Hot Springs National Park

Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas protects a collection of natural thermal springs and the historic bathhouse district in the city of Hot Springs. The springs and associated spa buildings are the park’s defining features.

The park’s best-known feature is Bathhouse Row, a line of historic spa buildings that front a pedestrian promenade and interpret the city’s thermal-spring bathing era. The hot springs themselves issue from the hillside and have long been used for bathing and therapeutic facilities.

Federal protection for the springs dates to the early 19th century to preserve public access to the thermal resources; the area later developed a commercial bathhouse district during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was subsequently reorganized and managed as a national park to conserve both the natural springs and the historic architecture.

The park is located within and adjacent to the city of Hot Springs in central Arkansas, set in the Ouachita Mountain foothills and easily reached from nearby regional roads and towns.

• Number of thermal springs: The park protects 47 hot springs that emerge from the surrounding mountains and fed the city's 19th- and early 20th-century spa industry.
• Visitor center location: Fordyce Bathhouse houses the park visitor center and an exhibit on the history of the bathhouse era, making it a good first stop for orientation.

What to See #

• Bathhouse Row: Bathhouse Row is the principal historic concentration of spa-era bathhouse buildings along the thermal springs; Fordyce Bathhouse serves as the park visitor center and museum space.
• Operating bathhouse: Buckstaff Bathhouse is one of the historic bathhouses on the row that has continued to operate as a traditional bathhouse offering thermal-water treatments.