March 28, 2020

A "Whodonit" in March at the FSMH! Life is sweet and the view from the posh penthouse apartment of a creme de la creme New Yorker is astonishing!  What's to come is anyone's guess!  Use your sleuthing skills and join fellow guests at a high-society "Murder in Manhattan" Murder Mystery Dinner complete with drinks, hors d'oeuvres, lively conversation in hushed tones, and the intrigue of crime-solving all in the glow of the NYC skyline! Tickets are $60 and include dinner, wine and beer.  You may pay for tickets on the link below or on the home page, or by calling or coming by the museum. 

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April 04, 2020

The Fort Smith Museum of History is a proud participant of Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day! Museum Day is an annual celebration of boundless curiosity hosted by Smithsonian magazine. Participating museums and cultural institutions across the country provide free entry to anyone presenting a Museum Day ticket. The Museum Day ticket provides free admission for two people on Saturday, April 4, 2020. 

Tickets are available to download at the following link: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/museumday/museum-day-2020/

Tickets may be presented as paper copy or as a download from your mobile device. 

Where will your curiosity lead you this Museum Day? Let us know @MuseumDay #MuseumDay #EarthOptimism  

April 23, 2020

She was a lovely, young bride. He was a charming businessman. They were both married, but not to each other. The day they met in downtown Fort Smith was the beginning of a story that cast a century-old shadow on the city’s history. It’s the story that shocked Fort Smith, sent one man scurrying out of town, sent one wounded woman home to her mother, and ended up in Judge Parker’s court.

It is the trial of Maud Allen, accused of sending pornography through the mail, and attempting to break up a marriage.

Here’s your chance to hear the actual testimony offered by the woman who came between future Fort Smith Mayor, Fagan Bourland, and his wife. You’ll see copies of the 1896 letters that brought a festering rivalry to a head and set all decent Fort Smith citizens on their heels when they heard the story.

The Trial of Maud Allen will be presented Thursday, April 23, at 6pm “In Parker’s Court” at the Fort Smith Museum of History. For the first time, the story whispered about in private will be shared in public and audience members will have the opportunity to join the jury and decide for themselves the guilt, or innocence, of young Maud.

Tickets for “In Parker’s Court: The Trial of Maud Allen” are $25 each and include refreshments and drinks before and after the presentation. Seats are limited and must be purchased in advance. If sufficient reservations are made, an additional presentation will be added to the schedule.

For ticket reservations, please visit the FSMH website at fortsmithmuseum.org, call 479-783-7841, or stop by 320 Rogers Avenue. All ticket sells benefit the Fort Smith Museum of History.

**Because of the subject matter and language used in this program, admission will be granted only to those twenty-one years of age and older. No one under the age of twenty-one will be admitted, and identification may be requested if the age of a guest is in question. We appreciate your assistance in making this an adults only event, thus allowing us to use as much of the actual language as possible, and to display a sample of the drawings. Again, no one under the age of twenty-one will be admitted due to adult subject matter, and language.

May 01, 2020

May 1-2

During the Steel Horse Motorcycle Rally, join the Fort Smith Museum of History for an exhibit and a program on local and regional motorcycle history.  "Motorcycle Memories" the exhibition, will be place at the Fort Smith Museum of History during the Steel Horse Rally. A program on "Motorcycle Memories" is scheduled for May 1 and 2 at 1:00 pm.  

The exhibition, which was first presented in 2008, features vintage motorcycles and photographs exploring the “art of the motorcycle” in Fort Smith and the region from the 1940’s through present day. Fort Smith has an historical association with motorcycle culture. Learn about the people and places that places that put the region on the map for motorcyclists.

Quin Winters Bike shop on Towson Avenue was the nexus of motorcycle culture in Fort Smith from 1939 until 1975. His sons, Leroy and Robert Winters, gained national fame for their accomplishments in the field of motorcycle racing. In 1940, Fort Smithians Ercie Gann, Kathryn Johnson and Jean Fivekiller became charter members of the “Motor Maids,” a national organization of female motorcyclists. The annual “Razorback Run,” a one hundred fifty mile round trip ride from Fort Smith to White Rock Mountain near Mulberry, Arkansas drew motorcycle enthusiasts from a regional area from 1952 to 1955. Otis Spiker played a vital role in the area cycling culture.  As one of the few manufacturers of Henderson motorcycle parts, Spiker gained national recognition as well as becoming a local motorcycle legend.  Danny Hammond of Fort Smith won numerous motorcycle racing awards from 1966 through 2007.  

Motorcycle Memories is designed to unite the “art of the motorcycle” with the generation of Americans that enjoy a lifestyle peculiar to the American mainstream.  The exhibit will strive to educate future generations about a fascinating spectrum of Americana.

This project is supported in part by a grant from the Arkansas Humanities council and the National Endowment for the Humanities.  The Fort Smith Museum of History was selected to receive proceeds from the Steel Horse Motorcycle Rally.  

May 02, 2020

May 2

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During the Steel Horse Motorcycle Rally, The Fort Smith Museum of History will host a motorcycle show on the street in front of the museum at 320 Rogers Avenue on Saturday, May 2, 9:00 am - 12:00 am. 

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May 02, 2020

During the Steel Horse Motorcycle Rally enjoy brats and beer on the street in front of the museum.  21 and over only.  May 2, 11:00 am - 2:00 pm.  2 for $6- 2 brats, 2 beers or 1 of each!