Heritage, Arts & Culture

Heritage

In the late 1800s, Fort Smith was the last law and order stop on the way to the Wild West. More U.S. Marshals are buried in the Greater Fort Smith Region than anywhere else in the nation, and the Marshals Service recently selected Fort Smith as the home for its national museum that will showcase 218 years of history.

Visitors can take a step back in time on the very spot overlooking the Arkansas River where the first military outpost was built in 1817. On the grounds nearby is a replica of the famed Fort Smith gallows where 80 men were ordered hanged by Hanging Judge Parker. The fully restored courtroom of Judge Parker and early frontier jail known as “Hell on the Border” are housed in the renovated barracks building, which also houses the Site’s Visitor Center. Visitors can enjoy an interpretation of Native American history in the area and displays highlighting the U.S. Marshals and deputies who rode for Parker to protect the West.
 

Arts & Culture

The arts are alive in Fort Smith! Live bands, symphony performances, theatrical productions and art exhibits highlight local talent and attract special guests. The Fort Smith Symphony features the oldest orchestra in the state and performs multiple concerts each year. The Fort Smith Little Theatre is an award-winning organization that casts local talent.
 
The University of Arkansas Fort Smith Season of Entertainment features national touring theatre and musical productions as well as performances from its’ own chorale, orchestra, and drama troop. Every fall, the Riverfront Blues Fest electrifies Harry E. Kelley Park and draws famous artists from across the country.

Garrison Avenue regularly welcomes musicians and other artists for live music performances and art shows at local venues downtown. New to downtown Fort Smith is Second Street Live.  Second Street Live is a performing and visual arts center providing art and culture for generations to come!  Second Street Live provides national touring artists from blues to zydeco, and Celtic to jazz.
 

The Fort Smith Regional Art Museum - formerly the Fort Smith Art Center - was housed in the Vaugh-Schaap House at 423 North 6th Street for four decades. The beautiful home is one of the few remaining examples of Victorian Second Empire architecture in Fort Smith, and was the first home in the Belle Grove District to be fully restored and listed on the National Register of Historic Homes.  Currently the Fort Smith Regional Art Museum is holding a capital campaign to move its museum to the entrance of Garrison Avenue.  The new museum will be climate-controlled and equipped to facilitate traveling exhibits and handsomely display the museum's permanent collection. A spacious community room is planned where education programs and activities can flourish.
In the Fort Smith Region, creativity is abound.

From dance recitals to the latest Broadway musical to the beautiful sounds of the Fort Smith Symphony, Fort Smith boasts a list-full of art options to keep you entertained.
 

To learn more about Arts and Culture in the Fort Smith Region Click Here.