Fort Smith National Historic Site

About Me

At Fort Smith National Historic Site you can walk where soldiers drilled, pause along the Trail of Tears, and stand where justice was served. The park includes the remains of two frontier forts and the Federal Court for the Western District of Arkansas. Judge Isaac C. Parker, known as the "hanging judge," presided over the court for 21 years.
Exhibits in the visitor center focus on Fort Smithâ€™s military history from 1817 â€“ 1871, western expansion, Judge Isaac C. Parker and the federal courtâ€™s impact on Indian Territory, U.S. Deputy Marshals and outlaws, Federal Indian policy, and Indian Removal including the Trail of Tears. Located on the grounds are the foundation remains of the first Fort Smith (1817-1824), the Commissary building (c. 1838), and a reconstruction of the gallows used by the federal court. A walking trail along the Arkansas River includes wayside exhibits on the Trail of Tears.
For more information, click here to visit our park website

My Interests

I'd like to meet:

Operating hours & seasons
The Visitors Center is open daily, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Closed Christmas and New Year's Day.

Entrance Fees
$4.00 per person (16 and older) Ticket is valid for unlimited re-entry into the Visitors Center for 7 days

Free for children 15 and under

Educational Groups
There is no charge for educational groups (students, teachers & chaperones). Contact the park for a fee waiver when making tour reservations.

Entrance Passes
There is no entry fee for America the Beautiful, National Parks and Federal Recreation Lands, Golden Age, Golden Access, and Fort Smith NHS passholders.

My Blog

Execution Anniversary Programs

Execution Anniversary Programs Free programs are presented at the reconstructed gallows on the anniversary dates of executions carried out during the years that the federal court at Fort Smith had jur...
Posted by on Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:09:00 GMT

Oct 26-28: U.S. Marshals Symposium, Descendants Day, Frontier Fest

U.S. Marshal's Symposium: "Historical Snapshots of Marshals Service History: The New South Meets Old West"October 26, 2007 6:00 - 10:00 p.m.Latture Conference Center, University of Arkansas Fort Smith...
Posted by on Sat, 20 Oct 2007 12:18:00 GMT

Trail of Tears

In the 1830s the United States government forcibly removed the southeastern American Indians from their homelands and relocated them on lands in present day Oklahoma. This tragic event is referred to...
Posted by on Mon, 24 Sep 2007 00:34:00 GMT

Judge Isaac C. Parker

For twenty-one years, Judge Isaac C. Parker held the bench of the U.S. Court for the Western District of Arkansas. His tenure was unique in the history of the federal judiciary; while most U.S. distr...
Posted by on Mon, 24 Sep 2007 00:19:00 GMT

Men Executed at Fort Smith 1873-1896

From 1873 until 1896, the federal court conducted executions on the grounds of the courthouse. The gallows scaffold was located against the southeast corner of the wall that surrounded the old...
Posted by on Mon, 24 Sep 2007 00:02:00 GMT