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Plantation Agriculture Museum: A Glimpse into Arkansas's Cotton Heritage

Explore Arkansas's agricultural heritage at the Plantation Agriculture Museum, showcasing cotton farming from statehood to WWII in historic buildings and exhibits.

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The Plantation Agriculture Museum in Scott, Arkansas, preserves the state's cotton agriculture history from statehood in 1836 through World War II. Exhibits showcase the lives of those who worked the land and the evolution of farming practices.

A brief summary to Plantation Agriculture Museum

Local tips

  • Check out the Dortch Gin Building to see the restored 1920s Munger cotton gin and cotton press.
  • Visit Seed Warehouse No. 5, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, to learn about seed storage and distribution.
  • Explore the outdoor tractor exhibit to see vintage tractors and farm equipment.
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Getting There

  • Driving

    The Plantation Agriculture Museum is located at 4815 AR-161, Scott, AR 72142. From Little Rock, take I-440 to Exit 7 and go south on U.S. 165 for five miles to the museum. Parking is available on-site. Contact the park for specific parking questions.

  • Public Transport

    While public transportation options directly to the Plantation Agriculture Museum are limited, you can take a bus to a nearby location on U.S. 165 and then take a short taxi or ride-sharing service to the museum. Taxi/ride-share from a connecting bus stop could cost approximately $15-$25.

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Discover more about Plantation Agriculture Museum

Located in Scott, Arkansas, the Plantation Agriculture Museum offers a fascinating look into the state's rich agricultural past, particularly its cotton heritage. The museum's exhibits and programs interpret the history of cotton agriculture in Arkansas from its statehood in 1836 through World War II, a period that saw dramatic changes in farming practices. The museum is housed in a series of buildings, including the 1912 Mercantile building, which served as a general store, the Dortch Gin Exhibit, featuring a 1916 cotton gin, and Seed Warehouse No. 5, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Visitors can explore exhibits detailing the growing and picking of cotton, as well as the ginning and storing of seeds. The museum also showcases the lives and culture of people from sharecroppers and tenant farmers to plantation owners. Visitors can tour the Dortch Gin Building, which houses a restored ginning system operated by the Dortch Gin Company. Seed Warehouse No. 5, built in the late 1940s, features exhibits on its original use for Robert L. Dortch Seed Farms. The museum also features a historic tractor exhibit with vintage tractors and other farm implements. The museum's story begins with William Scott, who emigrated to the area in the early 1800s. His son, Conoway Scott Jr., built the general store in 1912. In the 1960s, Robert L. Dortch, a plantation owner, and his daughter, Floride Dortch Rebsamen, purchased the building and transformed it into a museum. The museum reopened in 1989 as the Plantation Agriculture Museum under the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism.

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