Thirteen Arkansas Welcome Centers are located at strategic points of entry to the state. A fourteenth center is operated at the Parks and Tourism Central Office.
The major
Welcome Center staff functions are to act as travel consultants, sharing comprehensive knowledge of Arkansas attractions, scenery, events and history with about one million travelers annually.
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Operation hours for the Arkansas Welcome Centers are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. Two centers -- Helena and Red River -- close at 4 p.m. daily. Summer hours are extended by one hour.
The welcome centers are open 360 days a year, closed days are Easter, Thanksgiving Day, and New Years Day, Christmas Day, and a half-day on Christmas Eve (open 8 a.m.-noon and closed noon-5 p.m.).
In cooperation with the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department, the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism is in the process of rebuilding several Arkansas's Welcome Centers. Six new centers have opened in Texarkana, El Dorado, Corning, and Van Buren/Fort Smith, Blytheville and Lake Village, since 2005. If funding becomes available, the next center marked for replacement is West Memphis.