Fort Smith Trolley Museum, Arkansas

Written By Kelsey Cecil

Fort Smith, Arkansas · Updated October 19, 2026 · 12 min read

Trolley and streetcar museumTrain ridesStreetcar runs Friday to Sunday

The Fort Smith Trolley Museum runs restored electric streetcars on a three-quarter-mile line through downtown Fort Smith, past the National Historic Site and Garrison Avenue, and keeps a car barn full of trolleys, locomotives and vintage buses.

  • Ride a 1926 Birney streetcar
  • Three-quarter-mile downtown line
  • Streetcars running since 1991
  • Frisco 4003 steam locomotive
  • Volunteer-built nonprofit since 1979

Fort Smith Trolley Museum at a glance

Hours
Friday and Saturday 10 am to 5 pm, Sunday 1 pm to 5 pm; closed Monday to Thursday
Admission
Not posted online; call (479) 783-0205
Train rides
Restored electric streetcar rides on a three-quarter-mile downtown line during open hours
Plan for
About 1 to 2 hours
Best for
Families with young kids and streetcar fans
Best ages
Toddlers and up
Accessibility
A wheelchair ramp serves one stop on the streetcar line.

Hours and prices as the museum posts them, checked October 19, 2026. Confirm before you go.

Look inside the book

Taking the kids to Fort Smith Trolley Museum? Bring Rally along.

In Rally Takes the Train, a corgi's little legs can't manage the big train stairs, so Dad gives him a boost. It takes about five minutes to read, a good fit for the drive to Fort Smith.

Page 1 of 8

Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

Like it so far? See the full book

25 hand-painted pages, paperback, $13.99 with fast shipping from Amazon.

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Every page is real watercolor on paper, painted by hand by Leslie Dunn. Nothing in this book was made with AI.

From a magazine ad to streetcars back on the street

Fort Smith's last streetcar ran on November 15, 1933. Nearly half a century later, in 1979, the Fort Smith Historical Society set out to publish a history of the city's public rail transportation in its journal. Dr. Art Bradley Martin, Sr., a physician and community leader, was asked to research it, and he was hooked. Just before the article came out, word arrived that a real Fort Smith streetcar, Fort Smith Light & Traction #224, was advertised for sale in an antique journal.

A Streetcar Committee led by Dr. Martin formed through the Fort Smith Heritage Foundation and soon became its own nonprofit, the Fort Smith Streetcar Restoration Association. The publicity turned up two more car bodies in Mulberry, Arkansas, and the Alexander family gave the better one, #205, to the group. On June 21, 1979, #205 rode piggy-back on a flatbed through town to the old Fort Smith Light & Traction car barn, its Car Barn sign proudly showing. Car #224 followed from Shreveport, Louisiana.

Volunteers spent five years working in borrowed buildings, and #205 spent years on rubber tires selling ice cream at Riverfest to raise money. In 1985 the association built its own car barn at 100 South Fourth Street and opened the museum. After thousands of volunteer hours, #224 moved under its own power on Christmas Day 1990, and on May 19, 1991 it began carrying passengers under new 600-volt overhead wire. The line has been extended several times since, most recently in 2016, to its current length of about three-quarters of a mile.

A downtown trolley ride and a car barn full of projects

The ride is the centerpiece. Birney car 224, built in 1926, is the museum's everyday car, and Hot Springs Street Railway car 50, built in 1904 and returned to service in 2016 after 16 years of restoration, also runs. The line links the car barn on South 4th Street with Garrison Avenue, the Fort Smith Museum of History, the Fort Smith National Historic Site and the gates of the Fort Smith National Cemetery.

Back at the museum, the collection spans electric streetcars, passenger cars, freight cars, locomotives, speeders and motor buses. Look for Frisco 4003, a 1919 USRA Light Mikado steam locomotive, a 1942 Vulcan switcher from the Maumelle Ordnance Works and a 1953 Air Force GE 44-tonner, all on the National Register. Several more streetcars, including open Brill cars from Veracruz, Mexico and Little Rock Birneys, are in various stages of restoration, so there is usually something new in the shop.

Don’t miss

  1. Birney Safety Streetcar No. 224Built in 1926 for Fort Smith, bought back from Shreveport, and the car that reopened streetcar service in 1991. It is listed on the National Register.
  2. Hot Springs car 50A 1904 St. Louis Car Company double-truck streetcar that ran in Hot Springs until 1939 and returned to service in 2016.
  3. Frisco 4003A 1919 USRA Light Mikado steam locomotive donated in 1998 and listed on the National Register in 2004.
  4. Maumelle Ordnance Works Locomotive 1A 35-ton Vulcan gasoline-mechanical switcher from 1942, a wartime workhorse now on the National Register.
  5. Fort Smith bus No. 285One of the museum's vintage motor buses, it appeared in the 1988 movie Biloxi Blues.

A real trolley ride with a bell and a view

For little riders the streetcar is the whole show: open windows, the hum of the motor, the clang of the bell and a ride down Garrison Avenue and out to the National Cemetery gates. The ride is short enough for toddlers and easy to repeat, and the big steam locomotive and old buses make a good second stop.

The museum calls itself a unique educational experience, and school groups are a good fit. A wheelchair ramp was built at one stop on the line in 1997; ask the operator about boarding with a stroller.

Plan your visit: tips for Fort Smith Trolley Museum

  • Plan your visit for Friday, Saturday or Sunday afternoon; the museum is closed Monday to Thursday.
  • During operating hours you can reach the streetcar operator at (479) 719-7500.
  • Pair the ride with the Fort Smith Museum of History and Fort Smith National Historic Site, both on the line.
  • Pick up the Charles Winters history of Fort Smith's streetcars in the gift shop.

The Fort Smith Streetcar Restoration Association

The Fort Smith Streetcar Restoration Association, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, owns and runs the museum, and its volunteers have built track, strung wire and restored cars since 1979. The museum welcomes members and volunteers through its website, and a ride, a gift shop purchase or a donation all help the next streetcar get back on the rails.

More trains within a couple of hours of Fort Smith

Head about 58 miles north to the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad excursions in Springdale, or about 81 miles to the Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway. Across the Oklahoma line, the Frisco Depot Museum in Antlers is about 105 miles away. The full list is on our Arkansas train museums page.

Every train museum in Arkansas

Bring Rally along: a train book for the drive

Watercolor of a conductor in a blue suit shaking Rally's paw on the train
From Rally Takes the Train, watercolor by Leslie Dunn.

In our book, Mr. Conductor in his blue uniform holds out a hand to help Rally aboard, and I love that small kindness. On a streetcar like car 224, the operator is right there at the front, close enough to wave to. My kids are learning to read now, and the first words they sound out are often on signs like Car Barn. You can read how the book came to be on our story page.

Free for train families

Print the Rally coloring pages before you go

Watercolor coloring pages from the book, free to print. Tuck a few in a folder with crayons for the drive or the wait for the next train.

Get the free coloring pages
Rally Takes the Train book cover: a watercolor corgi peeking from a red train

A train story for the ride homeRally Takes the Train is a five-minute rhyming picture book about a corgi's first train trip to see his grand-paw-rents. Hand-painted in real watercolor. $13.99 on Amazon, for ages 0 to 8.

Buy on Amazon (opens in a new tab)

More for train families

Work or volunteer at Fort Smith Trolley Museum?

We want this page to be the best introduction to your museum on the web. Send new hours, event dates, corrections or photos to kelsey@rallytakesthetrain.com and we will update it. You are welcome to share this page with your members.

Sources

Everything on this page comes from the museum’s own website and social pages and, for history, Wikipedia, checked October 19, 2026.

Fort Smith Trolley Museum: 20 questions riders ask

What are the Fort Smith Trolley Museum hours?

As of October 2026, the museum and streetcar run Friday and Saturday from 10 am to 5 pm and Sunday from 1 pm to 5 pm. The museum is closed Monday through Thursday. Schedules can shift with weather and volunteer availability, so check fstrolley.org or call (479) 783-0205 before you go.

Where is the Fort Smith Trolley Museum?

The Fort Smith Trolley Museum is at 100 South 4th Street, Fort Smith, Arkansas 72901, in downtown Fort Smith on land once used by the railroads. The streetcar line runs from the car barn toward Garrison Avenue in one direction and out to the Fort Smith National Cemetery gates in the other.

Can you ride a trolley at the Fort Smith Trolley Museum?

Yes. Riding a restored electric streetcar is the main event. The museum's 1926 Birney car 224 carries passengers on a line of about three-quarters of a mile through downtown, and 1904 Hot Springs car 50 also runs. During operating hours you can reach the streetcar operator directly at (479) 719-7500.

How much does the Fort Smith Trolley Museum cost?

The museum does not post its fares or admission prices on its website. Call (479) 783-0205 or email info@fstrolley.org to ask about current prices for the streetcar ride and museum. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the museum also welcomes donations, which go toward restoring more streetcars.

Where does the Fort Smith trolley go?

The line runs about three-quarters of a mile, from Garrison Avenue past the car barn on South 4th Street and the Fort Smith Museum of History, by the Fort Smith National Historic Site, and out along 7th Street with a stop near the Fort Smith National Cemetery gates. It passes four sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

When did the Fort Smith Trolley Museum open?

The museum opened to the public in 1985, when the Fort Smith Streetcar Restoration Association built its car barn at 100 South Fourth Street. Streetcar service began on May 19, 1991, after car 224 first ran under its own power on Christmas Day 1990. The association itself formed in 1979.

What streetcars are at the Fort Smith Trolley Museum?

The operating cars are Fort Smith Birney 224 (1926) and Hot Springs car 50 (1904). The collection also includes Fort Smith car bodies 10, 205 and 221, a Kansas City Birney, two Little Rock Birneys being combined into one car, and two 1908 Brill open cars from Veracruz, Mexico, several of them under restoration.

Is there a steam locomotive at the Fort Smith Trolley Museum?

Yes. Frisco 4003, a USRA Light Mikado built in 1919, was donated to the museum in 1998 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004. It is on public display with the museum's other locomotives, including a 1942 Vulcan switcher and a 1953 Air Force GE 44-ton diesel.

Is the Fort Smith Trolley Museum the same as a Fort Smith railroad museum?

Yes, it is the city's railroad museum as well as a trolley museum. Besides streetcars, the collection includes steam and diesel locomotives, cabooses, passenger and freight cars, speeders and vintage buses. The Fort Smith Streetcar Restoration Association runs it all from the car barn at 100 South 4th Street.

Is the Fort Smith Trolley Museum good for toddlers?

It is one of the easier rail outings for very young kids. The streetcar ride is short, the operator rings the bell, and the view of downtown keeps little ones busy. Afterward, the big Frisco steam engine and old buses give toddlers something to point at. Afternoons Friday to Sunday are the times to go.

Is the Fort Smith trolley wheelchair accessible?

A wheelchair ramp was built at one stop on the line in 1997. Historic streetcars have steps, so call (479) 783-0205 or reach the operator at (479) 719-7500 during operating hours to ask where to board and what help is available. The same goes for strollers, which may need to be folded.

How long does a visit to the Fort Smith Trolley Museum take?

Plan on about an hour or two. That covers a round trip on the streetcar plus time to look at the locomotives, buses and restoration projects at the car barn. If you hop off to visit the Fort Smith Museum of History or the National Historic Site along the line, make it a half day.

Where can I see Fort Smith Trolley Museum photos?

The museum posts photos of its streetcars and restoration work on its Facebook page and Instagram account, and its website has a collection section sorted into electric streetcars, passenger cars, freight cars, locomotives, speeders and motor buses. For your own photos, the stretch along Garrison Avenue makes a good backdrop.

Does the Fort Smith Trolley Museum have a Facebook page?

Yes, the museum is on Facebook as Fort Smith Trolley Museum, and it is also on Instagram. Those pages are the quickest way to check for weather closures, special runs and restoration news. For direct questions, call (479) 783-0205 or email info@fstrolley.org.

What do Fort Smith Trolley Museum reviews mention?

Visitors usually talk about the ride itself on a restored 1926 streetcar, the friendly volunteer operators, and how much history fits on a short downtown line. Many also mention the steam locomotive and old buses at the car barn. The main planning point is that it opens only Friday to Sunday.

Which bus at the Fort Smith Trolley Museum was in a movie?

The original Fort Smith bus, No. 285, appeared in the 1988 movie Biloxi Blues. It is part of the museum's motor bus collection, which has included a 1939 Little Rock Twin Coach, a 1954 Fort Smith GM bus and a 1951 Oklahoma City GM bus. Ask a volunteer which buses are on view.

Can my group or school visit the Fort Smith Trolley Museum?

The museum describes its mission as providing an educational experience to the public, and groups are welcome during open hours. Group rates or weekday visits are not posted online, so call (479) 783-0205 or use the contact form on fstrolley.org to ask before you bring a class or bus.

Does the Fort Smith Trolley Museum have a gift shop?

Yes. The gift shop carries, among other items, the Charles Winters history of Fort Smith's streetcars, first published by the Fort Smith Historical Society in 1979 and later reprinted as a book. Purchases support the volunteer restoration work.

How can I volunteer at the Fort Smith Trolley Museum?

The museum invites volunteers and members through its website, and the whole operation, from track work to car restoration, has been built by volunteers since 1979. Call (479) 783-0205, email info@fstrolley.org or use the contact form to ask about volunteering, membership or donating to the next restoration.

What train attractions are near the Fort Smith Trolley Museum?

The Arkansas & Missouri Railroad excursions in Springdale are about 58 miles away, and the Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway about 81 miles. In Oklahoma, the Tulsa Route 66 Historical Village rail collection is about 102 miles and the Frisco Depot Museum in Antlers about 105 miles.

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Kelsey Cecil
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