One of Central Arkansas’ top tourist destinations, the Clinton Presidential Center, plans to reopen for the first time in over a year, giving officials hope that tourism in the region could get a much needed boost.

The center, which usually attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors per year, has been closed since March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it has been taking this downtime to complete many updates and repairs. Adding new exhibits and improving old ones.

Arkansas tourism took a big hit in 2020 due to the pandemic, showing a 22% decrease in collections of the statewide tourism tax, despite seeing growth in the industry for more than a decade according to the Arkansas Tourism Ticker.

Clinton Center spokeswoman Rebecca Tennille says the indoor facilities will operate with reduced hours for at least the immediate future in response to recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Arkansas Department of Health.

The new temporary hours for the Clinton Center will be Wednesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and there will be no restrictions on the number of patrons allowed inside the center at the same time.

See the full article from UA Little Rock Public Radio here.