Miss Laura's Brothel Museum Reviews

We went to Miss Laura's first thing when we got to FT Smith and were greeted by a very friendly gentlemen who was very knowledgeable about the history of not only the house but of the town. He pointed us to several things to do in FT Smith and he did not steer us wrong. This should be your first stop when going to FT Smith

Stopped by before going to other historic places, it is sit up nice and with furnishings from period. Staff read information from a typed page about the house and owners. One thing that I thought was strange was that you could look around by yourself, staff had to go with you, they told little snippets about each room but it was like they did not trust you to look around. I was just surprised that it was set up this way but it is still worth the stop and check in, outside is nice for pictures and within walking distance to other points/things to see. It is a good start for the area to know some background of Ft. Smith
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The Fort Smith city visitors center is a great place to start a tour of the city. The tour literally starts in the center itself, which was a former bordello. Known as "MIss Laura's," it was a legal bordello, until the city outlawed it in 1924. Today they give tours of this. It's interesting to hear the tours, especially if children are along. Explaining to them what a bordello is can be fun. They even give the female visitors a copy of the "clean bill of health" that the health department required of the bordello "employees," back when it was operational.

All in all, its great fun.

After read the reviews I was expected get a great tour but instead was disappointment to know that nothing of what is there is original, they do not even have a picture of Miss Laura and the photos that have hanging don't even know who they are. The tour took about 15 minutes and we were not even allowed to go up to the second floor. The only good thing was that the woman was friendly but ...… judge it yourself!

So me and my husband wanted to go to the visitors center in fort smith and it's not what you think it's a visitor center yes but little did we know it's also a cat house if you know what I mean just google it before you go .... Also it's not a place to take young child just a heads up... The lady that took us on a tour of the house was a little to friendly with my husband just a heads up ladies... All and all it was not a bad place at all just not for kids at all

Our guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. The tour was free and well worth our time. Beautifully restored house.

Miss Laura's is now the Tourist Information Center for Fort Smith, as well as a sort of museum. The volunteers who welcome you are very friendly and glad to give a tour of the house, which has been restored. It is an interesting tour. Note the restrooms which feature old fashioned facilities you won't find many other places. They do sell gift items, such as postcards, tote bags, and glassware. I sometimes do a bit of Christmas shopping here, and make it a point to bring visitors from out of town for the tour.

My hubby and I took my parents to an "actual" bordello in Ft. Smith, Arkansas! It is the only bordello on the historical register. The building has been refurbished but the artifacts and furniture are original. Our tour guide was very personable and informative and we really enjoyed the tour. This is a "must see" if you go to Ft. Smith anytime! We will go again!

This old bordello is Ft. Smith's official Visitor Center. I wouldn't want to take kids on the tour or discuss the history of the house with them, but it was fun for my husband and me. If you have kids, I think you could go in and pick up brochures without exposing them to anything offensive (unless they are old enough to read and catch on). Our volunteer tour guide was tastefully fun and very well informed on the history of the house and its owners. The decor is Victorian and there is some beautiful furniture and stained-glass windows.

We stopped in here for a quick tour and we were treated to an amazing history lesson. We had a wonderful tour guide named Virginia. She gave us such a vivid description of the house and the people that lived there that it was easy to imagine the house on a busy night. She also directed us to other places to visit and was very informative.

There's no longer a restaurant, but this is a marvelous treat to visit. Thanks Mildred for a wonderful tour!

We were not sure what to expect, but I am very glad we went. Emma was our tour guide and she had a passion and wealth of information. Subject may not be appropriate for children, but it was very informative and gave the history of brothels in Ft Smith and probably other areas also. The home and furnishings were beautiful.

Seems everyone knows about Miss Laura's Social Club, my wife remembers it from her childhood when it was a restaurant but her mom remembers it as something else. I will forever remember it as a charming welcome center with a rich history and a charming staff. There are several brochures for the traveler looking for tourist attractions in and around Ft. Smith but the real value is in the guided tour. The visit is free but as with all attractions of this nature, donations are highly encouraged. I recommend it as the 1st stop for any travel that takes you to this city.

Very fun and informative about the lifestyles of the not so rich and famous. LOL. This is the visitor's center for Fort Smith and it is housed in a former brothel owned by Miss Laura. The tour guide gives a wonderful tour full of information of the past, etc. This is the last remaining building that was a brothel in the city that did once have 7 brothels in a row. Really interesting. A must if you visit the area!

An absolutely beautiful restoration of this 1898 Victorian brothel, once part of The Row - a group of city-regulated houses of ill repute.
The house is now filled with period furniture, accessories and clothing - all arranged to appear as though one of the working girls has just stepped out of the room. Our tour guide was superb - informative, knowledgeable and able to answer every question.

This is the only brothel on the national historic registry. The volunteers are well informed and very nice. Most furnishings etc are still here. Loved this little known museum.

Gorgeous old bordello. Tours with wonderfully friendly employees. The stained glass windows were impressive. One of them is an original. We went to get ideas of things to do in the area and stayed to explore the house.

WONDERFUL! I just stopped in to get some brochures and had the pleasure to meet Emma. She is FANTASTIC! I was in a hurry that day, so I could not take the tour, but I spent 20 minutes listening to an abbreviated presentation that she was kind enough to give me.

She told me all about the history of the building and presented it in a fact-filled, professional and insightful way. She was dressed in "time period" clothing and was extremely knowledgeable and so very friendly!

I can't wait until I can go back to Ft. Smith and revisit Miss Laura's and take the full tour. I really hope that I'll be lucky to have Emma there because I can't tell you how delightful she is!

Not your typical visitor center! Miss Laura made this stop! I can't rave enough about all Miss Laura did to make our day trip to a Fort Smith a complete success. I will definitely take my group back for another trip.

Stumbled upon this little gem when exploring the downtown Fort Smith area and the National Park. So glad we found it. Incredibly interesting, beautiful architecture and lots of historical artifacts. Do take time to visit!

I have been traveling for four months across the country and down the eastern seaboard and never once have I gone in a visitor 's center, usually attractions and hotels have fliers of what to see. plus I go on trip advisor. So when I was at Fort Smith one of the volunteers said you have to go to the visitor center and I said no I don't do that he said well do you want to see a brothel and he told me to come here. It is awesome everyone needs to stop here.
The ladies are friendly and very knowledgeable

The only bordello on the National Register of Historical places. Very interesting building and history that is now the visitors center. Tours are available and can be completed in a very short period of time. There are no admission fees and there is a lot of information for other historical sites in Fort Smith. The building has been tastefully restored to resemble the time period and furnishings from 1898 when it operated as a popular legalized bordello. We enjoyed the tour and our guide did an excellent job. In addition, Miss Laura's is also within walking distance of many other historical sites (the hanging judge gallows, the fort, etc.), museums and resteraunts so this is a great area to visit.

We stopped to get restaurant referrals & directions. We were visiting from Oklahoma. The lady working there were very helpful and gave us some brochures and lets us select some, as well. We did not stay for the tour, but will someday go back. Very interesting house. A must see for all!

The Bordello has an interesting history. Now used as a visitor center. Our group of travel leaders enjoyed the show on the history of the hotel The pie was the best of the trip.

The furnishings, rooms and the whole house is simply amazing. Got a personal tour from a wonderful lady who was very good and related many stories about the house and it's occupants. The wallpaper and carpet is amazing. I highly recommend a visit here. Their slogan "Our brothel still takes care of visitors " Enjoy!

This was one of my favorites in Ft. Smith. The ladies that led the tours were knowledgeable and hilarious. Lots of well preserved artifacts from the house and many colorful stories. This tour is completely free. Absolutely amazing!

This was a great little stop! It's really neat to step back in time with all the retro furnishings and we had a personal tour from an really enthusiastic and highly knowledgeable guide. It's free to stop by, a fun short visit to a brothel;)

This is my second visit to Miss Laura's and it was a delightful experience once again. We got there just before they opened and were joined by another couple when they unlocked the door. Previously, the museum was also home to the Fort Smith Visitor Center, but we were informed that they were in the process of moving to their own location. At this time, the tours are still free, but they are doing some renovations and once complete, they will be a for a fee museum. Even if there is a charge, I think the museum is well worth it. They share information about the brothel and the surrounding areas in the tour. The upstairs rooms are being turned into snapshots of the different eras that the brothel was open (both as a house of ill repute and a restaurant). It is a fascinating place and I definitely recommend.

We enjoyed our visit to Mise Lauras. Our docent was amazing and we really enjoyed talking with her. House is beautiful. I would recommend that you stop by and see for yourself.

Excellent orientation to the history of area. Beautiful house with a unique history. Highly recommend stopping here first.

Thanks to our sweet guide who met us at the door, we learned a lot! Frankly, my first visit to a brothel, and I highly recommend a visit. Be sure to take advantage of the friendly volunteer tour guides. Ours was fabulous.

I thought it was funny that my wife of 30 plus years was embarrassed to tell her mother that we visited a brothel - even though these days the place houses the local convention and visitor’s bureau. Rather than STD’s, today you can pick up brochures of attractions in Fort Smith and elsewhere in Arkansas, and they’ll give you a tour of the place, which is basically a museum. Back at the turn of the century, this was one of a row of bordellos in a red light district along Front Street. Now the only one of those buildings still standing, this place opened in 1903 after Laura Zeigler (“Miss Laura”) took out a bank loan for what was then a perfectly legal business. Business was so good, she paid off the loan in 17 months and sold the place by 1911! One of my favorite stories was of a fire in January 1910 that burned down many of the other houses of ill repute, but spared this structure. Because this incident drove many scantily clad ladies and their customers into the street, that event is now referred to as “the night of the lingerie parade,” and there is an artist’s rendition of that event in the lobby of Miss Laura’s. After being abandoned for many years, the building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, was restored beginning in 1983, and for a while housed a restaurant. Anyway, we enjoyed the nice Victorian furnishings, history, and stories.

Don;t miss the opportunity to visit legally a pleasure palace of Fort Smith's history. This is well done and professionally staffed by thoughtful volunteers. Free, but worthy of a donation if you feel the urge to perpetuate the experience.

Our guide was very energetic and took time to answer questions and give us all the history she knew. Our group was very pleased with the tour.

I took a friend of mine here for the first time as she was very interested in seeing this historic site and had never heard of it. We arrived on a Sunday 1 hr before they closed. Upon entering we were greeted well enough and shown around by an elderly volunteer who it seemed clear was trying to rush us out as quickly as possible. She told us that we, two adults, are not allowed to walk around on our own for "safety" issues. When the "tour" ended the volunteer was more aggressively trying to shoo us out but my friend wanted to take some photos of her visit. The volunteer woman fetched another volunteer who seemed even more disinterested in helping us and seemed labored in having to supervise two adults who were just taking photos.

Most of the furniture are replica and recreation, very few things are original and as this is just a "visitor center" the pamphlet, maps, and info offered here can be found at the National Historic Center and Fort Smith Museum just a few streets away. Anywhere else really.

Interesting building but not much else to offer and the staff running the place clearly need to be reconsidered.

There's also a donation box, don't bother.

Our group of Okies spent one day in Fort Smith on a fun tour and started out at Miss Laura's Social Club. Enjoyed it very much. We got a thorough tour of the one-time bordello and it was decked out so well you could believe it was still in business when the tourists left. The docents thoroughly knew the place, its history and past owners and even with our limited time we got a first class tour. A great start to any tour of Fort Smith.

I came here a few times and my guests were impressed on how preserved it was, the tour guides are all volunteers and all seem to know it's history. I never get tired of going there and bringing a guest. It went through some rough times but was restored back. It is the only bordello still standing.

this place was very cool, it is worth the stop. the employee was very very nice and very helpful. the house was a lot bigger then it looks and the way they have it set up

This original "Gentleman's House" now serving as the official welcome centre is a true gem. The "working ladies" provided indepth and first rate background on Miss Laura's past history and did this with humour and style.

They also gave us plenty of good advice on what else to see and do in this very historic city.

Make sure that Miss Laura'sis your first stop

Well, the history of this place is very interesting. It’s free to visit, and we found the tour to be short but extremely informative. Our tour guide was able to answer every question and was overall very pleasant. If you like history or beautiful historic buildings, visit Miss Laura’s.

An extremely interesting 70 minute tour (because of all our questions). We arrived at 3:45 PM just 15 min. before they closed. They gave us a short tour (Got us interested). We came back the next AM, had a longer tour of Miss Laura's. The pictures, stained glass windows, the antiques AND above all the personalized tour was most enjoyable!! It is a shame there was not a lot of the original furniture but everything was time & age appropriate, which made it fitting! Buy a favor token :)!?.

This was a very informative tour of history at a Brothel. The tours are at the top of every hour. Our tour guide was a young lady that used the correct verbiage to explain the history of this building. The furnishing are of the era and there is several articles and photos of the past. This is a stop you have to make if in Fort Smith.

On a recent cross-country roadtrip (which included stops at lots of "odd" attractions), we detoured off I-40 expressly to visit Miss Laura's Social Club, now the home of the Ft. Smith Visitor's Center. What we found was an excellent 45-minute tour of a beautifully restored house from the turn-of-the-20th century. It's no wonder that this house is included on the National Register of Historic Places. Our tour guide, Alice, obviously has a affection for this house and the history surrounding it which she well imparted to us on the tour. We loved hearing some of the stories surrounding the house as we toured both the lower "public" rooms and the upper "private" rooms. This was a gem of a building and a gem of a tour. I wish we had had more time to spend in Ft. Smith because it looked like there were many other interesting historical sites worth a stop.

Get a guided tour of a brothel. The guide told us funny stories, interesting facts and tidbits. The brothel is 2 stories and there is no elevator. There is ornate millwork and furnishings. Since this is a visitors center, there is information on local attractions and restaurants.

We arrived in Fort Smith late in the afternoon and decided to go to the visitor center. We walked in expecting to get information on Fort Smith and instead found ourselves being lead on a tour of this once red district house! The tour was very reveling and interesting to say the least. You can get the info you want on Fort Smith after the tour. It's free and well worth your time but unlike any visitor center we had ever been too.

Miss Laura's Social Club, a former bordello, is now the welcome center in Fort Smith. It is a Victorian home that was moved to its current location near the river and restored to tell a bit of the history of Arkansas, and Fort Smith in particular. A guide greets you as you enter and takes you through the entire building creating a picture of the the working and leisure life of ladies of the evening in the 18 and 19's in Fort Smith. When the house was moved, a treasure trove of items were discovered in the basement. Many of them are on display, including photos of some of the women that worked there.

We made our first visit to Fort Smith this weekend, and just had to stop at Miss Laura's to get our bearings. We're so glad we did! It's in a beautifully restored former brothel, with artifacts and furnishings from 1900-1910. Many of the lovely stain glass windows were put in in the 1980's but look original (I believe one or two were original to the house). Our guide was knowledgeable and funny, and I would not have any trouble bringing a child here-they are discreet. Upstairs is a restored bedroom and a room of period dresses from the era. Besides the house itself, the guides know the city and there is a good selection of brochures.

The volunteer guide was absolutely fabulous - informative, considerate, very knowledgeable. A must for everyone to see.

We thoroughly enjoyed the history of miss Laura's and our guide was very informative. Thanks so much!!

Lots of history from the early 1900s, Last standing bordello on the once called Redlight District and restored to look like the old days. Located between the railroad and the Arkansas River. A must to have the Madame Miss Laura give the tour in costume.

Miss Laura's Social Club is the Fort Smith Visitor Center and a original bordelo, it sits down by the Arkansas River and by the railroad tracks, it has parlor's and the upstairs are the rooms of the Ladies of the Evening, each room has a "Ladies" name above the door. The Hospitality Commitee will greet you in a friendly manner and have a wealth of information about Miss Laura's and Fort Smith.

Talking to Emily the docent as soon as interesting. The house itself was very cool along with the history but really getting more info from the docent regarding recommendations to other historic sites if you have a limited schedule was so helpful. Would definitely recommend a stop here

We are glad we stopped here. We were met by a lady who walked us around and gave us a personal tour of this house and all the history behind it. She was so friendly and full of knowledge (So sorry I forgot her name) It takes about 30 minutes to walk through but beautiful kept and very interesting part of our history.

Miss Laura's was a brothel among a string of other houses of ill repute. It is an interesting part of the history of Ft. Smith as a Fort and bordering Indian territory, and the Hanging Judge of the downtown Museum and other historic landmarks.

The staff at times are very friendly but one must remember that some of them are older volunteers and some of them need to learn customer service skills. The day my family and I had visited the lady was rude but she may have had a bad day is what I thought. I try to look at everything in a positive manner instead of negative things.

We were on a bus trip, on our way to Memphis. We stopped at Miss Laura's on the way through town. It doubles as an attraction and the Arkansas Visitors Center.
The volunteers that work there were well versed in the history of the house. The "Madam" explained the history of the house from the late 1800's to it's demise in the early 1900's.
We were able to look at authentic period furniture and were explained the history of the house. it was an interesting stop on the road.

The only brothel on the National Register of historic sites! The docents very knowledgeable and gave a wonderful history tour. Gorgeous old house, lots of antiques and lots and lots of history. Definitely so worth the trip!

We arrived shortly before they were closing, however the tour guide gave us a quick tour. If I’m going through the area again, I’d go to get more info and look at the pictures/items more.

we thought the tour was very interesting, and the guides were very knowledgeable. also, there were plenty of brochures available there for other sights in the area.

Miss Laura, in full costume, gave fun and informative tour of brothel that is listed on National Register of Historic Places. Also enjoyed a catered meln in the evening with a short show to end the evening. Exiting to bus, we encountered another group of men and women re-enacting scenes from the wild west era.

We were greeted by a lady who happened to be from close to our home area and hit things off well from the time we walked in the door. This is a very old building that has a tremendous amount of history and the staff is very knowledgeable about its past. Very fun stop and would highly recommend it to anyone visiting the area for the first time as we were!

The volunteers were so polite and really liked sharing the history!A great place to stop to get the scoop!

If Philadelphia is the city of Brotherly Love, then Fort Smith is the City of Brothely Love. Everyone should visit Miss Laura's Visitor Center just across the street form the Fort Smith Historical center. Not only can you get brochures covering all of the city, you can tour both down stairs and up stairs for free with a knowledgable volunteer tour guide. Their is a donation jar in the main hallway. Parking is available right next to the building. Photography is allowed inside, but no flashing, which seems strange inside a brothel.

Restore house is used a visitor's center but was a brothel. Tours are given about the history of the time. Gives a different perspective into the history of the area. Not your usual place to visit. tour is free, but donations are requested.

Too bad that it had been burned, and that they didn't restore the kitchen area back to what it had looked like when it was a bordello. Nice little old lady tour guide, but not much to see any more. What was there was interesting, but not worth a long drive to see.

Theresa and Angel who gave us a free guided tour as their knowledge was vast and sharing was enthusiastic and passionate, not mechanical as some tour guides we have experienced other places.

Unique (you probably have not been to one of these before)

Free - (donations requested, but not demanded)

Super well read and knowledgeable staff on the history of the house and the “oldest profession” share in a 20ish minute tour that is given by people sincerely interested.

Miss Laura’s also serves as the Visitor’s Center for Fort Smith and so has many maps, brochures, booklets free for the taking.

Even the landscaping, maintained by area master gardeners, looks very nice.

Definitely worth making time; the only downside is the limited hours. Closes at 4pm.

We stopped at Miss Laura's before we visited any other sites. This piece if history is beautifully restored. Evelyn was our guide, and she was great! The building is just gorgeous. Everything is so well preserved. I couldn't believe the carpets are original! My girls (6-12) loved the pull-chain toilets. We spent about 45 minutes here- I could have spent longer if I were by myself.

We loved our visit here! Great tour guide and beautiful place! Also gave you a sense of what it was like ‘back in the day’, and very close to the Fort Smith Historical Site, you can even walk there from the trail.

Miss Laura's is a real treat. The "working ladies" are very knowledgeable about the pass and present of Fort Smith. Our group shared many laughs as "Miss Laura" guided our tour. The house has been restored and is a great museum of an interesting era. It is also the city's tour center, so it is the perfect first stop to get information on Fort Smith.

It was my first time to be inside a bordello, and I was awed by how beautiful it was.
The intricate restorations that were done after the tornado hit it and tore off part of the roof and subsequently caused wind and water damage were amazing. The stained glass was fabulous as were all of the original paintings.
We were lucky enough go on a day when the modern day Miss Laura was on premises and in period dress to give us a guided tour and offer ideas on further things to see in Fort Smith. It was great!!

We were a little concerned about taking our 8 year old grand daughter on a tour of a brothel, but our tour guide was discreet and thoughtful, and she was an excellent tour guide. We went away with a great sense of the restoration efforts and work involved in preserving a darker side of Arkansas history. An interesting fact; although outlawed in the mid-1920s, prostitution continued at Miss Laura's until 1948!

If you can, make this your first stop in Ft. Smith, Arkansas. It is within walking distance of Ft. Smith, Ft. Smith Museum, and the Clayton House. Not only do you get to learn about the history of the home, but you can also find information about other wonderful sites in the area. The staff is wonderful and knowledgeable.

My sister and I were really just stopping in to get information on where the national cemetery was located. I'm glad we stopped by. It was fun and entertaining to learn about the brothel. The tour only took about 15 minutes so if you are in the neighborhood, stop by! You'll be glad you did. It's free but you can make a donation if you wish. Our tour guide was awesome....I wish I remembered her name.

This was a very interesting tour. If you love old Victorian decor, this is a beautiful old house from the 1800's. Both ladies that are volunteers there were very friendly and took time to answer any questions.

Very interesting history. The docents were very helpful on not only the history of the City, but current events and loc.

A great visitor's center just full of history! As other reviewers have mentioned, the volunteers who greet you are so enthused and happy to do what they can to make you enjoy the visit! The house is in great shape and the tour is extremely impressive. There is also lots of information on what to do in the area--but the house itself is the star of the show. It is a "must see" attraction.

Miss Laura's Visitors Center is a good place to begin your visit to Fort Smith, AR. We were greeted by a charming hostess, who gave us a tour of the building and a little back ground history about the old downtown area. It's a neat piece of history. You can pick up brochures and get information about attractions in Fort Smith while you are there.

This historic building was our starting point for our visit to Fort Smith and it is the only Bordello on the National Historic Registry. We got there right as they opened and were greeted by a volunteer and then given a guided tour through the building. The history was truly fascinating and it was amazing to learn about the fire and tornado that the building survived. The health certificate that was required for the girls seemed like quite the racket that the city was running while prostitution was legal. The building also houses numerous brochures for attractions in the area. Great place to start I visit.

Really enjoyed this place. Loved the lady who toured us through the house. She really made it a pleasant experience. Still love those top loading toilets...

This place was super interesting and fun. The tour guide was nice and very knowledgeable. We had our 9 year old with us but they worded everything in a way that it gave you lots of historical information, but didn't leave your child asking uncomfortable questions LOL. The place is just beautiful too. Love it ! A must stop if you love off beat history! Too bad they lost thier ghosts when they moved the building ;)

Only house of ill-repute in Fort Smith on the National Historic Register. Beautiful Victorian house. Get a tour guide to learn to learn all the history. A must see.

We went to tour this Old West Town and found this surprise. What a wonderful and fun historic mansion to tour. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable. We traveled from Oklahoma on a beautiful fall day, through Sequoyah county for a beautiful view of the trees. Lots to see in Ft Smith and lots of places to grab a meal.

We stopped here first on the recommendation of a Trolley driver in Little Rock who was from Fort Smith. Very interesting piece of history which was very well presented by our volunteer guide.
The building is amazingly restored with many interesting details. Listening to the history of the building and the area was a fun way to spend an hour. Highly recommended point of interest.

We didn't realise at first that Miss Laura's was the Visitor Center and drove right past it to the new building and park on the river. Fortunately we got it right after a stroll around the park. What an enthusiastic and knowledgeable group of volunteers to bring history to life in such an engaging way! We were captivated, made our day.

Wonderful visitor's center just a short walk from Fort Smith. Beautifully restored building with a very interesting past. Exceptional guide with a wealth of history. A must see when in Fort Smith.

Great experience and learning about the past history of Fort Smith and the business services. The house is well maintained and beautiful.

Perfect for “Hell on the Border” that is Ft. Smith. The history of this place is interesting and the tour was fantastic. Our guide was very knowledgeable and funny. Stop by if you’re in the area to see this gem!

Hello hello.
The place is poorly signposted to get there, but I really liked the concept of a visiting center completely different from those found everywhere today.
This place was a brothel and they tell me that there are two sides, the people who still want this place and others who want to throw it away because of its history and build something else.
My particular opinion is that they should NOT destroy this site since it is part of history. This brothel is completely unique and very well preserved. Lots of very truthful information to continue the trip in Arkansas

My husband and I showed up at Ms. Laura's on a Wednesday afternoon without calling first. When we walked in the door, we were immediately greeted and introduced to our personal guide. He took us through the building entertaining us with historical facts and stories of the building and it's occupants. He clearly loves Ft. Smith history. The entire tour lasted about 45 minutes. We then received pamphlets and info on other area attractions. Overall it was a great experience. Not sure if I would take my young kids, but when they get to the teenage years I imagine it would be pretty funny.

If this place wasn't a historical place we never would have entered.
This building was built in 1907 and since then survived floods, an exploded train car fire and other disasters. It was the finest bordello and most expensive in town. It is the only one of seven that are left. We were told it was moved and restored after a flood damaged it in 1942.
Miss Laura Ziegler opened the bordello in 1904 and ran it until 1911 and sold it. She strangely disappeared and never was heard from again.
The building was damaged in a 1942 flood, was moved in its entirety to its present location and restored. The building was restored and re-opened again in 1863.
The architecture and rooms are unique and fascinating. Furniture and articles of its time are displayed.
In 1992 it reopened as a visitor center. This is an adult experience that for some is worthwhile.
It was for us, we enjoyed it very much.

Our tour guide was wonderful! She was dressed in costume which made it all the more fun. The house was breathtaking. And to make it fun we all got a certificate of good health so we could "work" for a month, lol. It was fun, interesting, and just all around eye opening. Would go back again.

I ask my wife if she had even been to a Bordello before? she said "no" so I surprised her. We kinda wondered it it was open or even where to go in. You Park in the side lot and go in from the door in back. Such a nice free treat, donations accepted, and we gladly gave. Tour guide was wonderful.. Fun and interesting place so neat that they saved the old building it is a treasure. And the stories they told. WOW! Thank you!! Great place to visit!!!!!

We loved this stop on our trip. I had been here many years ago (in fact, when I married in 1985, I had my wedding reception here - this was when it was a restaurant). Relocating the Convention & Visitors Bureau offices here was a brilliant idea! Kudos to the city officials for this. The historic building is in wonderful condition and is lovingly cared for, and the docent on duty that day gave us a delightful tour. He was so knowledgeable and it's obvious he loves telling the stories of the Miss Laura, Big Bertha, Pearl Starr and the brothel district. You MUST pick up a T-shirt (if you collect shirts like I do) - the saying on the back is priceless. Lots of wonderful information available to for other attractions in the state as well as in town. Great job, Fort Smith CVB! You do indeed serve visitors and you do it quite nicely, I might add.

Come visit what used to be an upscale brothel. As the guides will tell you, the ladies always kept their clothes on unless they were in the bedroom. See a tour of a furnished house, and learn how the brothel used to function, both before prostitution was illegal and after. This is free to visit, and definitely fun to learn about, so no harm in stopping by! Only complaint is that although it's a visitor's center, and they did have a ton of menus for us to browse through of local eateries, our guide couldn't recommend a single restaurant! That's why we go to visitor's centers- to get recommendations! :/ But the history of the building itself is very nice.

If you're in Fort Smith don't miss this one great place to go even the older kids liked it and the young adults lots of information I can tell you all about this place and the places around the total history of Fort Smith great place to go to start your day in Fort Smith will definitely be back

It’s a great historic home with free staff lead tours. There are lots of brochures for other things in the region and the staff probably does a great job at helping w tourism… they were both leading tours at the time. They play up the ‘former brothel’ theme and it’s a unique place to see a jewel of a house!

Surprised by how interesting this tour was. Thank you to our extremely well informed guide. And then great additional info on more to see and doin the area.

This was a great little place. Interesting history and decorated in period. Tour guide was knowledgeable. Glad they saved this place.

Have you ever wondered what an early 20th century brothel looked like??? Miss Laura's visitor center is housed in a restored brothel. Our guide was great. I wish I remembered his name (though he is in the picture I've posted here), he is a retired English teacher. His interpretation of the site made it come alive! What a great look into what was going on at the riverfront up till the mid 1920's. A neat free attraction (donations accepted of course). Tourist information is available as well. We walked here form the NPS Fort at Fort Smith and I would encourage others to do the same to take in the Trail of Tears display as well as the scenery.

Great bit of history. The tour guide was not there when we were.... will try to come back when the guide can be there

Great tour, the ladies here gave an awesome tour as a little get away from our conference. Enjoyed all the history that I learned here.

We were traveling through the state and stopped here for the free tour. It is interesting that it's the only bordello on the register of historic places! They give you a tour telling you about that time in history and what it was like. There are a few original furnishings and the rest donated. Nice helpful staff. They do accept donations.

We were traveling with a motor coach tour and "Miss Laura's Social Club" / Visitors Center was our first stop in Fort Smith. We were cordially greeted by "Miss Laura" (Carolyn Joyce). She gave us a tour of the Bawdy House and an overview of the Fort Smith area and it's history. While attending several of the local attractions she proved to be a fantastic asset during our stay in Fort Smith.

We stopped in on a whim and we're glad we did. The guide not only provided insight to The House, but the history of Fort Smith. Great guide and well worth the time!

This place was recommended as a must see, so we decided to check it out. It was very informative. Awesome building. If you like the old type of architecture, you may enjoy this.

Very helpful tour guide. Expected more visitor information; however house will change to museum when NEW visitor center opens. Only toured 1st floor.

Stopped in for information knowing it was an historic bordello. It was unexpected that we would be greeted at the door and given a tour of a beautifully restored building with an inteteresting history. Worth a stop if in the area.

When this was first announced years ago, everyone in Fort Smith, AR was stunned. There were mixed emotions about taking Miss Laura's "Bawdy House" (a house of ill repute) and turning it into our Welcome Center. But, it stuck, and now, it's the only one on the historical register! That's something to be proud of in Fort Smith. My Father was a local painter, and he showed his works there one year when local artists were displaying their talent. It's a fun place to see, and visit! So, if you're in Fort Smith, or Just passing through, stop by Miss Laura's, and you'll be able to tell your families and friends that you "stopped to take part in a "bawdy house"! You'll get lots of stunned expressions. I mean...how often can you actually SAY that, and get their goats!

My husband and I weren’t really sure what to do in Fort Smith, so we decided to start by visiting Miss Laura’s house since it is also the Fort Smith visitor’s center. We were greeted at the door by a very nice tour guide that took us on a free tour of the old Victorian home, and told us several interesting stories about old Fort Smith. Upon the conclusion of the tour, she also had suggestions for things we could do around the town during the day. The stop took less than an hour, but was a great start to our day in Fort Smith.

Ms. Laura's is now a museum and visitor's center for Fort Smith. But at one time, it was a bordello. Quite a fascinating history. Operated as a house of ill repute from the late 1890s to about 1940. It has been completely restored and it fun to tour. The guides are super nice and very happy to show you around. A must visit if you are in Fort Smith.

If you are ever in Ft Smith, Arkansas, you need to go to Miss Laura's. It is now used as the Welcome Center but it has also been restored to the beautiful building it once was and there are displays showing how it looked when it was a brothel. The volunteers who were there when we were, knew the history of the building as well as it's colorful owners. They were also able to answer questions about other parts of Ft Smith and the history of those places and recommend places to visit and to eat.

What a great idea to make a former bordello the visitors center! You get a tour and information about Ft. Smith. Places like this were part of the West, even at the turn of the (last) century. Enjoyed the Victorian rooms.

If you are in Fort Smith area, Miss Laura's Social Club should definitely be on your list! It is free to enter, they do except donations. A lot of historic objects. The tour of the building is free and fun! Would recommend to anyone!

This was the most fascinating learning experience. Besides he history of this Bordello, I was introduced to the history of the region and some significant people that helped shape the culture here. This was a fun and interesting experience!

I took a blind date there for our first meeting and later we strolled along the park nearby at the river. It was a very memorable 1st date and the perfect ice breaker.
Rich in history and a "must see" when traveling through the Fort.

We spent an hour with Ms Gayla at the only brothel on the Historic Registry of whores. Very fun and interesting history.

Very charming guides that tell you the history of Miss Laura's. The woodwork is beautiful through out the home. We went on the weekend so a lot of the rooms upstairs were closed. Interesting stop to see.

I loved this place and it was free one of the best tours ever, but it is listed as visitor center, so was not sure if I was suppose to tip. After you have seen all the plantations, forts, castles, cathedrals and ruins that you can stand and wonder what else you can see, this is it. A house that was built as a brothel, perfectly restored, with wonderful tour guides, so informative and funny about such an important part of our history that we here about but was not saved. The house is here, the history is here but these women who were part of it are lost forever and to see house with the different rooms where they lived, entertained was fascinating to me. Although a house of ill-repute, maybe not interesting to small children, but appropriate for all ages, so well done. Tour is about 20 to 30 minutes, but it is a visitor center the people working there are very good at giving other information, like they suggested the Five and Dime Diner or Patricks Burgers (same place) which I loved. Do not miss this place, you can travel to a lot places and not get to see this anywhere else. It made the fort a let down can not believe this is not at the top of tripadvisors list.

Very neat tour of brothel/bordello. Lots of items from the period. Nicely decorated and renovated. Tour host was very knowledgeable.

We were walking around the historic site and saw the sign for this and thought we'd check it out. We didn't know it was a historic brothel. There is a lot of history here and I found it very interesting. We were greeted enthuastically and our tour guide was very knowledgable both of the history of the house and the history of prostitution in the area. The tour is very short, but it's free. I found it fascinating. How often do you see and tour a historic brothel? This is a little piece of American history rarely spoken of and I think it's great. I must emphasis, there is nothing sexual or risque about the tour, but due to it's mature subject matter, I would not suggest bringing young children. They have a tiny gift shop that only takes cash and I made sure to buy myself a t-shirt and a postcard. I would suggest taking a stroll over here from the historic site.

Miss Laura's is the Fort Smith Visitor Center. It's located next to the Railroad Tracks near the Arkansas River, just north of the Garrison Avenue Bridge to Oklahoma. The new US Marshall's Museum will be constructed just a block or two to the north. It's a two story green house with a few parking spaces on one side. It is a historic building since this was once a bordello in Fort Smith. The rooms are decorated with furniture from the late 19th century. Admission is free and the staff is helpful, willing to answer any questions about what to see and do in Fort Smith. Many travel brochures and maps are available for tourists and visitors. The address is 2 North B Street. I was curious why the building was so close to the railroad tracks. I was told that the small area between the railroad tracks and the Arkansas River was considered the only part of Fort Smith where it was legal to operate a bordello for many years.

They asked for a review. Mine will be a bit late, as I went 30 years ago, when it was a restaurant.
Very neat building. We ate on the second floor, where the girls conducted business. The food was very good, as I remember.
The interior was great. Restored to period time and the girls' rooms had their names etched in the transom.
Have not been to the welcome bureau, but if they kept it up, it's a sight to see.
No this didn't belong to Pearl Starr.
Heres burnt down.

Miss Laura's was our first stop on our day trip. We were just curious & I wanted to see a real brothel. The volunteer was full of interesting & informative stories. She really took us back in time. The old Victorian house has beautiful woodworks & furnishings of that day. Make this a must see on your trip.

We visited today and had an amazing time. Gina gave us a private tour and was so knowledgeable about the history of the property and brothel. She rattled off names and dates like the back of her hand and was so kind and gracious with taking time to answer questions!

The history the mystery and the people make this a must stop and see in Fort Smith. Some of the best guides I have ever seen. The house is well cared for and just what they went through to save it and make it a part of the history of the west in worth the stop.

It's a MUST SEE! I live in Arkansas and just found out about this little beautiful piece of history. The staff was so helpful and showed my friends and I all around while telling us the history of the old brothel.

Miss Laura's Social Club was on a brothel in Fort Smith, Arkansas, just over the border from Oklahoma. They have maintained this house throughout the years and have furniture from its "heydey." Ever wondered about those chairs with sideways backs? Well, they'll explain those to you as well. Historical site.

We made a side stop to Miss Laura's on our trip across the country. They have done a wonderful job of resorting the house. There are original artifacts, furniture, pictures of the girls who worked there and a lovely tour.

What is now their welcome center was once a brothel. Apparently some are offended but we had a great time.

A wonderful older gentleman gave us a tour and provided all of the local history regarding Miss Laurie and the industry.

Very fun and informative. You also get a clean health check in paper form upon departure

Once called the "Riverfront Hotel" to be proper, the city's Visitors Center is the only former bordello listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Built just before 1900, it was once the most popular place on the city's bawdy Front Street along the Arkansas River. Miss Laura's Visitors Center offer personal tour and a 45 minute ( $1.00) Bus Trolley Tour of Downtown Historic Fort Smith outside the front door.

We had so much fun here! We were greeted by someone truly knowledgeable and passionate about the history of this town and this club. She shared info in a way to make it suitable for the age of the child with you. There was so much interesting history and the volunteers were better then any staff I've even seen at a tourist attraction. Truly amazing people that made this one of the highlights of our vacation. Check out the gift shop.. there is some really great stuff. We got a cookbook for only $8 originally published in 1920. We've had a great time cooking recipes from it and laughing at the various ways of discribing measures of ingredients.

Former high-end brothel (Ft. Smith had 9) during the hey -day of the late 19th and early to mid 29th century, this is the official visitors center for the city and region. Judge Roy Parker kept the town from imploding, sending over 160 men to the gallows during his tenure. All races were among the desperadoes here, shooting and carousing on the frontier before Oklahoma was a state. Miss Laura herself, is straight out of the history books, and the decor, artifacts and photos, are authentic. Stop there first, for sure

This was such an amazing museum. Our guide Emma told us lots of amazing stories and told us the history of the owners, and all the amazing artifacts they have on show.

It's a neat little place. The staff was extremely nice and very knowledgable. I was able to pick up a shirt and some info about an old brothel. Only downside is that several of the upstairs rooms have been converted into offices. I don't know if this is temporary or permanent.

I stopped off here on Cross country trip, it was an interesting historic site, a bit different from the normal place. I really enjoyed it

We were kind of leery visiting here with our children, but the history and the influence that Miss Laura's had on the Ft. Smith area was amazing. We had a great guide that took us through the house and answered lots of questions. She did a wonderful job at addressing questions and guiding without making it an awkward situation for us as parents. Our little ones left thinking that this was a house that the beautiful ladies in town lived in, where our oldest and the adults in our party left knowing some of the history of the house as well as why it was so successful in it's time. A great place to visit for any age.

Miss Laura's offers an interesitng and informative display highlighting some of the lesser-known aspects of Ft. Smith history. The tour guides are knowledgeable and friendly.

We walked in not knowing what to expect and Bill came right up to us and immediately dove into the history of Miss Laura's and how it fits into the Fort Smith story. Was kind and accommodating and very helpful with all knowledge of the town. Thank you, Bill!

Miss Laura met our group and gave a fun, informative, presentation of the bordello. We had a group of 33 and everyone thought this was one of the highlights of,our trip. Thanks, Carolyn, for all your help and support. This is a must see attraction.

Do not hesitate in going there. This is a surprising, cultural and FREE visit, guided for an excellent staff that will provide you with a very good explanations about the history of the town.

Make this your first stop on a visit to the city for an inside look at the scandalizing, little-known history of Fort Smith! Stop by anytime they are open for a private tour by one of their knowledgeable volunteer tour guides. Extremely interesting!

Lovingly restored this is the last remaining bordello in Fort Smith. Run by volunteers the guided tour takes you back to the days it was a working establishment. Clearly the guides have a passion for their work and are very knowledgeable. We had great fun with our guide even when I tried to exchange my token. (If you go you'll understand ). Amazingly yet again as we found in Arkansas there is no charge for this attraction. Although you can buy souvenirs and make a donation. A great place to visit.

First of all the house was restored and so beautiful. The volunteers were knowledgeable and enjoyed their story telling. To have the visitors center a restored bordello is a hoot. The stained glass windows are beautiful.

This is an old building that housed a brothel at one time. The building has been restored and serves as a welcome center for Fort Smith. Tours are given by volunteers at the welcome center and they give the bawdy history of the bordello. It has been lovingly restored and is furnished with period antiques (a few pieces are actually pieces that were in the bordello in its heyday.) The tour is quite fascinating and is free of charge. If you find yourself in Fort Smith, take the tour of Miss Laura's!

Visited this with my wife, stepson, and future daughter in-law. Once you enter the house, you will be asked if you want to take a tour. I highly recommend it. You will get to learn the history of the house, and at the conclusion of the tour, women will be able to a certificate saying they are well enough to work there. The men get tin sheriff badges. It is worth it to stop by and visit.

Stopping at this visitor's center turned out to be a bit of an adventure. We exited I-40 at exit #1 - the last exit in Arkansas because we saw a sign for the visitor's center. Once off the interstate, we realized that the visitor's center was 6 miles away. Plowing ahead, we soon passed "Welcome to Oklahoma" signs before coming back into Fort Smith, Arkansas. The actual visitor's center is in an old restored brothel. According to one of the ladies staffing the visitor's center -- Miss Laura's is the sole surviving house where there had once been a dozen brothels.

We arrived just as they were starting to give a tour to a busload of folks on a 2 or 3-day excursion. My wife was able to join the tour and had a great time learning about the history of the house and the area. After the tour, one of the staff ladies helped us with some travel information and literature. We ended up spending about an hour here.

Just goes to show what neat things you can find when you get off the interstate and travel the local roads and into the local towns.

A step back into the Victorian era. Beautiful furniture. Fascinating history. Very informative guide.

Make sure to stop at Miss Laura's! I went not know what to expect visiting a bordello. Volunteer Charles quickly greeted me and was my guide for the tour.
At the front, Charles gave me an overview of the house history of when build, the cost, who live and worked in the house and how many houses that was also with Miss Laura's house.
A fun fact is this the very first bordello on the national historic list. Inside gives you a look of what it was like to visit and the lives of Miss Laura and her "girls". There are many period items on loan or reproduced for the house, but also items from the house.
Miss Laura offers also home building and furniture history. I enjoyed viewing and learning about this also.
There is no charge, but a donation box (which I gave). You can also can get information about other local attractions, and menus.
All the tour guides are volunteers and Charles, my guide was great! He was full of facts not only about the house, but also Fort Smith.
There's plenty of parking. The second floor is not wheelchair accessible and it's very close to other attractions

Wonderful building, fascinating history. Helped even more by a very welcoming, kind, enthusiastic and incredibly knowledgeable tour guide. I’ve lived close to this place for almost 10 years and never been before today, I could kick myself for not enjoying all it had to offer before now. Today I was taking my aunt and her friend out for the day and we chose to go here, we’ll definitely go again.

We enjoyed visiting Miss Laura's Visitor Center. Fun history of Fort Smith including a lot of artifacts from the late 1800's. The greeter/tour guide was very helpful..

We were visiting family in the Ft Smith area and wanted to explore a bit of the city. As the art museum was closed, we toured Miss Laura's and found it to be a fun experience with a charismatic, intelligent, well informed guide. He made it an entertaining and memorable experience.

Took a tour this morning. My tour guide Teresa was amazing , very knowledgeable and insightful, a must for any history buff

A surprisingly historical structure in a surprisingly historical city. Visiting Miss Laura's Social Club is the perfect start to any tour of Fort Smith.

The signage in Fort Smith will easily guide you to the area of the Information Center (Miss Laura's). Unfortunately, once in the right area, things get confusing. The signage followed along the streets are quite clear in their information but this sign format disappears when you near Miss Laura's. There is Welcome Center sign at Miss Laura's but it isn't the same type of sign used across the city so it doesn't appear to be the right building. There are several other buildings in the immediate area which look like they could also be the Welcome Center but, again, no signage that continues the format used along your path. We did circle the area for some time before deciding that Miss Laura's was the best chance of being the right place and, fortunately, our guess turned out to be correct. This was the last confusion we had during our visit to Fort Smith thanks to the efforts of Miss Laura's Welcome Center staff.

The knowledgeable staff offer an exceptionally warm welcome and then provide layer upon layer of information about Miss Laura's, Fort Smith, and the history surrounding both. There is actually too much detail provided for a single visit so you will have to return to absorb more on the local color & information to set you off on new area explorations.

The building has a very colorful past and, although not in it's original location, has been restored to reflect the life and times of early Fort Smith. The attention to detail (such as reproduced wallpaper) and the historical photos of the restoration process speak to the effort & dedication put into bringing back the authentic feel of Miss Laura's.

The history & details in this structure will require quite a long visit or, better yet, a return visit to allow all the information to be fully absorbed, understood, and appreciated. While the staff is more than happy and capable of providing endless levels of knowledge, there is only so much that can be humanly taken in at one time. There efforts are certainly appreciated but the mind (especially a bit aged one) is only so capable of soaking up new facts. Definitely needing a return visit or two...or three.

The stories & photos of the previous house "managers" are history classes on their own but, again, the facts & figures become overwhelming with all the detail & information provided. The absolutely amazing knowledge about every facet of Miss Laura's is much appreciated but is a struggle to absorb at any reasonable level. Not complaining about the presentation but a comment on my poor capacity to take in new information.

In addition to being able to discuss virtually any facts concerning Miss Laura's, the staff is exceptionally informed about the facts, figures, history, charm, and sites of Fort Smith and surrounding areas. This is definitely the source for anything you need to know, or even didn't realize you needed to know, about this corner of Arkansas. Get yourself here before thinking about touring the town on your own because your Fort Smith adventure will be much more fascinating after a visit to Miss Laura's.

30 years ago or so, this place was a very nice restaurant that my friends and I frequented. The restaurant closed and eventually this became a visitor's center/museum. Since I hadn't seen the place in so long, I was interested to go in and see what it was like. I was very pleasantly surprised. They've done a great job of restoring the place, adding several period pieces and replicas of the era when the house served as a brothel. The guides were very knowledgeable and interesting. We took friends from out of state and I'm very glad we did; it was a hit!

Not all of house is original and not all displays are from time period. Really a complete waste of time. AR is not worth slowing down for unless you need gas or food.

Well presented restoration of a period in history that seemed to be so wild and dangerous. This museum has many interesting stories that were very well told by our volunteer guide. He made the stop fun and also educational. What a great way to get out of your car and relax for an hour.

We stopped by mostly for the Visitors Center. We met with Suzie a long time resident of Ft. Smith and retired teacher. She was so helpful. Gave us lots of suggestions on places to see while in Ft. Smith and since we are considering relocating to Arkansas she also gave us a lot of information on things like good neighborhoods, taxes, car registration, weather etc. Many great brochures and booklets on things to do and also within AR. Miss Laura's house looks really neat too but we didn't look around. Location is across the street from the River walk a newly paved path along the Arkansas River and there is also a park nearby.

A up close look at a real bordello from the turn of the last century. Very well preserved and decorated and Miss Laura is a great host.

I had an out of town guest and I thought she might really enjoy touring Miss
Laura's for the uniqueness of the building's history and I was right! She loved it! The tour guide was very informative and entertaining as she shared the history of the area and not only Miss Laura's. When you visit our area be sure and stop there. There is no set admission - donations accepted.

We visited Miss Laura’s first thing when we got to town. The tour guides were very engaging and informative and gave us great ideas of places to visit on our trip. FYI they don’t shy away from the history of the place so if you have younger kids be aware! We got great souvenirs and left ready to delve into Fort Smith. Great first stop!

Great Tour. Well informed guide. Well preserved artifacts. We had a good time on a rainy day. The restroom was welcome.

Nicely renovated and restore bordello that is also a visitor center. It's free to take the tour, which is definitely worth it. Lots of colorful history.

They have a little gift shop and loads of maps and brochures for other places to visit. They have a nice map of other local attractions as well.

I had no idea Miss Laura's Visitor Center would be so much fun! Great visitor stop... friendly volunteers and tour guides..excellent piece of early Arkansas history. Miss Laura just happened to be there during our visit. She runs a tight ship! Make sure you sample the Sarsaparilla!

Took the kids for some history lessons! This place is a great experience. Tells the history of the house among other interesting sites. Check it out!

Fun and staff was very nice. Enjoyed the tour. House was interesting with beautiful woodwork. Loved hearing about the history and about Miss Laura herself.

This one brothel is now restored to its old glory and has been made into a unique visitor's center. We've never had a guided tour of a restored, period museum, regardless of what it was and then at the end of the tour been given the brochures and tour advice about what else is available in the Fort Smith area. Our guide, as well as the other guides, know all about the history, furnishings and the operations of the Social Club. There is ample parking and very close to other attractions in Fort Smith but is easier to drive to the other sites. Because this beautifully restored house is also a visitor's center make this your first stop. The women who are at the house are most helpful about the other attraction, accommodations, shopping and eateries.

I recently toured Ms. Laura's Social Club with a group of my fellow Tour Guides from a venue in Bentonville, AR. Ms. Laura, was amazing. She was dressed to the hilt with a beautiful antique outfit & gave a wonderful, lively, informative & fascinating tour! The house is beautifully restored, stories are wonderful & we thoroughly enjoyed it. Ladies, if you want to have a lot of laughs & a ladies day out, this is the place to go! Thank you to Ms. Laura, you made it all "come to life", you are a real treasure!

Built in 1898, opened in early 1900. For 24 years this was the highest class Bordello in the area and is a national historic sight. Furnished as it was when in use with some original items still in the house. It is now.the Fort Smith visitors center and a must stop. Take the tour you won't revert it.

My husband and I moved to the Fort Smith area three years ago and we finally get to explore Fort Smith. And yes Miss Laura's visitor Center is a must stop. Great information the House and things to see from the 1800's. Nice artwork, furnishings of the rooms and so much more. Miss Laura's visitor Center has lots of brochures for things to do in the Fort Smith area. This place is in a great spot, where you can visit other interesting places close by.
Thank you for the tour Satori Hopper, we enjoyed it!

Wonderful job of restoring the entire house. Simply great in every way. The volunteers were outstanding with knowledge about everything. We are so glad we took the time to see it.

We stopped in on a whim and were pleasantly surprised very interesting and the tour guides are very informative about the house and area

Miss Laura's is the only bordello (house of ill repute) on the list of National Historic sites. It has been fully restored and has some really lovely architectural bits inside. Your visit is FREE and guides are available to tell you interesting stories about the pictures and other exhibits. Do go!

On a recent bus trip to Arkansas, our first stop was at Miss Laura's. This is the visitor center and former bordello. The building has been thru some major issues including a tornado which ripped off the roof and damaged most of the interior, yet it has been completely and expertly restored. Miss Laura (a beautiful women in red) greets you and tells about some of the history of the house while she gives you a guided tour of the home. The volunteers there are very knowledgeable. Don't miss this great stop right down by the railroad tracks!

We stopped in to visit but there was filming for a documentary. We talked with some gentlemen and they advised to come back on Saturday. We returned on Saturday to find a note on the door saying to return on Tuesday. Would have a better feeling if we were told they would be closed and not to come back until the following week.

A trip to Ft. Smith specifically or Arkansas in general would not be complete without a visit to Miss Laura's Social Club. The first-ever (only?) brothel listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it now serves as the city's official visitor information center. Volunteer guides do a great job of sharing the history of the authentically restored and decorated building. If you're lucky, CVB staffer Carolyn Joyce will be there to greet you in the likeness of Miss Laura herself. This is a don't-miss stop on the way to Bentonville, home of the new Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art which is absolutely amazing.

It's always excellent to step back in time. Our guide John was very informative and a delight! You will not be disappointed visiting Miss Laura's!

I love that this used to be a brothel. Fort Smith definitely has a sense of humor to put their welcoming visitor center in what was a house of ill repute. Great history...if only those walls could talk. Super nice volunteers too.

Make this bordello your 1st stop in Fort Smith. It's free, and as well as the tour, you'll find info about other places to visit in Fort Smith. There are a couple of maps that you can pick up that will help you get around Ft. Smith. I read in an earlier review that the place smelled bad. We didn't smell anything, but Miss Laura's is 1 block from the Arkansas River, which could explain the smell.

We stopped in here just to say "hey we visited a brothel" not really expecting too much. As soon answer entered we me Lynndon who was excited to tell us the history of Miss Laura's. She was so knowledgeable & so much fun to talk with about the history of the brothel & of the city. We expected to be in there 15 minutes tops & an hour & 15 minutes later we were walking out of the place excited about seeing other places.

I would definitely make this a stop if you have never been.

As the only brothel on the National Historic Registry, it is a one of a kind visit. I learned all about the women who ran the brothel. I took the free tour which ran about 20 minutes. It gave a lot of the history of the "social club" as well as Fort Smith, itself. It was totally fascinating to learn more about this time period. The tour and visit inside is totally free and worth the time. I recommend anyone going to Fort Smith that they stop here first. It is the city's visitor center and can also provide you with other interesting places to visit in Fort Smith. It might bring up a few questions with younger children but there are no inappropriate displays.

If you are in Fort Smith, do not miss this. It's a lovely trip back in time. The house has been furnished in period items, and the history is fascinating. Trains pass by the front of the house which adds to the tour.
The woodwork, stained glass windows, furniture- wonderful. The best part of this site is the tour guide team- all are dedicated, knowledgeable and engaging.

We went on a tour just because it was there, and we absolutely loved it. The staff is very knowledgeable and polite. A lot of history is preserved in this mansion.

What a pleasant surprise to tour this old house and listen to the stories for the guide, Ms. Uma. The house was a Bordello in the past and although it has a soiled past, the city chose to embrace the history and allow visitors a look at the way things were in the old days. Everyone needs to re-watch the movie True Grit and relive the true history of the Fort Smith and Oklahoma Territory.

So it was mainly to satisfy my curiosity, as our first stop in this funny little town of Fort Smith. The house, beautiful, rich with history and a knowledgable guide who handed us several brochures on the town, and me, a clean bill of health. Did you know ladies of the evening had to get themselves checked out monthly? I didn't. Odd.

We enjoyed the very informative free tour as well as the free goodies we received. We learned a lot about the history of this former bordello and Fort Smith in general. I'm not sure how all the information would be communicated to a group with children. The only disappointment was that the upstairs was closed that day, so we couldn't see that part. Hats off to the volunteers and staff!

My mother and I made a point of stopping here for a meal around June 1990. We thoroughly enjoyed the decor as well as our meal. Mom enjoyed her dinner and mine was so good that I still remember what I ordered--seafood alfredo!

We really enjoyed the tour. The architecture is very nice and the interior is sumptuous. Our guide was very knowledgeable, personable, and helpful. She provided a glimpse into what life might have been like there 100 years ago. By the way, Fort Smith has several attractions clustered fairly close together. We also went to the Fort Smith National Historic Site (good) and the Fort Smith museum (ok) while we were there. We really wanted to see the historic homes of the area---we saw some nice ones from the car, but it was too hot to walk and shoot photos, so that will have to wait for another time. In conclusion, the tour wasn't extremely long and it might not warrant driving a great distance for that alone, but there are other attractions to be seen. If you're in Fort Smith, this site is a must see.

a must see tour, very informative about the soldiers and fort smith during the early years, post and pre war

Such a beautiful restored home and now visitor’s center. The house is decorated in period furnishings. Jacqueline “Jack” was an amazing tour guide through the house. She made the visit really enjoyable. There is entry fee but donations are accepted and with such a great tour I gladly donated. Thanks Jack!

If you are planning a visit to Ft. Smith, make Miss Laura’s Social Club your first stop. It is the official Visitor’s Center for Ft. Smith and they have numerous brochures, maps, etc available to help you plan your visit. But the best part is the tour of the bordello itself. This is a beautiful house that has been restored to perfection! Every room takes you back in time and you can just imagine what it was like in its day. There are so many pictures of the “girls” and some of their personal belongings on display that it makes the tour that much more real. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and told us interesting and funny stories about the era and the “business”. There is a small area set up where you can purchase souvenirs; but you will also receive a free, fun souvenir when you leave. This really is a must do if you are in Ft. Smith.

This was a wonderful place to visit. Our guide was well versed in the history of this house. She led us to all of the rooms and explained what happened in the area as well as in the house. She was well versed in all aspects of things that happened from the beginning of this bordelo to it's closure. I was grateful that someone in the community realized this building and its stories would be of historical significance. There was no cost but I was more than happy to leave a donation when I left. (I had grandchildren with me, but out guide handled the explanation of things perfectly.)

This was once an upscale Bordello in the late 1800's and early 1900's when it was legal in Arkansas. It is the only one left of 9 original houses in the row and is now the official visitor's center. The row was convenienty located between the railroad and the river docks. Location, location, location!
Make sure you spend ttime to take the tour. While you are there, shop in the small gift shop and get brochures and advice on other areas to tour in Ft. Smith.

We visited the visitors' center in Fort Smith which happens to be an original brothel belonging to Miss Laura. The house was filled with beautiful and amazing items showing some of history's events. Our tour guide was great and knew the history well of the old house.

Very nice staff to meet and talk to you about this wonderful city.
Lot of pamphlets and brochures available too.
...was a bit disappointed the original business was not still going...

It was really fun and I enjoyed every second of it!!! The tour guide was an awesome lady! I’m definitely going to take a trip back there sometime!!

This is the Fort Smith Visitor's Center, but it is so very much more!! Full of history and the volunteers and more than happy to share all that history with you. It was at one time an actual brothel along with 5 other houses on the same street and you can learn all the information about the madams and ladies of the house!! You will also be able to get information about the area and town!! Don't miss this attraction, make it your first stop on your visit to the area and the beginning of your sight seeing adventure!

It's downtown Fort Smith with plenty of parking..close to the site of the New Marshall's Museum, Riverwalk, and the Fort itself....so all within walking distance. Everyone is helpful and can the guide you to these other locations or take the tourist trolley for $1 all around historic Fort Smith.

I have lived in Fort Smith most of my life and I was so disappointed when I took my boyfriend (who is a new comer to the city) to see the museum. We got there right at 4 p.m. and an older man in what looked like a marshalls costume rudely told us Miss Laura's was closed. He basically walked us out the front door. I very politely asked what the hours were and he looked even more agitated and said "the hours are on the door!!!" My boyfriend has never felt so unwelcomed in a new place. I have worked at a museum and a children's theatre and I would never have expected someone to treat guests that way. He could have at least been polite and informative. Whoever runs Miss Laura's should elect individuals that have a sincere interest in history and a passion for showing newcomer's our history. Will not be bringing guests from out of town there again.

The volunteers that work here are full of information about Ft. Smith and Miss Laura's which is a neat old building with history. It is worth the time to take a tour and look around.

We loved visiting Miss Laura's. We had a large group visit and were given a guided tour through the former brothel. What an interesting history.
We especially liked looking at the artifacts that were discovered in the house, like the "family Bible" . I am sure these women did feel like they were a family.
As an upscale brothel started in 1903 in a row of choices, these women were treated well and were tested for disease on a regular basis.
During good months of business, they served champagne they kept cooled in a bathtub upstairs.
The brothel was one that survived a 1910 oil tank explosion, but business was slowing down, so Miss Laura sold the property in 1911. The area became slummy and was filled with drifters and drunks. It was abandoned until 1963 when a group invested in it and opened a restaurant and social club. In 1992 it became a Visitor Center. It is on the National Register of Historic places.
Plan on making a stop. Interesting tales and done in a respectful way, so if you have a family with you it shouldn't be a problem.

We toured with John and two other couples. John was simply amazing! His information and descriptions brought the entire place to life for us. He was friendly and knowledgeable and answered all of our questions. What an excellent idea and location for a visitor center! Thank you Ft Smith and all the volunteers for making our visit so memorable!

Place was locked up. Trued two doors. Very disappointed that we could not visit inside. We used the Bathroom facilities next door at the park & ate our lunch along side the Arkansas River.