This Quirky State Park In Arkansas Is One-Of-A-Kind
By Carol Ann Carson|Published July 12, 2018
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Carol Ann Carson
Author
Arkansas native, Carol Ann Carson, has written for OnlyInYourState for three years now. She resides in Western Arkansas' Mountain Frontier but calls NWA home as well. The graduate of University of Arkansas - Fort Smith, Carol Ann earned her B.A. in English and will soon be pursing her M.A. in Library Science. She loves exploring the trails around the Buffalo National River and has yet to find a waterfall that wasn't her favorite.
Arkansas is well known for its beautiful state parks that typically feature record-breaking mountains or jaw-dropping waterfronts but our list certainly doesn’t end there. Besides the nature-centered state parks, we also have historically-rich battlefields as well as interesting archaeological features. And then there’s this one. The Ozark Folk Center State Park is a delightful mix of nature, history, and entertainment. This unique park may be hard to categorize but it’s impossible to not fall in love with it after one visit. Let’s take a stroll around the park and see what makes this place so special.
Arkansas is home to a rather quirky state park, the Ozark Folk Center.
Everyone will be enthralled with this unique hands-on experience. The Folk Center has a bit of everything including rustic artisans, a delicious home-style restaurant, lodging, gardens, and more.
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The craft village features over 20 craft artisans.
Learn how items like glass, copper, knives, quilts, and others were made back in the pioneer days. The Center routinely hosts workshops so everyone can try their hand at these Old World techniques.
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If you hear banjos, run! You wouldn't want to miss the live folk music.
Here's Roger Fountain and Friends but all sorts of folk musicians come to play at the Folk Center. During the summer, the Center has six daytime performances and more formal evening concerts on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
The Center has six distinct gardens that serve different purposes.
There's a garden for plant dyes as well as kitchen herbs. The Folk Kids’ Mountain Garden and the Raised-Up Rock Garden both have interactive elements for all ages.
This restaurant features southern cuisine at its finest. Savor the home-style flavors with an Ozark Sampler, it's a heaping serving of chicken-n-dumplings, ham-n-beans, seasoned turnip greens and, of course, fried okra.
They may not have tent sites in the woods, but the Folk Center does offer a refreshing cabin stay.
Sip coffee and watch the sunrise on the deck or cool off from a day at the Center in the lodging's nearby pool. Nights run between $67.00 - $72.00 and dogs are welcome with an additional pet fee.
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The Folk Center is also home to Loco Ropes, a thrilling treetop ropes course.
Loco Ropes has over 30 different treetop obstacles from zip lines to rock walls. If you’d like to read more about their treetop trail, read our full article right here.
No matter if it's an educational day trip or a fun weekend getaway, the Ozark Folk Center State Park can fit your adventure needs.