FORT SMITH, Ark. (KNWA/FOX24) — The government shutdown in Washington, D.C., is forcing the Fort Smith National Historic Site to close its doors to the public.

The site, which is over 170 years old, was forced to send all employees home and shut down after the two political parties couldn't come to terms on a budget dispute on October 1.

The Fall Festival takes place on October 3 and will now be without its biggest attraction.

Executive Director of Discover Fort Smith, Ashleigh Bachert, said the shutdown has more consequences than people even realize.

"The longer they're shut down, the longer we have to go through and say, 'Hey, we're limiting what that access looks like.' It does impact how long people stay in Fort Smith, and I think that's the number that's always more interesting,"

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