Places

At Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site in Arkansas, exhibits tell the story of those times, and interactive oral history stations give you a chance to hear the people who were there tell the story in their own words.

Little Rock Central High School, a functioning 9th - 12th grade facility, is a combined Collegiate Gothic and Art Deco style building that covers much of two city blocks and contains over 150,000 square feet. The school is closed to the public.

Built in 1807, the Charles Street Meeting House served generations of worshippers both as a Baptist church and later as an African Methodist Episcopal church. Throughout its history, the Charles Street Meeting House acted as a space for social activism.

In 1957, Little Rock’s Philander Smith College, an historically black college, opened its doors to the “Little Rock Nine” to help them prepare for their first days as students at Central High School. Barred from entering the all-white high school by order of the governor, the students struggled to keep from falling behind in their coursework, aided by Philander Smith College faculty members.

The Daisy and L.C. Bates Home is nationally significant for its role as the de facto command post during the Central High School desegregation crisis in Little Rock, Arkansas.

When it was built in 1929, Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Little Rock was the most modern and complete high school constructed for African Americans in the state. It became known as "The Finest High School for Negro Boys and Girls in Arkansas."

The Elizabeth Eckford Bus Bench, located on the northeast corner of S. Park Street and 16th Street, is a replica from the 1957 desegregation crisis and a place for contemplative reflection.

The Commemorative Garden, adjacent to both the visitor center on South Park Street and the north side of Little Rock Central High School, documents a photographic history, inlaid on brick and concrete arches, as a reminder of the bravery of the Little Rock Nine and a legacy of Central High School. Within this space are nine benches and nine trees to provide seating and shade for a visitor to sit and reflect in this tranquil landscape.

Lawyer’s Mall, at the base of the steps of the Maryland State House, can be considered as the gateway to Annapolis. This civic plaza serves as a public gathering space today, and features a memorial honoring the accomplishments of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall.

The Bricklayers Hall, at 530 South Union Street in Montgomery, Alabama is a two-story, flat-roofed, brick office building and union hall. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2020 for its association with the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA). The MIA achieved national significance during the 381-day Montgomery Bus Boycott that began in early December 1955.