Our city of Fort Smith, AR, is a very short distance from the Arkansas-Oklahoma border. We’ve grown from a small settlement next to a military outpost in 1822 to the third-largest city in Arkansas. As we’ve grown, we’ve stayed in touch with our roots. To preserve our past, we’ve built and maintained some of the best museums in the state. These are some of our top picks to learn more about our local history.
Fort Smith Museum of History
Located at 320 Rogers Avenue, this museum is housed in a beautifully restored 1907 building. It was the Atkinson-Williams warehouse, the largest surviving commercial building in Fort Smith. The artifacts spread over multiple floors, and include a reconstruction of the courthouse of famous Judge Isaac C Parker. Other reconstructed sights include a working soda fountain and an old pharmacy.
You can browse through an amazing display of original American hand tools, visit the On Air display to learn about the history of broadcasting, or view the history of the telephone from the original instruments to the present. It’s a fascinating trip back through time to learn more about the people and events that helped to shape Fort Smith’s history.
W.H.H. Clayton House
This house was the home of the chief prosecutor at the time Judge Isaac C Parker. It’s of wood construction and stands 2 1/2 stories high. The house has been a museum since 1970 and portrays the home life of a well-to-do attorney of the era.
Many of the furnishings are originals and were used by the original owner. Docents are available to take you through the house on guided tours, and they are fonts of knowledge about the man himself and his time period. The house can be found at 514 North 6th Street.
Chaffee Barbershop Museum
This iconic barbershop is world-famous as the site where Elvis Presley received his GI buzzcut when he joined the US Army in 1958. Besides Elvis, it also hosted thousands of soldiers when they received their first military haircut. The barbershop has been restored to its original glory and looks exactly as it did when Elvis first walked in.
The barbershop hosts a museum illustrating the 70-year history of Fort Chaffee and is packed full of military memorabilia. Here you’ll find items from WWII to the present. It’s an amazing slice of military history that you can find by visiting them at 7313 Terry Street.
Grab the key to your 2022 Chevrolet Equinox LT, and head on out to see some of history. As you drive, you can enjoy the power of its fuel-efficient 1.5L Turbo 4-cylinder engine. Come by and visit us on your travels at Orr Chevrolet of Fort Smith.
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