Any
trip into Fort Smith's colorful past should begin at our
historic Miss Laura's Visitor Center. Built just before
the turn of the century as the city's unique Riverfront
Hotel, the ornate building soon became widely-known as "Miss
Laura's," the premier bawdyhouse in the rough-and-tumble
part of Fort Smith along the Arkansas River. After legalized
prostitution ended in 1924, the building was bought and
sold several times and fell into disrepair following the death
of the last madam in 1949. A local benefactor, Donald W. Reynolds,
purchased the building in 1963 to save it from the wrecking ball.
During the mid-1980's,
the structure was thoroughly remodeled as an elegant restaurant.
In 1992 it became the city's Visitor Center, but the building
was heavily damaged by a tornado four years later. Now completely
restored to its historic beauty, "Miss Laura's" is reportedly
the only former brothel on the National Register
of Historic Places.
2 NORTH "B" STREET, (479) 783-8888,
1-800-637-1477.
Open Mon-Sat 9 am - 4 pm; Sun 1 pm - 4:30 pm.
By donation.
FORT SMITH CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU 2 North B, Fort Smith, Arkansas 72901 1-800-637-1477 | (479) 783-8888 Fax (479) 784-2421 E-Mail:tourism@fortsmith.org
Any
trip into Fort Smith's colorful past should begin at our
historic Miss Laura's Visitor Center. Built just before
the turn of the century as the city's unique Riverfront
Hotel, the ornate building soon became widely-known as "Miss
Laura's," the premier bawdyhouse in the rough-and-tumble
part of Fort Smith along the Arkansas River. After legalized
prostitution ended in 1924, the building was bought and
sold several times and fell into disrepair following the death
of the last madam in 1949. A local benefactor, Donald W. Reynolds,
purchased the building in 1963 to save it from the wrecking ball.
During the mid-1980's,
the structure was thoroughly remodeled as an elegant restaurant.
In 1992 it became the city's Visitor Center, but the building
was heavily damaged by a tornado four years later. Now completely
restored to its historic beauty, "Miss Laura's" is reportedly
the only former brothel on the National Register
of Historic Places. 
