Little Rock

An impressive new visitor center built by the National Park Service sits across the intersection from Little Rock Central High School where, in 1957, nine African-American teenagers stood up to an angry crowd of people protesting integration. The center’s interactive exhibits recount the complex events—the first test of the enforcement of African-American civil rights following the U.S. Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka decision—which led to President Dwight D. Eisenhower sending soldiers to the school to enforce the federal court’s order. Among the center’s highlights are video interviews with the former students, who explain what those history-making days were like. The school itself is still an operating high school; for a park ranger-guided tour, call ahead for reservations.