Arkansans who enjoy roaming our Natural State now have the chance to collect a complete set.
We're talking about a complete set of 26 prominent historic sites. The goal is to visit all 26 places featured in the new Arkansas National Register Passport Program, a treasure hunt of sorts devised by the Department of Arkansas Heritage.
The occasion is the 50th anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act, signed by President Lyndon Johnson with the aim of reversing the wholesale destruction of noteworthy properties around the nation.
Sites in the passport program were selected from Arkansas' 2,584 National Register locations for their easy public access and regular hours of operation, so that visitors can plan their trips. The elite 26 were also chosen to include a variety of property types, architectural styles and historic themes.
The Arkansas National Register Passport is a slick, red-covered booklet providing brief details on each location. Passports are free at the 26 sites, the 14 Arkansas Welcome Centers run by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism, or online by emailing info@arkansaspreservation.org.
Fold-out pages in the passport provide space to have the document officially stamped at each and every stop. If the stamping site is closed, it only requires taking a selfie there and enclosing the photo when the completed passport eventually is turned in.
Seven stops are in central Arkansas: Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site, Curran Hall in Little Rock, Fordyce Bathhouse in Hot Springs National Park, Carnegie Library in Hot Springs, Toltec Mounds Archeological State Park near Scott, Conway County Library in Morrilton and Faulkner County Museum in Conway.
There are four in Northwest Arkansas: Devil's Den State Park near West Fork, Drennen-Scott Historic Site in Van Buren, Ozark Area Depot Museum in Ozark and St. Joe Depot.
Five more are in southwest Arkansas: President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home National Historic Site in Hope, Crater of Diamonds State Park near Murfreesboro, John Newton House in El Dorado, Lum and Abner Jot 'Em Down Store in Pine Ridge and Clark County Historical Museum in Arkadelphia.
Southeast Arkansas is the venue for another five: Pine Bluff Civic Center, World War II Japanese-American Internment Museum in McGehee, Old Monticello Post Office, Old Crossett Post Office and Delta Cultural Center in Helena-West Helena.
The remaining five can be found in northeast Arkansas: Village Creek State Park near Wynne, Greyhound Bus Station in Blytheville, Powhatan Historic State Park, Old Independence Regional Museum in Batesville and Mammoth Spring State Park.
Twenty-six stops all across the state to fill the passport might sound like a whole lot of traveling. But program rules give participants until Dec. 31, 2020, to make the rounds and submit their fully stamped document in exchange for the commemorative coin or patch.
That's not exactly like winning the lottery. But it will come with a real sense of accomplishment.
For more information on Arkansas National Register Passport Program, call (501) 324-9880.
Weekend on 03/03/2016