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This past summer I was on my way to spend a few days with my family and decided to take the scenic route and drive though El Dorado Arkansas. El Dorado is a town of about 18,000 located in Mid-South Arkansas. One of my favorite things to do in El Dorado is walk around the town square, this summer it was host to a ton of Pokestops so it was actually pretty crowded with kids and adults playing Pokemon! As much crap is talked about Pokemon it got a lot of people out and moving this past summer!!
The town square in El Dorado is based around the Union County Courthouse. I love the courthouse. It’s so beautiful and holds so much history! I am a secret history buff but shhhh…don’t tell anyone!!
The current courthouse is actually the second courthouse in El Dorado. I’m not exactly sure what happened to the first but I am definitely in love with the architecture of this building.
On each of the four corners of the walkway around the building were painted guitars. The town square is definitely host to some funky decor and always has been. I remember seeing tons of painted trash cans when I was in high school. I always thought they were so cool. LOL!!
There are tons of local businesses surrounding the courthouse including restaurants…
…coffee shops…
…and places to shop!
However I think my absolute favorite part of the square was seeing these old red phone booths that had been converted into libraries! Genius!
There is also a fantastically charming hotel, Union Square Guest Quarters, located all over the square. The rooms are located above the shops and restaurants and you will get a truly authentic feel for the city when you stay in them. There are several entrances…
…and several little courtyards for hotel guests to enjoy!
And then perhaps my favorite part of the square is the little park located right off the square that provides an entrance to another favorite spot of mine…
…the Rialto Theater!
The Rialto is currently undergoing a huge renovation and I hope whoever is overseeing it can preserve the original charm! I went on one of my very first dates to The Rialto many moons ago. I remember the super squishy seats and the charm of the building. It was built in the 1920’s and was largely untouched until recently. I can’t wait for it to reopen so I can go again!!
Have you ever been to El Dorado Arkansas??
I love the vibe! It have that special charm in it. Gotta love that phone booth book exchange! Really brilliant idea. Looks like a great place to explore. Never been to Arkansas before but would definitely love to come one day soon.
I love the charm of this town! It’s still got that little town feeling and lots of interesting things to check out! I have never been to the states but it looks like there are places that I need to check out there.
Oh wow what an amazing looking place to explore! I would absolutely love to visit for myself and see all of these first hand! x
I love the stores, signs so quaint and different from where I live (New York). It looks like a fabulous place to visit.
What a beautiful town! I love the courthouse, the funky decor and the brick sidewalks. Would love to visit!
This town looks like so much fun! I love the phone booths. I have never been to Arkansas so I’ll have to take a trip!
I have never heard of Eldorado Arkansas but it seems like a really cool place. I can not believe they still have phone booths lol that would be a sight to see in itself.
My daughter would love those phone booths that had been converted into libraries. She is really into the Little Free Library movement and this is like a cool city-specific version of that.
I have a friend that lives right near there! Had no idea how historical the place was!
Beautiful picrures. I’ve never been to El Dorado Arkansas. I look forward to visiting one day.
I just read an article on El Dorado recently. As I get to know Arkansas, it looks like a great spot to put on my list!
I love everything about this little town! I especially love that they transformed the phone booths into a lending library. I wish they had something like that where I live!
So fun! I love exploring and it looks like you had a great time!
I love going into cute stores like these when I am on vacation. I always find the cutest things to buy and put on display in my home.
Looks like a great place to visit. I’m really I awe over that telephone booth full of books, what a great idea.
The phone booth book exchange is awesome! I love how charming and quaint it looks here. I would love to visit.
Gorgeous photos! Some of these buildings look so historic. These are great! Thanks for sharing!