Things to Do in Washington, Arkansas
The best things to do in Washington, Arkansas, are touring the 1836 Confederate capitol, watching the blacksmith forges and seeing the B.W. Edwards Weapons Museum. Nearly all of it is inside Historic Washington State Park. The town itself had 94 people in the 2020 Census, in Hempstead County.
Washington was founded in 1824 on the Southwest Trail, the road to Texas. Sam Houston, Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie passed through, and local blacksmith James Black is credited with making the first Bowie knife here. The railroad bypassed the town for Hope, which is why so much of it survived.
1836 Courthouse (Confederate Capitol)
When Union troops took Little Rock in 1863, Arkansas’ Confederate government moved here. The 1836 Hempstead County Courthouse served as the state capitol until 1865. It was the first historic building in Arkansas restored with state money, in 1929.
★ Good to know Start at the 1874 Courthouse, which is now the park visitor center and gift shop, at 103 Franklin St.
Blacksmith Shop
This replica shop has working forges and tells the story of James Black and the Bowie knife. It’s one of the park’s most popular stops. The park also holds knife-making workshops.
★ Good to know Check the park’s events page if you want to catch a workshop instead of a demonstration.
B.W. Edwards Weapons Museum
Hope building contractor B.W. Edwards started collecting after buying a rifle for eight dollars at a secondhand store. His collection of more than 600 weapons runs from matchlocks and flintlocks to revolvers, knives and a Gatling gun. He donated it in 1960, and it came to the state park in 1976.
★ Good to know It’s one of the park’s most-visited buildings, rivaling the blacksmith shop.
Guided tours of the town
The park covers 101 acres with 54 buildings, 30 of them historically significant. The state calls it Arkansas’ largest collection of 19th-century buildings. Paid interpretive tours run daily and take you inside homes like the 1845 Greek Revival Sanders House, and the Print Museum covers old printing methods.
★ Good to know The Royston magnolia, planted around 1839, is worth a look on the way between buildings.
Surrey rides
A horse-drawn surrey takes you around town in about 25 minutes. It’s the easiest way to get the layout of the old county seat before you walk it. Rides run Tuesday through Saturday, weather permitting.
★ Good to know Rides run in a morning and an afternoon window, so plan the rest of your tour around one.
Williams Tavern Restaurant
The park’s restaurant serves home cooking in a tavern building dating to 1832. It’s open for lunch Tuesday through Sunday and closed Mondays. It’s the only sit-down meal in town, so plan around it.
★ Good to know Groups can arrange extended hours ahead of time.
President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home
This National Historic Site is in Hope, about 10 miles southeast. It’s the house where Bill Clinton lived for his first four years. Rangers lead tours inside, the visitor center has exhibits and a bookstore, and it became a national historic site in 2010.
★ Good to know The NPS suggests setting aside about half a day, including the Virginia Clinton Kelley Memorial Garden.
Also in town
The park’s Jailhouse Bed & Breakfast has eight rooms, the Pioneer and Presbyterian cemeteries hold early settlers, and Hope’s Watermelon Festival fills the second week of August.
Why was Washington, Arkansas, the Confederate capital?
Union forces captured Little Rock in 1863, and the Confederate state government moved to Washington. The 1836 courthouse served as the capitol until 1865.
Was the Bowie knife made in Washington, Arkansas?
The story says yes. Jim Bowie commissioned Washington blacksmith James Black to make a knife, and the park’s blacksmith shop tells that story with working forges.
When is the Jonquil Festival in Washington, Arkansas?
It’s held the third weekend of March each year at Historic Washington State Park. It started in the 1960s as a tour of the blooming jonquils.
How far is Washington from Hope, Arkansas?
About 10 miles northwest of Hope. Pair the park with the Clinton Birthplace Home, or see more of our small towns in Arkansas, including Murfreesboro.
Where to find them
- 1836 Courthouse (Confederate Capitol) 103 Franklin St., Washington, AR 71862 Website Directions
- Blacksmith Shop 103 Franklin St., Washington, AR 71862 Directions
- B.W. Edwards Weapons Museum 103 Franklin St., Washington, AR 71862 Directions
- Williams Tavern Restaurant 103 Franklin St., Washington, AR 71862 Directions
- President William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home 117 S. Hervey St., Hope, AR Website Directions
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Where to stay in Washington
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