Our Smiling Faces

Interesting Exhibits

There are many wonderful exhibits at the Fort Smith Museum of History. Here are a few highlights.

Time Line

From the Native American Indians to modern day residents, the Time Line presents one vignette after another depicting how day-to-day life was lived by the inhabitants of the region. Our Time Line is the core exhibit, located on the first floor of the Museum.

Darby Room

Learn about Fort Smith's famous son and World War II hero William O. Darby. Darby organized and trained the First Ranger Battalion, the elite combat force also known as "Darby's Rangers."

The Telephone Exhibit

See the evolution of the telephone from an 1880's telegraph machine and an early switchboard to modern fiber-optic cable. This hands-on exhibit was made possible and maintained by The Telephone Pioneers, retired Southwestern Bell employees.

From a World War II armored division training ground and then POW camp, to the temporary home of Vietnamese and Cuban refugees in the 1980's, to the backdrop of THREE major motion pictures, this military installation has played a continually changing role in the growth of Fort Smith. Did you know that Elvis is in the house? This is where Elvis received his first military haircut. We have the photos to prove it!

Boyd Gallery

The Boyd Gallery houses the 1,500 piece Ella Tilles Falk Doll Collection. This collection includes dolls of every description, including 19th century German & French bisque dolls, early & mid-20th century composition, cloth and plastic dolls.

A Museum of Antique Tools

A replica of a nineteenth century woodworking shop, this exhibit houses perhaps the largest collection of antique woodworking tools in the country. This collection contains both hand and foot operated tools. Many of the tools are more than one hundred years old and date back to colonial times.

Coming for Summer 2008, this exhibit is intended to educate future generations about a fascinating spectrum of Americana, and to publicize the great motorcycling experience that Western Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma offer. The Winters family of Fort Smith helped shape and change the sport of motorcycling. It is through the efforts and support of Robert Winters, a top national pro racer for many years, that this fascinating exhibit is made possible.