Fort Smith

Topics in Fort Smith include exhibitions on the city’s history and military history, trails along the Arkansas River, and nature attractions. When planning your stay, you can consider whether you’d like to focus mainly on historical exhibitions, a multi-use trail, or nature topics such as fish and fishing.

History from Different Perspectives

The visitor center at Fort Smith National Historic Site is located in a historic building that served as barracks, a courthouse, and a jail. Exhibitions in the visitor center cover Fort Smith’s military history from 1817 to 1871. A trail along the Arkansas River at the historic site complements this perspective with information panels on different periods in the city’s history.

The Fort Smith Museum of History focuses on additional topics. On the first floor, a timeline traces the city’s development and growth around the military fort established in 1817. The “Judge Parker’s Courtroom” exhibit includes furnishings from the judge’s courtroom, including his original chair. “On the Air” explores the broadcasting history of Fort Smith and the region. The topics here therefore range from the city’s development to a courtroom and regional media history.

At the United States Marshals Museum, the exhibitions are divided into four sections: “A Changing Nation,” “Frontier Marshals,” “To Be A Marshal,” and “Modern Marshals.” The titles point to different aspects of the subject of marshals and give an overview of how the exhibitions are organized. Visitors interested in history can distinguish between the Historic Site’s military history, the city timeline, and the Marshals Museum’s themed sections.

Trails and Nature Attractions

Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center offers more than four miles of trails, two of which meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements. The center also has a 1,500-gallon aquarium featuring native Arkansas fish. The trail lengths, ADA requirements, and aquarium each offer a different focus for visitors interested in exploring nature.

Visitors of all ages can fish at Wells Lake. The lake is regularly stocked with catfish during the warmer months and rainbow trout in winter. These stocking details are seasonal and may change. If fishing is one of your interests, the seasonal distinction provides a practical point of reference when planning.

Greg Smith River Trail is a multi-use trail in western and northern Fort Smith. It runs between the Arkansas River and Riverfront Drive and extends approximately 6.3 miles along the Arkansas River. It is described as a distinct, longer trail with an approximate route length; by contrast, the Nature Center information refers to several trails, two of which meet ADA requirements.

Plan Your Visit

Fort Smith Trolley Museum offers streetcar rides and a museum visit. As operating schedules may change, check the current schedule if you plan to take a ride. This lets you coordinate your museum visit with the time you intend to take a streetcar ride.

The Fort Smith visitor center is located in Miss Laura’s Social Club; visitor service policies may change. When planning, you can also consider which topics matter most to you: the area’s history, a trail along the river, or nature attractions such as the aquarium and fishing at Wells Lake. This way, you can choose the focus of your stay based on specific destinations in Fort Smith.

For the broader travel overview: Sebastian.