It’s odd, it’s interesting and it’s nothing like you’ve seen before.
In 2018, the Old State House Museum opened a new exhibit titled “Cabinet of Curiosities: Treasures from the University of Arkansas Museum Collection,” which is now nearing its end in the museum. The exhibit comes to Little Rock by way of Fayetteville and the now-closed University of Arkansas Museum, making this a grand return for many artifacts that have been packed away since 2003.
The artifacts in this exhibit are indeed curious. Visitors will see everything from dinosaur toes to Ming Dynasty pottery to a machine gun taken from Bonnie and Clyde’s car and beyond.
“We’re very excited to have this seldom-seen collection at the Old State House Museum,” director Bill Gatewood said upon its opening. “It’s a great opportunity to show how collecting and preserving artifacts gives history a new life and kickstarts the imagination of viewers, particularly first-time museum visitors.”
“Cabinet of Curiosities” runs through Sunday, Jan. 13, and admission is free.
The Old State House Museum is located at 300 W. Markham, and operating hours are 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit the OSHM website and follow along on Facebook for updates.