Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton
Little Rock, Arkansas
For 16 years, 12 as governor of Arkansas, Bill Clinton and his family called Little Rock home. Hillary Clinton was an attorney with the Rose Law Firm, and their daughter, Chelsea, attended Little Rock public schools.
When visiting the city to learn about the Clintons, most people start at the Clinton Presidential Library. President Bill Clinton chose to build his library and museum in a defunct industrial district. The modern center, built 14 years ago, perches in the middle of a 30-acre urban park that’s an extension of the city’s walkable downtown. Its on-site restaurant, 42 Bar and Table, reopened in November after extensive renovations, and from the patio, visitors can take in the nightly light show as LED lights illuminate the Clinton Presidential Park Bridge that stretches over the Arkansas River.
But there’s more to learn about the Clintons beyond the glass walls of the center. People can visit plenty of public places with ties to the former first family, such as the Hillary Rodham Clinton Children’s Library, the Old State House Museum and the Robinson Center, or even eat at one of Clinton’s favorite Little Rock restaurants, Doe’s Eat Place in downtown.
Eleven of Arkansas’ 45 governors, including Bill Clinton, have lived in the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion since it was completed in 1950. The mansion is in downtown Little Rock and offers free tours of its buildings and grounds. Because it’s the governor’s full-time residence, tours must be scheduled in advance.
Groups can schedule free guided tours of the Arkansas State Capitol, where Clinton served as governor from 1979 to 1981 and again from 1983 to 1992, or take self-guided tours of the Capitol grounds and monuments.
