Over the years, Little Rock Central High School has become a symbol of this nation's struggle with racial inequality and social injustice. On a prominent corner across from the school sits the Central High Visitor's Center, a former gas station that once played a supporting role in the former, and plays a more important role today, forty years later.

The Magnolia service station that now serves as the Visitor's Center was built in the 1920's, but Magnolia Oil was acquired by Mobil in the 1950's The restoration reflects this transition by displaying both the Mobil and Magnolia names, which is accurately documented by historic photographs. The building had been used for storage after it was closed and had no heating for a decade. Both exterior and interior surfaces and systems were in shambles.

The interpretive approach to the project was a joint effort by the Museum Board and planning committees, by the Donaghey Project of UALR, and the architectural team. The result is the faithful re-creation of a gas station on the outside, tempting visitors to think they actually buy gas and maybe even get a tuneup! (That is until they pull up to a pump and see that the gas is only 22 cents!)

The facilities program called for all of the necessities of a modern Visitor's Center, which means not only having exhibition space but also restrooms, office and maintenance space which required expanding the building. Part of the challenge was to hide an addition from the principal elevation, making it clearly secondary, so that the restored exterior retains its architectural integrity.