4 Historical Attractions You Can Drive to From Fort Smith, AR

Originally established in 1817 as a military outpost to patrol the nearby Indian territory, Fort Smith, AR has a unique and colorful history to explore. If you’re thirsty for local knowledge, read on to find out about some of the most fascinating historical attractions in the area. 

4 Historical Attractions You Can Drive to From Fort Smith, AR

1. Fort Smith National Historic Site

If you want to know more about the history of the frontier, the site of an original fort is the very best place to learn about it. With information about western expansion, outlaws, marshalls, the Trail of Tears, and Indian removal policy, this location takes you to the very heart of Fort Smith’s identity as a frontier town.
Well-preserved and informative, the site has barracks, jails, trails, and courthouses to explore, with the 1838 commissary building standing as the oldest in town. And with Junior Ranger activity books and badges available it’s interactive and family-friendly too, making it the perfect excuse to load the family into your roomy Kia Sportage and drive down for an educational day out. 

2. Fort Smith Trolley Museum

The Fort Smith Trolley Museum is dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of transportation, with a focus on electric-powered street cars. This site features a wide variety of electric street cars, railroad passenger and freight cars, locomotives, motor buses, and work equipment, and it’s also possible to take a three-quarter-mile ride on a working 1926 electric Birney streetcar down historic Garrison Avenue.
A local reenactment group regularly performs “The Robbing of the Fort Smith Trolley” and cat lovers will appreciate that the site is home to several rescue “trolley cats”. With the electric trolley system first established in 1899, this is a great way to learn about this aspect of twentieth-century history.

3. Chaffee Barbershop Museum

Known as the location where Elvis Presley famously received his first GI buzz cut in 1958, along with thousands of other army recruits, this site doubles as a repository for military memorabilia. You can learn about Fort Chaffee’s role in five wars throughout history by viewing the preserved 1950s barbershop and a large collection of photographs, documents, and newsreel archives. 

4. Fort Smith Museum of History

Housing a vast collection of artifacts, this museum will tell you about all aspects of the area’s development, from antique automobiles to William O Darby, who founded Darby’s Rangers in World War Two. It’s also possible to enjoy a handmade ice-cream soda and old-time soda fountain in the working exhibit of an early-twentieth-century pharmacy.

There’s nothing like learning about the heritage of a place to help you to deepen your connection with it and with our dealership’s extensive history of offering excellent assistance and support, you can enjoy the same sense of security when shopping for a car. Visit Crain Kia of Fort Smith, and benefit from our long commitment to giving you the very best customer experience.

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