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Fort Smith National Historic Site, Fort Smith, AR

Photo: Photolitherland, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

SightseeingHistory BuffFree

Fort Smith National Historic Site

301 Parker Ave · Fort Smith, AR

Why you should go…

This National Park Service site covers almost 80 years of frontier history, from the first fort of 1817 to the end of Judge Isaac C. Parker's federal court in 1896. The visitor center fills the old barracks, courthouse and jail building, with exhibits on soldiers, the court and Indian removal. Outside you can see the foundation of the first fort, the commissary building and a reconstruction of the gallows. A riverside trail has exhibits on the Trail of Tears.

  • #national historic site
  • #frontier history
  • #historic courtroom
  • #trail of tears
  • #old west

Good to know

General sightseeing guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • The forecast is part of the ticket

    Haze, low cloud, and rain flatten a view. Clear-day visits are worth rearranging your plans for.

  • Golden hour sells out first

    Sunset slots at observation decks and cruises are the first to go, so book those further ahead.

  • Dress a layer warmer

    It is always breezier up high and out on the water than it feels at street level.

  • Timed entry is common

    Plenty of landmarks release tickets in windows rather than at the door, so check before you walk over.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Fort Smith National Historic Site, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

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    Western Arkansas' Mountain Frontier

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    Devil's Den State Park

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    Hike, bike and ride horses through sandstone crevices and bluffs in a 1930s CCC-built park in the Boston Mountains.

    29 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor

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    History Buff

    Cherokee Nation

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    Tribal nation across 14 northeast Oklahoma counties with Trail of Tears history, cultural museums and heritage sites.

    45 mi awayMore like this

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    Muskogee

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    Historic Oklahoma city rich in Native American heritage, with museums, a war memorial park and the Castle of Muskogee.

    58 mi awayMore like this