whatsinside
A Land Shaped by Rivers
Appreciate this colorful tile mosaic of the Delta and its rivers. The Arkansas Delta is a land made by the constant change in its rivers. This constant state of change creates a unique cast of characters to inhabit its plains - from katydids, cicadas, tree frogs and goat suckers to skunks, rabbits, opossum, bats and deer. Even bobcats, bears, minks, weasels, shrews and alligators. Not to mention the bass, paddlefish, gar and sturgeon swimming in her waters.
The Spirit of Fishing, Hunting, and Conservation
Hunting and fishing provide a spiritual link that will get you connected with past generations, family and friends. If you have an appreciation for the animals and the ecosystems that they inhabit, you will enjoy the art and craft of hunting and fishing.
Delta Rivers Airways (3 minute movie)
Hop in our crop-duster and experience the Arkansas Delta from the sky! The Delta is a landscape of meandering rivers on a vast alluvial plain. Most of the natural bottomland forests have been converted into rice, soybeans, cotton, and catfish culture.
A Wetland is a Wet Land
Wetlands naturally store water underground, absorbing river overflows, and lessening the destructive effects of flooding. Native wild turkeys, black bears, waterfowl, and deer thrive in these watery wild lands.
The Worthless Swamp
You will learn the value of the wetlands and the wildlife on it. The wetlands provide a natural flood control, a nursery for fish and shellfish, an area to purify, and filter groundwater, food and habitat for numerous species of wildlife, and also provide recreational opportunities such as boating, duck hunting, and fishing.
Big Fishes of the Delta
With more than 50 game species of fishes, Arkansas boasts some of the best fishing in North America. Come and appreciate some of the state sport fishing records and see how you compare to the Delta's record fishes.
Changes to the River
In this exhibit you will see how the Arkansas River flowed more than 150 years ago and how the 1927 flood almost washed Pine Bluff
away.
Adaptable Plants and Animals
In bayous and oxbows, water levels are constantly going up and down, depending on floods and droughts. The water is very cloudy and dark with all of these changes. Oxygen levels are low in these waters. So how do plants in bayous and oxbows survive under such conditions? How do animals know where they are going in these murky waters?
River Rat House Boat Theater (10 minute movie)
Come and discover the experiences that the first explorers have to go through in the wilderness of Arkansas. Learn how the settlements
got adapted for the last four and a half centuries in the deepest swampy areas of our state.
Aquariums
Oxbow aquarium: Meet the fishes and other aquatic animals that can tolerate the murky, slow current, and low oxygen levels that are found in oxbows.
Delta Rivers aquarium: This aquarium represents the Arkansas River with a variety of habitats, some
with sandy bottoms and fast-flowing current areas, and other locations that are slow-moving with muddy bottoms.
Store
When you finish your expedition, pick up an educational and fun souvenir at the center’s gift shop, stocked with great books, toys, caps, shirts and much more!