Hot Springs National Park - Bathhouse Row

Hot Springs National Park is a bit unusual compared to other National Parks in that it is located in the middle of town and also in the surrounding areas that are more typically expected for a National Park.  On one side of the street is the city of Hot Springs while on the other is the National Park.  You wouldn’t know it to look at it.  While Hot Springs National Park includes area in and around Hot Springs, it is most known for Bathhouse Row.

Bathhouse Row starts on Central Avenue and contains nine buildings.  Starting from the south, the first building is the National Park Service (NPS) Administration Building.  It has a hot fountain outside where people can get hot water.

Hot Springs National Park Administration Building

There is also a memorial to U.S. Park Ranger James Alexander Cary who was the first NPS Ranger to be murdered in the line of duty.  He was killed by bootleggers while patrolling West Mountain on March 12, 1927.

Memorial to fallen park ranger

The first bathhouse is the Lamar Bathhouse that serves as the NPS gift shop.  You can get your National Park Service passport stamps here as well as purchase souvenirs.  We didn’t find much available outside Bathhouse themed books and such.

The Buckstaff Bathhouse is next to Lamar, distinguised with the blue and white striped awnings.  Buckstaff is currently in operation as a bathhouse.

The Lamar and Buckstaff Bathhouses

Buckstaff Bathhouse

The Ozark Bathhouse is in service as a cultural center for the NPS.

Ozark Bathhouse

Ozark Bathhouse

Next to the Ozark is the Quapaw Bathhouse which is operational as a bathhouse and spa.

The focal point on Bathhouse Row is the Fordyce Bathhouse which is also the Hot Springs National Park Visitor Center.  You can get your NPS passports stamped here, and you can take a ranger-led tour through the first floor (there are four floors total) to learn about the history of bathhouses, bathing, and the use of thermal water treatments through time.  The tour is offered twice a day and is informative. (I’ll do a separate post with photos from the Fordyce Bathhouse tour.)

Fordyce Bathhouse - Hot Springs National Park Visitor Center

Fordyce Bathhouse

Just beyond and behind the Fordyce Bathhouse is a Display Spring which has a hot spring that is accessible to the public.  We put our hands in and it was too hot!  Definitely would need to be tempered before being usable for bathing.

Open Spring

There is also a cell phone tour that you can do throughout the park if you like that sort of thing.  You can also do it without being in the park should you want to learn more.

Cell Phone Tour Instructions

The Maurice Bathhouse is next door to the Fordyce but is not open, but the next one is the Hale Bathhouse which also offers eight (8) rooms for lodging. 

Hale Bathhouse

Hale Bathhouse

The last bathhouse is the Superior which currently operates as a brewery.  They also brew their own rootbeer, but we didn’t get a chance to try it.

Superior Bathhouse

Superior Bathhouse

The history of competition between the bathhouses, their challenges and adaptations to a changing community and clientele are interesting tales.  To read more about the Bathhouses, visit the Hot Springs National Park website.

~ Cindy D.