SUMMER FUN GUIDE – JonesboroRightNow.com – Jonesboro has plenty to offer, but sometimes you just want to hit the road and go on a summer trip. Here’s a list of fun places for you and your family to explore just a bit further out from the city. All locations are, at most, roughly three hours away.
BEATLES PARK
Located in Walnut Ridge, Beatles Park pays homage to what was supposed to be the Beatles’ secret visit before they headed on a weekend trip to Missouri in 1964. However, their secret got out, and the community turned out in droves to see the band as they prepared to board their flight to Missouri.
The park features murals and sculptures of the Fab Four, including the Beatles Abbey Road Sculpture, which depicts the cover of their 1969 album “Abbey Road.”
You can find Beatles Park at 110 Abbey Road in Walnut Ridge, about 30 minutes from Jonesboro.
GUITAR WALK AT CAVENAUGH PARK
Within walking distance of Beatles Park is the Guitar Walk, an 115-foot-long concrete guitar visible in satellite imagery. The guitar itself is an Epiphone Casino guitar, and the walk honors musicians who were instrumental to the birth of rock ‘n roll, paying tribute to the likes of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and more, and includes narration from Sonny Burgess.
Guitar Walk is located at 109 S.W. Front St. in Walnut Ridge and is about a 30-minute drive from Jonesboro.
BLYTHEVILLE AIR FORCE BASE EXHIBITION
This exhibition opened in 2020 and is part of the larger National Cold War Center, an upcoming museum that will tell the stories, both local and national, of the Cold War. The exhibition includes memorabilia and stories about the air base, from its beginning in 1942 up until its closure in 1992.
It is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and is located in Building 202, 3711 Idaho St. in Blytheville. It is a little over an hour from Jonesboro.
MEMPHIS PYRAMID
This is the home of the world’s largest Bass Pro Shop, and features an aquarium filled with Mississippi River fish, a waterfowl and wetlands conservation museum, archery and pistol ranges, and an elevator that takes visitors all the way to the pyramid’s top. In addition, visitors can dine at the restaurant sitting at the top, or stay the night at the pyramid’s Big Cypress Lodge.
The Memphis Pyramid is located at 1 Bass Pro Drive in Memphis, TN. It is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. It is about an hour and 10 minutes from Jonesboro.
BEALE STREET
The “Home of the Blues,” Beale Street in Memphis has several places to eat, shop, and take in live music. It is also the home of the New Daisy, a former movie theater-turned-music venue that has attracted both local and national musicians.
After 8 p.m., patrons must be aged 21 or older or accompanied by someone aged 21 or older. All patrons must be aged 21 or older and have a valid ID after 11 p.m. It is about an hour and 10-minutes from Jonesboro.
GRACELAND
This 120-acre property, which was once owned by The King himself, allows visitors to see Elvis Presley’s mansion, gold records, cars, private jets, and more. Click here to book tickets.
Graceland is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Elvis’ planes open at 10 a.m. It is located at 3734 Elvis Presley Blvd. in Memphis, TN, and is about an hour-and-20-minute drive from Jonesboro.
BLANCHARD SPRINGS CAVERNS
Nestled about 15 miles northwest of Mountain View, Blanchard Springs Caverns is the only cave administered by the U.S. Forest Service and was recently named a State Park by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
This limestone cave system has three guided tours: the Dripstone Trail, the Discovery Trail, and the Wild Cave. Click here to book a tour.
The park is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and is open from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. all other days of the week. It is located at 704 Blanchard Springs Road in Fifty-Six, and is about a 2-hour, 30-minute drive from Jonesboro.
HOT SPRINGS NATIONAL PARK AND BATHHOUSE ROW
Bathhouse Row consists of eight bathhouses built between 1892 and 1923. Visitors can still soak in the hot waters in the Buckstaff and Quapaw bathhouses. Click here for more information. In addition, the area is surrounded by many shops and restaurants.
The visitor center for the park is located at 369 Central Ave. in Hot Springs, and the park is open every day from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. It is about a 2-hour, 45-minute drive from Jonesboro.
