| area Attractions |
| Fort Smith is the
second-largest city in the U.S. state of
Arkansas and one of the two county seats of
Sebastian County. With a population of 80,268 at
the 2000 census, it is the principal city of the
Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan
Statistical Area, a region of 288,818 residents
which encompasses the Arkansas counties of
Crawford, Franklin, and Sebastian in Arkansas,
and the Oklahoma counties Le Flore and Sequoyah. |
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| Fort Smith lies on the
Arkansas-Oklahoma state border, situated at the
junction of the Arkansas and Poteau Rivers, also
known as Belle Point. The city began as a
western frontier military post in 1817 and would
later become well-known for its role in the
settling of the "Wild West" and its law
enforcement heritage. |
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| Fort Smith National Historic
Site |
| the most prominent landmark,
which includes the remains of the original 1817
fort on the Arkansas River. Inside is the
restored courtroom of the famed "Hangin' Judge"
Isaac C. Parker, and the dingy frontier jail
aptly named "Hell on the Border." |
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| Open daily except Christmas
and New Year's, 9 am - 5 pm. Admission $3. Ages
16 and under, free. Third Street At Rodgers,
Phone: (479) 783-3961 Website:
http://www.nps.gov/fosm/ |
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| Fort Smith Museum of History |
| almost adjacent to the
National Historic Site the museum contains
numerous exhibits, displays and artifacts that
tell the story of Fort Smith's colorful history
- from the first fort in 1817, through the
westward expansion, and on to the Civil War, the
Gay Nineties, Fort Chaffee, and the emergence of
a modern city |
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| September through April
Tuesday-Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. *Closed
Sunday and Monday. Memorial Day through Labor
Day Tuesday-Saturday 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Sunday 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. *Closed Monday. 320
Rodgers Avenue. Phone: (479) 783-7841 or (479)
783-7848. Website:
http://www.fortsmithmuseum.com/ |
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| Fort Chaffee |
| primarily used as a training
facility by regional National Guard and Reserve
Corps units as well as active military units
from other installations. In 1958, the
entertainer Elvis Presley stopped off at Fort
Chaffee en route to his basic training in Texas.
It was here that the public information officer
John J. Mawn told a news conference that Presley
would receive the standard "G.I. haircut" and
would resemble a "peeled onion". |
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| Chaffee Crossing is publicly
accessible for self-driven touring. Highway 22
(east of Fort Smith), Phone:(479) 452-4554 |
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| Fort Smith Trolley Museum |
is a railroad museum in Fort
Smith, Arkansas. the museum collection includes
four streetcars which operated in municipal
service in Fort Smith, an open streetcar, as
well as a Frisco steam locomotive.
The museum also operates a heritage railroad and
runs excursions in the Fort Smith National
Historic Site using a Birney streetcar. |
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Open Mon-Fri 10 am - 5 pm;
Sun 1 pm - 5 pm (May 1 - Nov 1)
Saturday: 10 am - 5 pm (Nov 1 - May 1).
Sunday: 1 pm - 5 pm (Nov 1 - May 1). |
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Located at 100 South 4th
Street. Phone: (479) 783-0205 or (479) 783-1237
Website:
http://www.fstm.org/ |
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| Belle Grove Historic
District |
| a 22-block area in downtown
Fort Smith comprised nearly 25 restored homes
that span 130 years of varying architectural
styles. |
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| An excellent driving or
walking tour. |
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| Miss Laura's Visitor
Center |
| a former brothel and the
only remaining building from the Row, is home to
the city’s Convention and Visitors Bureau and
the only former house of prostitution on the
National Register of Historic Places. |
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| Open Mon-Sat 9 am - 4 pm;
Sun 1 pm - 4:30 pm. By donation. 2 North "B"
Street, Phone: (479) 783-8888, 1-800-637-1477. |
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| for additional information
visit the following links |
|
http://www.fortsmith.org/ |
|
Fort Smith Chamber Of Commerce |
|
Fort Smith Regional Airport |
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