Fort Smith played a significant role in history, particularly during the frontier period. There are a variety of historic attractions to visit in the neighborhood, including museums, monuments, and more. The following are various historical sites in Fort Smith, AR to visit on your retirement bucket list travels.
Fort Smith National Historic Site
Fort Smith National Historic Site is a National Historic Site located in Fort Smith, Arkansas, along the Arkansas River. The United States built the first fort in this area in 1817 before this land was declared as Indian Territory.
The Fort Smith National Historic Site transports you back in time to the period between 1817 to 1986. The location contains the ruins of the historic Fort Smith as well as the Commissary structure. Tours of the complex, which includes two jails and the federal courthouse where Judge Isaac C. Parker presided in the late 1800s, are also offered.
The modern gallows, albeit a copy, offer visitors a taste of what the original looked like. At Fort Smith National Historic Site, you may walk where soldiers trained, halt along the Route of Tears on a walking track along the Arkansas River, and stand where justice was given.
Miss Laura’s Visitor Centre
Miss Laura’s Visitor Center is located in Fort Smith’s historic downtown neighborhood, along the Arkansas River. Make your first visit to Miss Laura’s, and you will be enchanted by the Victorian home’s surroundings, which have become a symbol of this once-raucous border town’s colorful history! There are also cadres of friendly volunteers who conduct free guided tours, and you may obtain directions, suggestions on what to do in town, and learn about future events. You can also shop for local and period-appropriate items, and hear fascinating stories about the building and the city’s colorful past.
Fort Smith Museum of History
The Fort Smith Museum of History is situated in the National Register of Historic Places-listed 1906 Atkinson-Williams Warehouse. Its objective is to collect, preserve, and disseminate historical and cultural information about Fort Smith. Its displays, which date back to 1910, highlight the contributions of Fort Smith residents to the area’s cultural, political, and economic growth.
You can choose to visit an old-fashioned soda fountain at a pharmacy from the 1920s through the 1940s for a treat or view the convenient displays that offer ice cream, sundaes, floats, and gourmet ice cream sodas. Moving on, there is a museum gift store that sells ceramics, baskets, and paintings made in the area, and prints of old Fort Smith, as well as a large range of local history books, are also available.
Your Retirement Bucket List
A place’s heritage is what distinguishes it from other attractions. Preserving locations allows us to reflect on the past while also planning for the future. Additionally, preserving locations helps to preserve the culture of those who came before us.
Fort Smith, AR, has a rich history to offer its citizens and visitors dating back over 200 years. Go relive 200 years of history via the stories and re-enactments of significant historical figures who formed not just Fort Smith, but the American West, and even the US military.
