The Renovation (2019-2024)

When the Friends of Dreamland set out to restore the Dreamland Ballroom, the building had been largely inaccessible for over 50 years. No elevator. No HVAC. No ADA compliance. A third-floor ballroom that most of Little Rock had never seen.

Three grants from the National Park Service's African American Civil Rights Preservation Program changed that.

Phase 1: Building the Way Up (2019-2020)

$499,668 NPS African American Civil Rights Preservation Grant

The first grant funded a new elevator addition on the west side of Taborian Hall - a three-story structure connecting the original building from basement to ballroom for the first time in its history.

"Congratulations! We are calling on behalf of the National Parks Service to inform you that Friends of Dreamland has been awarded $499,668..." I jumped out of my chair and ran down the hall to my mother's office. She screamed and jumped out of her chair, ecstatic. A lifetime goal - finally realized."
— Matthew McCoy, Executive Director

Phase 2: Opening the Doors (2020-2023)

$499,723 NPS African American Civil Rights Preservation Grant

Phase 2 completed what Phase 1 started. The elevator was installed, an ADA compliant bathroom was added to the third floor, the windows were repaired and replaced throughout the building, and a central HVAC system was installed in the ballroom.

In 2023, the Dreamland Ballroom opened to the public at full capacity for the first time since Club Morocco closed in 1968.

Phase 3: Restoring the Soul (2021-2024)

$498,000 NPS African American Civil Rights Preservation Grant

For the first time, the work shifted from code compliance to historic restoration - bringing back the character that made Dreamland one of the most celebrated venues in the South.

The stage apron was rebuilt and leveled
Replicated tin ceiling tiles were cast from original molds and installed
Plaster work around the proscenium was restored
Historically accurate house lighting was installed
The parking lot was graded and a brick pathway was laid

"Our aesthetic vision is to freeze it in time - not take it back to what it looked like 100 years ago, but to honor every layer of its history."
— Matthew McCoy