Tracing Bill Clinton's Steps through Arkansas

Little Rock

Home to the Clinton Presidential Center & Park, Clinton lived and served here for more than 12 years as Arkansas Governor. Find Bill Clinton facts and interesting tidbits about his time in Little Rock, Arkansas.

• Arkansas Governor's Mansion; 18th and Center streets. This stately home was where the Clintons lived for 12 years. It was built between 1947 and 1950 in the colonial revival style. Today, Gov. Mike Huckabee and his family live here. A bronze bust of Clinton is located on the grounds of the mansion. The bust was created by Jan Woods of Little Rock and is permanently displayed in a shady garden just inside the mansion's front gate. It can be easily viewed from the street in front of the mansion. 
• Clinton's first home in Little Rock; 5419 L St. The Clintons lived here while Clinton served as attorney general from 1977-1979. It is a private residence.
• Clinton's former home; 816 Midland. This was the Clintons' home after Clinton was defeated in his re-election bid for governor. During this time, Clinton worked for a local law firm. It is a private residence.
• Arkansas State Capitol; Woodlane and Capitol Avenues. This neoclassical building modeled after the U.S. Capitol is where Clinton served as governor from 1979-80 and from 1981-92. It was built between 1899 and 1915. 
• Statehouse Convention Center; Markham and Main streets. The Convention Center was the site of Clinton's gubernatorial inauguration balls and also served as the media center for national and international press during coverage of the 1992 and 1996 election nights. 
• Old State House; 300 W. Markham St. This striking Greek Revival structure built from 1833 to 1842 is probably Arkansas' most recognizable landmark. It was here that Clinton announced his bid for the presidency on Oct. 3, 1991, and made his acceptance speech 13 months later on Nov. 3, 1992. Another major victory celebration was held here on Nov. 5, 1996, when Clinton was re-elected to a second term as president. The Old State House, which once served as the first state capitol, is now a museum of Arkansas history. 
• Old Gazette Building; 112 W. Third St. This building housed Clinton's campaign headquarters during the 1992 presidential election. It once was the home of the Arkansas Gazette newspaper, which merged in 1991 with the Arkansas Democrat.

Hope

This small town in southwest Arkansas is the birthplace of Clinton (immortalized as "a place called Hope"). Here Clinton's first home is preserved as the Clinton Center and is open for tours. The Hope Watermelon Festival, which showcases the world's largest watermelons each August, has also made the town well known. Get interesting facts about Bill Clinton and his time in Hope.

• Clinton's Center & Birthplace; 117 S. Hervey St., where he lived with his grandparents from 1946 to 1950. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places the house has been refurbished to look as it did in the 1940s and 1950s; tour includes the gift shop, replica of the Oval Office rug and a timeline. 
• Clinton's second home; 321 E. 13th St., where he lived from 1950 to 1953 with his mother and his stepfather, Roger Clinton, a Hope automobile dealer. It is now a private residence.
• Clinton's birthplace marker; 1001 S. Main St. A marker noting the site of the Julia Chester Hospital where Clinton was born was dedicated in November 1992. The hospital no longer exists.
• Former Brookwood Public School; 500 S. Spruce St., where Clinton attended first grade in 1952-53.
• Hope Visitor Center and Museum; located in the former Union Pacific Railroad Depot at South Main and Division streets in downtown Hope. This building was featured prominently in a video on Clinton's life that was presented during the 1992 Democratic National Convention. The city of Hope renovated it, and in January 1996, opened it as a visitor center/museum. Exhibits and videos on the history of the town and on Clinton's connection to Hope are featured. In addition, a hand-carved wooden sign honoring Clinton is located in a park adjacent to the visitor center. Self-guided driving tour brochures are available at the center and step-on guides for motorcoaches can be obtained with advance notice. 
• Rose Hill Cemetery; off Ark. 29 where Clinton's mother, Virginia Kelley, is buried. Her parents and Clinton's father are also buried here.

Hot Springs

Clinton's childhood home in the "Spa City" is just blocks from schools and the church he attended, as well as his favorite spot for hamburgers. Find Bill Clinton facts and information about his time in Hot Springs.

• Clinton's early boyhood home; 1011 Park Ave., where he and his family lived from 1954 to 1961. It is a private residence.
• Park Place Baptist Church; 721 Park Ave., where Clinton was baptized.
• The Polar Bar, now Bailey's Dairy Treat; 510 Park Ave. This restaurant was another of Clinton's favorite places. It was once owned by the father of Clinton's good friend, Ronnie Cecil. Clinton and his friends would often walk to the Polar Bar, where he would order a chili-cheeseburger with a Grapette, a locally produced soft drink.
• West Mountain Overlook; West Mountain in Hot Springs National Park. The view from the sheltered overlook was a favorite spot for Clinton and his friends.
• McClard's Barbecue; 505 Albert Pike. This restaurant was a favorite of Clinton's, and it remains extremely popular today with both locals and visitors. 
• Old Hot Springs High School; 215 Oak St. This is where Clinton accumulated numerous honors before his graduation in 1964.
• Malco movie theater; 817 Central Ave. This theater was a favorite place for Clinton and his friends to while away summer afternoons. It is now home to the acclaimed Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival.
• Clinton sign: A hand-carved sign honoring Clinton located in the Hill Wheatley Plaza on Central Avenue in downtown Hot Springs.

Fayetteville

Home to the University of Arkansas, this Northwest Arkansas city is where Clinton came to teach law and run for Congress in the early 1970s. Get interesting facts about Bill Clinton and his time in Fayetteville.

• Waterman Hall, the home of the University of Arkansas Law School, where Clinton taught constitutional law from 1973 to 1976. Hillary Rodham, whom Clinton had met at Yale, also taught law here.
• D-Lux Cafe (now the 36 Club Uber & Uber Burger); 300 Dickson Street. This restaurant was a popular gathering place for the Clintons and their friends. Here they met with friends and engaged in energetic political discussions about the future of American government.
• Clinton House Museum; 930 California Blvd. This is the home where Bill and Hillary Clinton resided while in Fayetteville. They had their wedding at the home. It now houses a museum of Clinton memorabilia.
• Former Clinton campaign headquarters; 824 N. College Ave. This building was the site of Clinton's campaign headquarters when he launched his unsuccessful campaign to unseat U.S. Rep. John Paul Hammerschmidt.
• Old Main; the oldest structure on the campus of the University of Arkansas. On Oct. 23, 1992, Clinton spoke to a huge crowd of friends and supporters gathered here during a campaign stop.