Discover Jonesboro: Art, History and Nature

Jonesboro offers several distinct themes to explore during your stay: contemporary art, natural history and cultural heritage, the history of Craighead County’s African American community, and the landscape of Crowley’s Ridge. These different focuses can help you shape your trip around what interests you most.

Art and Education

The Bradbury Art Museum hosts the annual Delta National Small Prints Exhibition (DNSPE). The museum also presents rotating exhibitions by contemporary artists from the region and across the country. Its focus on art thus ranges from an annual exhibition to changing presentations of regional and national perspectives.

The Bradbury Art Museum’s educational program includes workshops, lectures, artist visits, community events and tours. These formats complement the exhibitions with different ways to engage with art, from discussions and lectures to hands-on workshops. If you are interested in contemporary art, the museum combines exhibitions with a wide-ranging educational program.

Natural History and Regional Heritage

The Arkansas State University Museum in Jonesboro focuses on the natural history and cultural heritage of Northeast Arkansas and the Mississippi River Delta. Both regions are part of the museum’s thematic scope. Natural history is not its only focus: the cultural heritage of these areas is also featured.

The museum offers innovative tours and hands-on activities. Compared with the Bradbury Art Museum, both the subject matter and the educational formats differ: the latter focuses on contemporary art and an educational program featuring workshops, lectures and other formats, while the Arkansas State University Museum combines regional and natural history with tours and hands-on activities.

The History of the African American Community

The Craighead County-Jonesboro African American Cultural Center is located in the E. Boone Watson Center. Its focus is the spirit and history of Craighead County’s African American community, including its struggles and achievements. This offers a different perspective from the art and natural history themes of the museums: the focus is on the history of a particular community and its experiences in Craighead County.

The E. Boone Watson Center’s location is also connected to local history. The current site overlooks the grounds of the former Industrial High School. The school was built in 1924 by the community under the leadership of principal D. W. Hughes. The cultural heritage on view thus encompasses both the history of the African American community and a specific connection to the former school.

The Landscape of Crowley’s Ridge

Craighead Forest Park is a city park in the scenic Crowley’s Ridge. It adds a landscape dimension to the cultural themes. The focuses of these destinations are therefore clearly distinct: art, regional natural and cultural history, the history of the African American community, and the landscape of Crowley’s Ridge.

When planning your trip to Jonesboro, you can use these differences to guide the focus of your stay. Art lovers will find rotating contemporary exhibitions and a comprehensive educational program at the Bradbury Art Museum. The Arkansas State University Museum brings together natural history and cultural heritage through tours and hands-on activities. The Cultural Center tells the story of Craighead County’s African American community, while Craighead Forest Park offers a connection to the landscape of Crowley’s Ridge.

Discover more destinations: Brookland

View the parent travel guide: Craighead.