Explore Little Rock’s Native American History

Little Rock’s story starts long before the city was founded. For thousands of years, people lived on the land that is now Little Rock, including the Caddo, Osage, and Quapaw peoples.

Today, you can explore that history through archaeological sites, museums, historic markers and places across Little Rock and the surrounding area.

Walk Among Ancient Mounds

Plum Bayou Mounds Archeological State Park

Walk among the ancient earthworks of Plum Bayou Mounds and explore one of Arkansas’ most significant archaeological sites. The site features the state's tallest American Indian mounds built by the Plum Bayou people during the 800s, along with trails and ongoing archaeological research that continue to reveal more about the people who called this place home.

Trace the Quapaw Line

Quapaw Line Markers

Follow the Quapaw Line through Little Rock and see how the boundary shaped the city’s early history. On August 24, 1818, the line was drawn to separate the Quapaw tribe’s land to the west and the land available for settlement to the east. Though the Quapaw were eventually forced to give up their land, the line remains part of Little Rock’s landscape today, marked by stone markers in Riverfront Park and small discs in streets and sidewalks throughout the city.

Metal marker for the Quapaw Boundary Line on top of a rock

Explore Arkansas Before Statehood

Historic Arkansas Museum

Step into Arkansas history before it became a state at the Historic Arkansas Museum. The museum chronicles the history of Arkansas before it became the 25th state in 1836. Its “We Walk in Two Worlds” exhibit explores the lives of Arkansas’ first people through nearly 160 artifacts, including pottery, clothing, and weapons.

two pots, one with an organic design and one with a face, in a display case at a museum

Stand Where Little Rock Began

La Petite Roche Landing at Sturgis Plaza in Riverfront Park

Visit the rock that gave Little Rock its name at La Petite Roche Landing in Riverfront Park. The Quapaw Line began at La Petite Roche, and today, the remaining rock is preserved at the plaza alongside historical plaques offering insight into the city’s past. Just east of the plaza, the History Pavilion uses interpretive panels to trace how the Arkansas River has shaped Little Rock over time.

The "La Petite Roche," meaning "The Little Rock" in French, with a bronze plaque on it describing how the city of Little Rock got its name.

Follow the Trail of Tears through Little Rock

Trail of Tears Park

Visit Trail of Tears Park to learn about one of the most painful chapters in Indigenous history. When the Choctaw and Chickasaw peoples were forced from their lands and moved west along what is now known as the Trail of Tears, their route followed the Old Southwest Trail, which passed through what is now central Little Rock along present-day Asher Avenue. Where Asher Avenue meets the University of Arkansas at Little Rock campus, Trail of Tears Park commemorates this forced march with interpretive displays in a peaceful setting.

Arkansas Civil Rights Heritage Trail bronze medallion concreted into the side walk of Little Rock.

Want to explore more of Little Rock’s history? Take a deeper dive with self-guided tours covering historic churches, sculptures, murals, and political history.

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