Imagine privately touring a world-class museum of art in Paris or New York, casually viewing classic works by famed artists. It's any art enthusiasts dream, right? Well, in Little Rock, it's reality.

Featuring works by van Gogh and Picasso, the Arkansas Arts Center is internationally known for its extensive and renowned collection of works on paper, putting the center on par with major museums in larger cities. But at 42,000-square-feet, you don't need a private tour like you might at other cavernous museums with thousands of visitors to intimately enjoy the art, according to the center's executive director, Nan Plummer. Little Rock is an arts town, says Plummer, a Michigan transplant with decades of career experience.

Performance

Besides the art museum and several art galleries, which host monthly art walks, the greater Little Rock area also has its fair share of performing arts venues that are acclaimed in their own right, including theaters, orchestras, touring companies and symphonies.

One of the most recognized, the Arkansas Repertory Theatre is a member of the elite League of Resident Theaters that hires theater professionals from New York to build productions specifically for the stage in Little Rock.

Here, intellectuals have plenty of opportunity to participate in stimulating discussions of current issues. In fact, locals have recently had the fortune of attending speeches and question-and-answer sessions with prominent figures including former Secretary of State Madeline Albright, television host Dr. Phil and journalists Bob Woodward and George Stephanopoulos. All were a part of a regular lecture series hosted by the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service in Little Rock.

Nearby, the William J. Clinton Presidential Center is a lifetime learner's dream. Besides chronicling Clinton's presidents and American history at the turn of the 21st century, the center also hosts temporary exhibits bound to captivate history buffs of any degree. And across the region, a number of museums cover subject matter ranging from African-American history and the local school desegregation crisis to Native American history and Arkansas politics.

Native Knowledge

If you're moving here by July 2010, see "World of the Pharaohs: Treasures of Egypt Revealed" at the Arkansas Arts Center. The exhibition features 200-plus artifacts of world-renowned quality from the permanent collection at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Key Cultural Sites

Whether you want to get up on the stage, volunteer as a docent or just sit in the audience and soak it all in, there are a number of ways to make your mark on central Arkansas' cultural landscape. The following list of local institutions should provide you with a good starting point.

Arkansas Arts Center
501 E. Ninth St.
Little Rock/372-4000
Besides its internationally renowned collection of unique works on paper, the center also hosts exhibitions of all kinds of work. The center's largest exhibition to date, "World of the Pharaohs: Treasures of Egypt Revealed" is on display through July 2010. It features 200-plus artifacts of world-renowned quality from the permanent collection at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Arkansas Arts Center Children's Theatre
501 E. Ninth St.
Little Rock/372-4000
Recognized by The Drama League as one of the best regional theater companies in America, the Children's Theatre is Arkansas' only professional theater company dedicated to producing classic and contemporary stories for the stage.

Arkansas Repertory Theatre
601 Main St.
Little Rock/378-0405
This 350-seat theater has produced more than 280 productions made specifically for its stage, including 40 world premiers. In fact, some of The Rep's original productions are later performed at regional theaters elsewhere in the United States.

Arkansas Studies Institute
401 President Clinton Ave.
Little Rock/320-5700
The institute houses former governors' administrative papers, editorial cartoons, photographs, paintings by natives, early maps and one of the best Civil War collections in the state.

Arkansas Symphony Orchestra
2417 N. Tyler St.
Little Rock/666-1761
The state's most sought after professional musicians comprise this orchestra and famous vocalists like Natalie Cole, LeAnn Rimes and Aretha Franklin frequent its stage.

Celebrity Attractions
300 Spring St., Ste. 100
Little Rock/244-8800
This producer of nationally touring Broadway seasons brings such famed shows as "Cats" and "Mamma Mia!" to Little Rock.

Central High School National Historic Site
2125 W. Daisy L. Gatson Bates Drive
Little Rock/374-1957
Interactive exhibits discuss the struggle for civil rights at a new visitor center adjacent to the school, which became a battleground in the desegregation crisis of 1957.

MacArthur Museum of Arkansas Military History
503 E. Ninth St.
Little Rock/376-4602
This museum commemorates the state's military history from the territorial period to the present. Permanent exhibits depict the Jeep's impact on World War II, the history of the Little Rock Arsenal and the arsenal's role during the Civil War.

Mosaic Templars Cultural Center
501 W. Ninth St.
Little Rock/683-3593
An interpreter of Arkansas' African-American community and history since 1870, the center's location was once the headquarters of a fraternal organization established to provide services to blacks during segregation.

The Weekend Theater
1001 W. Seventh St.
Little Rock/374-3761
A non-profit theatrical community that produces socially significant plays, the Weekend Theater's performances are made more powerful by its intimate layout. Aspiring actors can learn more about casting calls online. The theater is also always looking for volunteers to work behind the scenes.

Wildwood Park for the Performing Arts
20919 Denny Road
Little Rock/821-7275
Situated on a 105-acre woodland garden, Wildwood is the largest park dedicated to performing arts in the South.

William J. Clinton Presidential Library
1200 President Clinton Ave.
Little Rock/374-4242
Home to the largest collection of presidential artifacts, the Clinton library features an exact replica of the Oval Office and Cabinet Room and is a popular place for natives to take out-of-town guests.

Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center
602 President Clinton Ave.
Little Rock/907-0636
Introduce yourself and the kids to Arkansas wildlife and nature preservation with 16,232 square feet of interactive exhibit space, an impressive aquarium and other displays.