The national park is in the city. Not near it. In it. Hot Springs became the first federal reserve in 1832, forty years before Yellowstone. Thermal water flows from the ground at 143 degrees, feeding eight historic bathhouses along Central Avenue. Two still operate. During Prohibition, this was America's original sin city. Al Capone booked the entire fourth floor of the Arlington Hotel. Lucky Luciano, Bugsy Siegel, and a parade of organized crime figures soaked in the springs and played the casinos. The gambling ended in the 1960s. The thermal water didn't. Neither did the bathhouses.
Where to Stay
The Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa
The largest hotel in Arkansas, at the north end of Bathhouse Row. Since 1875. Al Capone regularly booked the entire fourth floor. Suite 443 still bears his name. Babe Ruth stayed here. FDR stayed here. Thermal bathhouse on-site. Currently under renovation to restore the 1924 exterior.
Where to Eat
The Pancake Shop
Open since 1940. One of the oldest family-run restaurants in Arkansas. Pancakes from scratch, homemade sausage, fresh-squeezed orange juice, bottomless coffee. The kind of breakfast that made this place last 80 years.
McClard's Bar-B-Q
Legendary Arkansas barbecue since 1928. Meat smoked daily on the premises. Bill Clinton's favorite. The kind of place that earns its reputation over nearly a century.
Cafe 1217
The restaurant locals actually eat at. Scratch-made comfort food, locally sourced ingredients, menu changes 60% every month. Open since 1997. The wagyu burger comes from Garland County beef. The carrot cake has won state awards. Closed Sundays.
Where to Drink
Ohio Club
Oldest bar in Arkansas. Opened in 1905 as a bar and casino. Al Capone, Bugsy Siegel, Lucky Luciano all drank here. Live music Thursday through Sunday. The speakeasy history is real.
Superior Bathhouse Brewery
First brewery located inside a U.S. national park. Built in 1916 as a bathhouse, vacant for 30 years, reopened as a brewery in 2013. They brew with the thermal spring water. 18 taps. Family and dog friendly.
Getting Around
Car needed? Recommended
Downtown Hot Springs is walkable. Bathhouse Row, restaurants, and bars line Central Avenue. A car helps for hiking the mountain trails in the park and exploring the surrounding Ouachita Mountains.
Beyond the Park
The town's history is as interesting as its geology.
Gangster Museum of America
Hot Springs was America's original sin city before Vegas existed. Al Capone, Lucky Luciano, and a roster of organized crime figures vacationed here when illegal gambling was wide open. The museum covers the whole story: vintage slot machines, roulette tables, weapons, documentary footage. Worth an hour.
Bathhouse Row
Eight historic bathhouses built between 1892 and 1923. The largest collection of 20th-century bathhouses remaining in the United States. Buckstaff still operates in the traditional style. Quapaw allows swimsuits and has indoor pools. The Fordyce is now the park visitor center.
Pro Tips
- The park is in the city. You can walk from your hotel to the visitor center and trailheads.
- Quapaw Bathhouse allows swimsuits. Buckstaff is the traditional experience: separate facilities, no swimsuits.
- Al Capone's suite at the Arlington is room 443. You can request it.
- Free thermal water fountains throughout downtown let you fill your bottle with the spring water.