Share
Previous Page
Fort Smith Itineraries
- Family Fun in Fort Smith-
- Historical Downtown Fort Smith
Begin your adventure at Miss Laura's Visitor Center, the only former bordello listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The "Stars" volunteer staff will give your family a tour of the restored building, answer all your questions, and provide you with brochures or maps to assist with your Fort Smith adventure.
Don't miss the Fort Smith National Historic Site, on the grounds of the first military fort built on the banks of the Arkansas River in 1817. The old courthouse, originally part of the second fort, houses the courtroom of the famed "Hangin' Judge" Isaac Parker. On the grounds, tour a replica of Parker's infamous gallows where 79 men died, and visit Belle Point, where Fort Smith was first established.
Enjoy lunch in one of the several interesting downtown restaurants with a historical atmosphere. A good example is an Italian meal at Taliano's located in a restored Victorian home, or The Varsity Grill located in a restored hotel.
Begin your tour of Fort Smith's 22-square block Belle Grove Historic District, and go inside many beautifully restored homes, many built more than 100 years ago when the frontier was not so tame. Fort Smith Art Center in the Vaughn Schapp home built in 1882; the Clayton House, a restored Victorian former home of William Henry Harrison Clayton, the prosecuting attorney for Judge Parker. Don't miss a stop at the Darby House, boyhood home of General William O. Darby, who founded the Darby's Rangers in World War II.
Tour the Fort Smith Museum of History, where you can trace Fort Smith's important role in the history of the Southwest through a series of displays and exhibits. You'll learn about area trappers, traders, gold-seekers, Civil War soldiers, cowboys, Indians and outlaws. You can even visit an old-fashioned Drug Store where you can enjoy a soda, just like in the old days.
Right outside you can board a restored old electric trolley on a short trip to the Fort Smith National Cemetery, and a stop at our Trolley Museum.
ADVERTISEMENT
