The Ozark Folk Center State Park is one of the most unique and interesting state parks in Arkansas.
They are dedicated to keeping the history of the Ozarks alive. From the music to the crafts to culture you can find it all at this incredible Arkansas State Park.
Location of the Ozark Folk Center State Park
The park is located just outside of the lovely town of Mountain View, Arkansas. Mountain View is a charming town with a beautiful old courthouse and great town square. It is known as the Folk Music Capitol of the World.
Mountain View has a rich tradition of preserving the Ozark Mountain music and culture.
When is the State Park is Open
Always check the website to get exact opening dates but the state park is open mid-April through late October.
Is There an Admission Fee?
Yes. Although many of the Arkansas State Parks are free this one does have an admission fee. You can go here to get information about the day passes, group rates, as well as season passes for the park.
Who was with us on this visit to the Ozark Folk Center State Park? We have been to the state park many times, but on this occasion it was both of the authors of this blog, the mother daughter team of Karen and Emily, as well as Emily’s little daughter Lyla.
Where to Stay at the Ozark Folk Center State Park
This is one of the 5 state parks in Arkansas that have a lodge. It is called the Cabins at Dry Creek and you can reserve them through the park website.
These are slightly different than the other state park lodges because these are all on one story and spread out along the edge of the forest on the property.
We stayed in the lodge rooms on our recent visit and found them to be extremely comfortable and convenient.
Emily and Lyla stayed in a nice King suite. It had two rooms. One was a large king bedroom with a bathroom and the other was a combination living room and kitchen.
I stayed in a King room with a bathroom and kitchenette. Both rooms were spacious, very clean, and super quiet with a nice back porch sitting area that looked into the woods.
Places to Eat
Of course you can eat in the nearby town of Mountain View, but the state park also has two restaurants.
The first is the Skillet Restaurant which is located just outside the entrance to the park. One of our favorite things about this restaurant was the huge windows which looked out onto a butterfly garden and bird feeders. We saw so many butterflies and birds and squirrels.
Lyla was enthralled with watching all the animals.
The menu here is southern country cooking and there is a buffet on the weekends.
Be sure and check the days and hours because the restaurant is not open every day.
Once inside the park you can eat at the Heirloom Kitchens which is in the crafts section of the park. It is a cafe which offers a variety of food options, daily specials, and freshly baked goods in the Craft Village.
The baked goods here were excellent!
Schedule of Events
Go here on the main website to check out the schedule of events that are held at the Ozark Folk Center.
Things to do at the Ozark Folk Center State Park
In a nutshell, the park offers visitors an opportunity to watch artisans work, to hear live music, and to get a taste of what life would have been like for the Ozark mountain people in the past.
You get to see not only how the people of the Ozark Mountains would have survived, but how they would have created beautiful and utilitarian works of art. .
The park leans heavily into the mountain music by showcasing groups of folk musicians throughout the day as well as larger shows in the auditorium on certain nights.
Be sure and check the schedule to hear some amazing musicians!
The Craft Village
At the craft village inside the park you will find a series of small buildings on a couple of levels interconnected by sidewalks and stairs.
Each one is well-marked with the type of craft that you will find inside. Step in to discover friendly and informative craftspeople who will tell you anything you want to know about their work.
Beautiful hand made items are also available for purchase.
The rooms where the artisans are at work are almost all air-conditioned which is a wonderful thing on a warm Arkansas summer day.
We loved watching the creativity of the artisans and seeing their beautiful wares.
The pottery might have been my favorite! Be sure and check out the charming mugs with little animals inside.
The copper colorist was fascinating and something I had never seen before. They paint gorgeous and detailed scenes on copper with flames! If you are a jewelry person you will definitely want to stop in here!
There is also a broom maker, a blacksmith forge, candle-making, knife making, a leather shop, a paper craft shop, a quilt shop, and so much more.
The Heritage Herb Garden
The Ozark Folk Center State Park is said to have one of the most diverse organic herb gardens in the nation. You will notice that there are many types of herbs planted in gardens all around the park.
The park offers many gardening workshops where you can learn about doing your own gardening as well as the way that the people from the Ozark Mountains would use these herbs for medicinal purposes.
Music at the Park
Music is really the heart of the park. While you are in the craft village you will want to stop by the blacksmith stage. This is a small open-air venue that has live music all throughout the day.
When you pay your admission fee you will receive a schedule that will let you know when music will be played here.
Fiddle, banjo, guitar, mandolin, dulcimer, and autoharp are some of the most important instruments that were used to create the Ozark Mountain sound, but the day we were there one of the musicians also played a saw!
There is also a larger 1,000 seat auditorium, the Ozark Highlands Theater, which is used host concerts and special events.
Is the Ozark Folk Center State Park Good For Children?
YES!
In fact, there were several school groups on the day we were there. I would say that this is a great park for all ages.
In addition to watching the crafts people at work, many of the craft shops have hands on activities for children. They can dip candles or play with toys in the woodworking area and much more.
However, Lyla’s VERY favorite thing was listening to (and dancing to) the live music.
I highly recommend a visit to the Ozark Folk Center State Park!
