Fun and Educational Activities

The Arkansas Craft School, located in Mountain View, Arkansas, is a 501.c.3 educational corporation. The School grew out of a long range planning process of the Arkansas Craft Guild which indicated a need to provide a training and support system for new and young artisans and practicing artisans in the state of Arkansas. Hand made craft, in its many forms, is a primary industry throughout the state and especially in the Ozark region. The 2007-2008 study commissioned and funded by the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation indentified the creative economy as the third largest industrial-business complex in Arkansas. The work force of that complex requires specialized training of artistic and industrial artisans. The Arkansas Craft School is designed to provide a comprehensive program of specialized vocational training. The Mission of the Arkansas Craft School is to educate aspiring and practicing craft artisans for success in the creative economy. The Artistic Focus of the Arkansas Craft School is traditional and contemporary two and three dimensional arts and crafts, including forms in metal, clay/ceramics, fiber, wood, glass, and other media.Visit their site for details

The Dripstone Trail winds through the magnificently decorated upper level. This trail travels through two huge rooms filled with an incredible variety and number of crystalline formations – sparkling flowstone, towering columns, delicate soda straws. This shorter, easier trail takes you almost half a mile one-way through the Caverns. All stairs can be avoided, making trails accessible for wheelchairs and strollers. However, inclines are steep. Strong assistants are needed to maneuver wheelchairs. The longer, more strenuous Discovery Trail explores the middle level of the Caverns system. This trail follows the path of the first explorers through water-carved passageways, under the natural entrance, along the cave stream, and through enormous, beautifully decorated rooms. This longer, more strenuous tour is 1.2 miles long, with nearly 700 stairsteps. Do not take this tour if you have walking, heart, or breathing difficulties. The Wild Cave Tour offers visitors an introduction to caving in a structured environment. The newest of the Caverns tours takes visitors to the undeveloped sections of the middle level. Participants should be in good physical shape, wear sturdy boots with ankle support, and come prepared to get dirty and have fun. Participants will climb very steep slopes, crawl on hands and knees, pass under low ceilings, and travel through red clay. The tour ends at the Titans, a group of tall spectacular columns. Hard hats, kneepads, gloves, and lights are provided, along with a souvenir T-shirt. The Wild Cave Tour is limited to a minimum of 3 but no more than 12 people per tour. Participants must be at least 10 years old. A responsible adult must accompany children 10 to 12 years old. The Wild Cave Tour is available by reservation only and is open every day from April through October. From November through March, it’s closed Mondays and Tuesdays, as well as on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. Informative Forest Service interpreters guide all tours. The Dripstone and Discovery tours are limited to around 30 people; the Wild Cave Tour is limited to 12 people. All tours begin at the Visitor Information Center, where the Ozark Interpretive Association sells books, maps, and other educational materials.Visit their site for more information

Learn traditional Ozark crafts, music and gardening in the beautiful and relaxed atmosphere of the Arkansas Ozarks. Ozark Folk School, March 15-17, 2012 To learn more about First Session Ozark Folk School classes, click here. Catch Spring fever in the Ozark Mountains and learn how to “make it yourself”. Registration for this session of Folk School is open. There is a non-refundable registration fee due at the time you sign up; the remainder of your class fee is due to the instructor at the beginning of class. Instructors accept cash or check. Registration deadline is 3-5-12 for most of these classes. All classes need a minimum number of students to make. The maximum number of students for most classes is 3 to 8. This small student to instructor ratio allows for quality, hands-on learning experiences. Ozark Folk School, March 19-23, 2012 To learn more or register for Second Session Ozark Folk School classes, click here. Classes can vary from 1 to 5 days. Our original Ozark Folk School, this session starts with orientation and meet & greet Monday morning and includes social time during the week, touring local craft studios and listening to music; watching videos of the original crafts people and more. It also includes some of our more intensive classes such as making your own black powder rifle or Knifemaking. You will leave most classes with a finished piece. The final day of the gunsmithing class you will sight your rifle in. Class fees vary. Registration for this session of Folk School is open. There is a non-refundable registration fee due at the time you sign up; the remainder of your class fee is due to the instructor at the beginning of class. Instructors accept cash or check. Registration deadline is 3-1-12. All classes need a minimum number of students to make. For most classes the minimum is three students and the maximum is eight. Look at the dates and classes here. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, call or email and we can set up a Design-your-own-workshop that fits your schedule. Lodging: The Cabins at Dry Creek located here at the Ozark Folk Center have special rates available for Folk School students. Just let them know when you make your reservation that you are a Folk School Student. If you come with a roommate this cost can be shared. For information on registration and accommodations, please call the Ozark Folk Center at 800-264-3655 or 870-269-3851.Visit their site for more details