FORT SMITH, Ark. — The Fort Smith Visitors Center will be moving to a new location after 32 years inside the building formerly known as Miss Laura’s Social Club.
Ashleigh Bachert, executive director of the Fort Smith Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), said the center will now be located in the old Area Agency on Aging building on 524 Garrison Ave.
"It's a whole lot easier to attract people," Bachert said. "We can actually direct people into restaurants and into shopping and direct them into the Chamber of Commerce, or 64.6, or talk to them about the city. We just have better access to everybody that we're already promoting and doing work with, which I think is super important."
In addition, Bachert said the more centralized location will be ADA compliant and will be a neutral site to those who may have felt uncomfortable bringing their children into Miss Laura’s.
"Sometimes not every family wants to bring toddlers and younger kids in to experience that story, and we want to be very cognizant and aware of that," Bachert said.
The building, once a former brothel and social club in the early 1900s, is now a historical landmark in the city. Tours are held in the building while the visitors center employees work upstairs.
"Having people come and tour the house while we're in the middle of business calls, or we have clients that are coming in to visit, has just made it a little bit tough, and ultimately one of many reasons why we're moving out of the building," Bachert said.
Bachert said she hopes the added space will open up more resources to continue telling the story of the historical building and those who worked there. She added that from day one, Miss Laura’s has been an attraction, and wants it to continue to be a destination for people to visit.
"We've got four offices up there that can actually be turned back into curated spaces," Bachert said. "Being able to add to actually give people the experience of what it would have been like from a settings perspective."
Bachert said delving deeper into the food, clothes, music, and art that was prevalent at the time could make the space more engaging. Most importantly, she hopes the stories of the women who worked in the building in the 1900s are conveyed to visitors.
"I want to make sure that we're giving them the respect they deserve," Bachert said. "And we're telling that story in a way that showcases, ‘Hey, you may not agree with their choices, but at the end of the day, they were in control of their lives.’ What they're doing or what they did still plays a role in what we do as a community and how we are as a society."
Bachert said construction is still being completed on the new building and hopes to move in by August 2024.
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