Fort Smith, Arkansas is an historic Old West town and a popular travel destination for Seniors. Senior Travel Genie offers resources for restaurants in Fort Smith. The area has a rich history.

Fort Smith, AR History

The border town of Fort Smith grew up around the area’s first frontier fort, established in 1817 to promote peace between warring Indian tribes of the Osage and Cherokee. Remains of the first fort lie within the Fort Smith National Historic Site. The Historic Site takes you back in time to the wild and wooly “Old West,” so you can appreciate the history of the Trail of Tears and learn about the Civil War in Arkansas. On the grounds is a replica of the famed gallows where 88 men were ordered hanged by Hanging Judge Parker, who had almost 9,500 convictions. His fully restored courtroom and early frontier jail known as “Hell on the Border” are housed in the renovated barracks building.

Fort Smith, Arkansas – Tour the Old West

Make your first stop a tour of Miss Laura’s Visitor Center, an old restored brothel listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Then enjoy the five Fort Smith museums, including the Fort Smith Museum of History, the Fort Smith Trolley Museum, the Clayton House, the Darby House and the Fort Smith Art Center.

Ride an authentic electric trolley in one of the same cars that transported folks around town at the turn of the century. Take a nostalgic journey on a horse drawn carriage, or discover the beautiful restored homes and buildings lining the streets of the 22-block Belle Grove Historic District, which reflects an architectural span of 130 years.

Senior Travel Genie furnishes resources for hotels and much more in Fort Smith, Arkansas.