You might not be able to go back in time, but you can get pretty darn close at the Chaffee Crossing Historic District! As if frozen in time, the area features buildings from yesteryear, which visitors can tour for a unique glimpse into the past.
Chaffee Crossing Historic District is located right outside of Fort Smith.
Chaffee Crossing Historic District/Facebook Its location might just be as unique as the historic district itself. It’s nestled in the middle of Chaffee Crossing, a 7,000-acre mixed-use community that includes housing, shopping, dining, and more.
The land it occupies was once a military base known as Fort Chaffee.
Chaffee Crossing Historic District/Facebook Founded in 1941, the base has played a vital role in American military history. Since its establishment, thousands of soldiers have lived and trained at Fort Chaffee.
Today, Chaffee Crossing Historic District features a mix of historic buildings, museums, and other unique attractions.
Experience Fort Smith/Google Touted as a “walkable showcase of history,” visitors can walk the same grounds and tour the same buildings as the soldiers who once called Fort Chaffee home.
The Barbershop Museum is one of the district’s key attractions.
Chaffee Crossing Historic District/Facebook
True to its name, the barbershop-turned-museum is where the King received the “haircut heard around the world,” after being drafted and sent to Fort Chaffee in 1958.
Corliss Whelton/Google
Other must-see sites include the Enchanted Chapel, Enchanted Doll Museum, Fort Chaffee Barracks Museum, and the Vietnam Veteran’s Museum.
google.com Please note, you must make an appointment to visit the Vietnam Veteran’s Museum. Call (479) 478-0110 for more info. Additionally, the chapel and doll museum don’t have set operating hours, so call (479) 478-0225 before visiting.
In 2015, the first restaurant opened in Chaffee Crossing Historic District. Fittingly, it’s housed in a historic building.
Karl Tallakson/Google The former Maness Schoolhouse, which dates back to 1937, is now Stonehouse, a steakhouse.
To learn more about this unique district, visit the Chaffee Crossing Historic District website. And don’t forget to like Chaffee Crossing on Facebook.
Chaffee Crossing Historic District/Facebook
Its location might just be as unique as the historic district itself. It’s nestled in the middle of Chaffee Crossing, a 7,000-acre mixed-use community that includes housing, shopping, dining, and more.
Founded in 1941, the base has played a vital role in American military history. Since its establishment, thousands of soldiers have lived and trained at Fort Chaffee.
Experience Fort Smith/Google
Touted as a “walkable showcase of history,” visitors can walk the same grounds and tour the same buildings as the soldiers who once called Fort Chaffee home.
Corliss Whelton/Google
google.com
Please note, you must make an appointment to visit the Vietnam Veteran’s Museum. Call (479) 478-0110 for more info. Additionally, the chapel and doll museum don’t have set operating hours, so call (479) 478-0225 before visiting.
Karl Tallakson/Google
The former Maness Schoolhouse, which dates back to 1937, is now Stonehouse, a steakhouse.
So, did you know about Chaffee Crossing? Ever visited? If so, what’d you think? Know of another place that offers a peek in to the past? Tell us.
This is just one place that belongs on your bucket list of things to do in Arkansas. Click here for the ultimate state bucket list.
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Address: Chaffee Crossing Historic District, 7313 Terry St, Fort Smith, AR 72916, USA
