Visitors to the Fort Smith Museum of History will get a chance to party like it's the early 20th century from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday as the museum hosts its annual end-of-summer Ice Cream Social.
Museum executive director Leisa Gramlich says the event has been celebrated for nearly 20 years now, marking the end of the museum's summer Sunday hours. The $5 admission fee will allow participants to explore the museum as well as enjoy all-you-can-eat ice cream sundaes made from Arkansas' own Yarnell Ice Cream Co. The museum's vintage soda fountain -- the tables and chairs and the soda fountain itself are from a pharmacy once located in Mountainburg -- lend an authentic air to the occasion.
FAQ
Ice Cream Social
WHEN — 2-4 p.m. Sunday
WHERE — Fort Smith Museum of History, 320 Rogers Ave.
COST — $5
INFO — 783-7841
"It really gives you an idea of how an old-fashioned soda fountain would have felt," says Gramlich.
Gramlich says the event is a perfect time for visitors to explore the many exhibits within this established museum.
"We've been in continuous operation since 1910, so we're one of the oldest museums in the state," says Gramlich. "We feature the history of the city from its beginning as a military fort in 1817 to the present day. You can learn about the people, businesses, and events that made Fort Smith what it is today."
Along with the museum's permanent exhibits, Gramlich says a recently opened student-curated exhibit -- researched and created by eight high school students -- is well worth exploring.
"They did a great job," says Gramlich. The students focused on the history of three neighborhoods in the city: Belle Grove, Fishback and Chaffee. "They were learning things you might not learn in school, little history facts -- they uncovered some really great stories."
Gramlich says that, for a special treat during the ice cream social, the museum will be broadcasting music from the appropriate eras from its Radio and Television exhibit.
"A transmitter from the 1950s or 1960s was donated, and our volunteer retired engineers and broadcasters were able to fix it so that it can broadcast at a very low level, within the building," says Gramlich.
-- Lara Hightower
NAN What's Up on 09/01/2017