El Dorado is located on the southern border of Arkansas and prides itself on having ‘the best downtown in Arkansas’. Set among spectacular natural surroundings, some of the finest camping and hunting areas in the US are within easy reach. The Felsenthal Wildlife Refuge offers year-round fishing and bird watching.
The historic district goes back to the days of the oil-boom of the 1920s. Many of the original buildings have been well preserved and new structures have been designed to match the existing inner city fabric. El Dorado downtown is certainly one of the most notable in this part of the US.
There’s plenty of entertainment to be found, from the Rialto Theater, Arkansas’ only operating Art Deco theater, to the historic John Newton House, a venue for the annual Mayhaw Festival. Shopping fans will be pleased to know that there’s no shortage of upscale boutiques offering endless opportunities to max out their credit cards.
Highlights
The South Arkansas Arts Center: houses three art galleries, an intimate theater, ballet studio, scene and costume shop and classrooms for art instruction.
South Arkansas Arboretum State Park: covers 13 acres and exhibits plants native to Arkansas’ West Gulf Coastal Plain region, plus exotic varieties including blooming azaleas and camellias.
The Rialto Theater: was first opened in the 1920s and today shows movies in its modern, restored picture hall.
El Dorado Confederate Monument: is thought to be the first memorial fountain in the South honoring dead soldiers, and features a Confederate soldier on top of a classic four-columned shrine.
Rainey-Newton House: dates back to the 1950s and its straightforward design and decor are typical of that era’s frontier architecture.