Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center

Fort Smith, AR

The Janet Huckabee Nature Center is the third that Split Rock helped create for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Exhibits here, designed by Haizlip Studios, highlight the fertile beauty of the Arkansas River Valley and the wide variety of birds and animals that call the area home.

Split Rock Studios replicated rock outcroppings from the Ozark Plateaus and Ouachita Mountains that frame the exhibit entrance and a 1700 gallon aquarium containing native fish and turtles.

The focal point of the exhibit is a huge oak tree with branches spreading over an island diorama. Keen-eyed visitors can spot scores of animals among the forest scene, and play with interactive displays to learn more about native wildlife. A hand painted mural, kid-scaled nest box, and lots of low tech interactives, immerse visitors in the state’s outdoor recreation and conservation resources.