Most national parks take you away from town. Hot Springs National Park, in Arkansas, runs right down the main street. On one side of Central Avenue are shops, bars and hotels. On the other is a row of grand old bathhouses, with a forested mountain behind them.
The park is here because of the water. Rain soaks deep into the rock, heats up and comes back to the surface thousands of years later at around 143°F. The federal government set the springs aside in 1832, long before Yellowstone, and they became a national park in 1921. For generations, people came here hoping the water would cure them.
Bathhouse Row
The eight bathhouses on the row date mostly from the early 1900s, when Hot Springs was a famous spa town. Each one tried to outdo the others. They are nice to walk past, set back behind lawns and magnolia trees.
Only a couple are still used for bathing. The others are now park offices, galleries and shops. One, the Superior, is a brewery that makes beer with the hot spring water.
Inside the Fordyce
The one not to miss is the Fordyce Bathhouse, which opened in 1915. It is now the park’s visitor center and is free to enter. It has been restored to look the way it did when it was open.
The ground floor has the bath halls, with white tile and marble. In the men’s bath hall there is a fountain showing the Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto. Local tradition says he reached these springs in the 1540s.
We remember the odd details best. There are needle showers, steam cabinets and treatment rooms with equipment that looks like it came from a dentist’s office. Bathing here was treated like medicine, and people stayed for weeks.
Upstairs there are parlors and music rooms, and a beautiful stained glass ceiling.
There is also a gym, with rings, ropes and early exercise machines still in place. Guests came up here after their baths and massages.
Taste the water
The water is still free. Fountains around town let you fill a bottle right from the springs, and locals bring crates of jugs. There are also a couple of spots along the row where you can touch the hot water as it comes out of the hillside.
Practical Info
- Where: Bathhouse Row, Central Avenue, Hot Springs, Arkansas.
- Cost: The park and Fordyce visitor center are free.
- Taking the waters: The Buckstaff still offers traditional baths, and the Quapaw has thermal pools. Book ahead.
- Hiking: The Grand Promenade behind the row is an easy walk, and trails lead up Hot Springs Mountain from there.
- Allow: An hour or two for the Fordyce, and at least half a day for the row and town.
