NAI 2023

Little Rock, Arkansas — November 7–11

Offsite Sessions

Saturday, November 11, 2023
If the minimum requirements are not met by October 1st, the session will be canceled.

Petit Jean State Park

Petit Jean State Park is an Arkansas classic, a natural and historic treasure that has welcomed travelers for decades. The natural beauty and ancient geology of the legendary Petit Jean Mountain inspired the creation of Arkansas’s first state park and with it our state park system. In 1933 The CCC built trails, roads, bridges, cabins, and the focal point of the park, historic Mather Lodge, a 24-room lodge overlooking Cedar Creek Canyon with a restaurant, meeting rooms, and gift shop. Hiking trails lead through forests and meadows, over canyons, and along streams and the mountainside. See where nature formed sheer bluffs, the spectacular 95-foot Cedar Falls, Seven Hollows, and such distinctive features as Bear Cave, the Grotto, Natural Bridge, and other formations like carpet rocks and turtle rocks.

Bus departs 8:30am and returns at 5:00pm.

There will be significant walking and standing outside on this tour. Wear good walking shoes and you can take a small bag/backpack with you. We encourage you to bring your reusable water bottle. Dress for the weather and don’t forget sunscreen.

Price: $125
Meals: Lunch included
Minimum participants: 15
Maximum participants: 24

Hot Springs National Park

Hot Springs National Park is where nature and history meet! It stands as an icon for healing and a tribute to the “American Spa” of the 20th century. The grand architecture of nine historic bath houses is equally matched by the natural curiosities that have been drawing people here for hundreds of years. The ancient thermal springs, mountain views, incredible geology, forested hikes, and abundant creeks – all in the middle of town – make Hot Springs National Park a unique and beautiful destination. Site interpreters will also share a behind the scenes look at developing programming to recruit a community approach and interest in conservation of the Hot Springs Recharge Zone.

Bus departs at 8:30am and returns at 6:00pm.

There will be significant walking and standing outside on this tour. Wear good walking shoes and you can take a small bag/backpack with you. We encourage you to bring your reusable water bottle. Dress for the weather and don’t forget sunscreen.

Price: $125
Meals: Lunch included
Minimum participants: 30
Maximum participants: 50

Plumb Bayou (Toltec Mounds) + Agriculture Plantation Museum

Spend a morning immersed in two different cultures that impacted prehistory and history in Arkansas. The Plum Bayou Mounds State Park interprets the largest and most complex mound site in the state. It also offers the rare opportunity to see archeological research at work. This site was a ceremonial ground for prehistoric Native Americans and stands today as an important and fascinating piece of pre-history. Recently this park changed its name from Toltec Mounds State Park to the Plum Bayou Mounds state park; find out why and what interpretive challenges that entails. Special meeting with Dr. Ford, the resident archeologist in their working lab.

End the morning at the Plantation Agriculture Museum where Arkansas’s farming history is preserved. Housed in a series of buildings is the main museum originally built as a general store in 1912, the Dortch Gin Exhibit containing a 1916 cotton gin, Seed Warehouse #5 which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and a Historic Tractor Exhibit completed in 2018. At the Plantation Agriculture Museum, visitors can explore where and how crops were grown and harvested in Arkansas from the time of statehood in 1836 through World War II.

Bus departs at 9:00am and returns at 12:00pm.

Wear good walking shoes, and dress for the weather. You will be taking a golf cart/tram, so be mindful if you wish to bring a bag/backpack, as you will need to hold them on your lap for part of this tour.

Price: $60
Minimum participants: 10
Maximum participants: 23

Little Rock Zoo

The Little Rock Zoo is an important part of the Arkansas community and has been since 1926 when it started with an abandoned timber wolf and a circus trained bear. We are one of the largest family destinations in Arkansas and an important place for conservation learning. Today, the zoo has grown to include nearly 500 animals representing 200+ species, many on the endangered list. The Zoo itself has become one of the state's greatest educational and conservation resources.

The Zoo provides an inspirational, educational experience that grows a passion for animals and a respect for all living things. This is why it's accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) and participates in important conservation programs, including local restoration of the Bob White Quail and Eastern Collared Lizard populations. We will have behind the scenes animal encounters, but we will also have a chance to talk about programming and exhibits.

Bus departs at 9:00am and returns at 12:00pm.

There will be significant walking and standing outside on this tour. Wear good walking shoes and you can take a small bag/backpack with you. We encourage you to bring your reusable water bottle.

Price: $90
Minimum participants: 10
Maximum participants: 24

Central High School National Historic Site + Mosaic Templar Museum

Building on the message from our keynote presenter, Minnijean Brown-Trickey, come examine how African American History and culture is preserved, interpreted, and celebrated in Arkansas at Central High National Historic Site and Mosaic Templars Cultural Center.

In 1957, Little Rock Central High School was the epicenter of confrontation and a catalyst for change as a fundamental test for the United States to enforce African American civil rights following Brown v. Board of Education. Learn how the sacrifice and struggle endured by the Little Rock Nine have provided opportunities and opened doors for those seeking equality and education around the world.

Dedicated to the African American experience in Arkansas, Mosaic Templars Cultural Center highlights fraternal organizations, African American entrepreneurs, and integration. The Center’s name is taken from the Mosaic Templars of America, a black fraternal organization founded in Little Rock in 1883 whose headquarters sat on the city's prominent and current location at West Ninth and Broadway Streets.

Bus departs at 9:00am and returns at 12:00pm.

Price: $90
Minimum participants: 20
Maximum participants: 23