Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

One of the oldest and (in my experience) most unusual units of America’s fabulous National Park system is Hot Springs National Park.  It’s a fairly small park and many aspects of it can easily been seen during a one day visit.  To protect the hot springs, Congress established Hot Springs Reservation on April 20, 1832.  In 1921, the site’s name was officially changed to Hot Springs National Park.  The site has been expanded and today the park covers 5,000 acres and includes more than 40 thermal springs, 30 miles of hiking trails, and scenic drives.

Native tribes used the thermal waters for centuries.  In the 19th century the first bathhouses were constructed.  Most of these were simply log cabins placed over the springs, but in times the more elaborate facilities you visit today were constructed.  Construction of bathhouses occurred between 1892 and 1923 and a highlight of any visit to the park is seeing historic Bathhouse Row — a remnant of Gilded Age architecture.

This blog focuses on the bathhouses that comprise Bathhouse Row, the most popular and visited part of the park.  The buildings lie in the heart of the town of Hot Springs and are situated at the base of Hot Springs Mountain (which has a flow rate of more than a half million gallons of thermally heated water each day).

The photo shown below of Bathhouse Row was used as last weekend’s One Clue Mystery photo.  It was recognized by Professor Abe, George G and Sylvia — Congratulations to all!

The map below gives you the layout of this area of interest:

(Map of Bathhouse Row, courtesy of the National Park Service)

As you can see from the map, it’s easy to stroll down Central Avenue and see all of the bathhouses, many of which you can visit directly.  Besides being part of the National Park, Bathhouse Row has been designated a National Historic Landmark District, unique in the country.

By the 1960s the bathing industry in the city had declined considerably.  On Bathhouse Row, the grand bath­houses began to close and by 1985 only the Buckstaff bathhouse was still operating.

Bathhouse Row and its environs were placed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 13, 1974.  Local residents lead a campaign to restore and revitalize Bathhouse Row, finding uses of the vacant buildings.

Below are some details of the Bathhouses as they now appear.

Lamar Bathhouse

Built in 1923, the Lamar offered marbled bathtubs of different lengths. Today it is home to the Bathhouse Emporium, where you can look at some of the decor and buy souvenirs of your visit….

Buckstaff Bathhouse

Built in 1912, it’s the only bathhouse on the row to operate continuously for over a century.  It’s one of two bathhouses in the row currently open to the public.

Ozark Bathhouse

The Ozark was completed in 1922 and houses the Hot Springs National Park Cultural Center.  Here you will find temporary exhibits and gallery spaces for the park’s Artist-in-Residence Program….

Quapaw Bathhouse

Built in 1922, this building is capped with a tiled dome and features an American Indian motif.   It is longest building on the row and one of the two remaining functioning bathhouses.

Hale Bathhouse

Built in 1892, it’s the oldest surviving bathhouse. The Hale has been remodeled as a hotel.

Superior Bathhouse

Superior Bathhouse was built in 1916 and was the smallest bathhouse on the row.  Today it is a brewery, the only one in a National Park and the only brewery in the world to utilize thermal spring water to make beer.

Located at the north end of Bathhouse Row is a small park with one of the natural hot springs, with a cascade of hot water down the hill into a hot water pool.

Immediately across the street from the hot springs cascade is the historic Arlington Resort Hotel…

And finally, a sampling of lovely architecture across the street from Bathhouse Row.  It’s nice to stroll up one side of the street to explore the bathhouses, then down the other side to visit the shops and businesses.

In this post I have purposefully not discussed the Fordyce Bathhouse, considered to be the most elegant of the eight on the row.  This Fordyce has become extensively remodeled and is the park visitor center and a museum.  Many of the rooms have been restored to their original state and the Fordyce is worth featuring as a separate blog post.  Stay tuned….