerly called Iwai City). It was originally designed on the traditional principles of Japanese gardens by five Master Japanese Gardeners. It is referred to (by signage) as the International Friendship Garden, two-thirds of which consist of a large berm with trees and shrubs, along with a strip of white pea gravel representing a River of Friendship, and a grassy area representing the lowlands of Japan.

Keepers Of The Spirit

An exhibition of the history of Arkansas AM&N College (now the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff). See the exhibit in the West Wing, Leedell Moorehead-Graham Gallery of the Hathaway-Howard Fine Arts Center on the UAPB campus or call (870) 575-8000 for more information.

Martha Mitchell’s Home Place

Pine Bluff native Martha Beall Mitchell was thrust into the spotlight of the Watergate Affair, becoming a catalyst for national news during the Richard Nixon administration. Her childhood home at 902 West Fourth Avenue, circa 1887, was restored by the Bob Abbott Family and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. To arrange a tour, call the Pine Bluff Convention & Visitors Bureau at 870-536-7600 (or 1-800-536-7660).

Murals on Main

Paintings of Pine Bluff’s history form an outdoor art gallery on buildings in the downtown area. Created by professional muralists, the murals capture scenes from the city's past. Stop by The Chamber office, 510 Main, or the Dexter Harding Tourist Information Center, 110 North Pine, to pick up a brochure for self-guided tours.

Pine Bluff Art League Gallery

This league of local artists, with offices at the Donald W. Reynolds Community Services Center at 211 West Third Avenue, offers classes and workshops plus a continuous exhibit of original artworks along the hallways of the Reynolds Center. Paintings, which are for sale, can be viewed Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. or call 870-534-1699 for more information.

Pine Bluff/Jefferson County Historical Museum

This museum is in the historical restored Cotton Belt railroad depot at 201 East Fourth Avenue. It is the definitive place to visit for a glimpse of the county’s history. See exhibits such as:

Dolls With Stories to Tell
Bayou Meto Waterfowl
Three Wars
Treasures Lost
The Quapaws-Pine Bluff’s First Inhabitants
The story of the Arkansas Flag
A Fabric in Time: Bits and Pieces of Black History in Jefferson County

Call (870) 541-5402 for more information. Admission is free but donations accepted.

Trinity Episcopal Church

Located at 703 West Third Avenue, Trinity is the oldest Episcopal Church in continuous use in Arkansas (construction began in 1859). It is also a great example of pure Gothic architecture. Tours are available by calling the church office at 870-534-3832.

University Museum & Cultural Center

Located in Childress Hall of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, this museum was established in 2005. Its many features include a large collection of photographs, catalogs, yearbooks, letters, artifacts, exhibits, portraits and other ephemera that document the lives of the people who helped to shape the history of the University and the Delta. Museum hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., weekend hours are by appointment only. Additional information is available by calling 870-575-8000.

For additional information on upcoming activities in Pine Bluff and around Arkansas, check arkansas.com. To see Pine Bluff postcards, please visit pinebluffpostcards.com. State data also can be found at encyclopediaofarkansas.net.