Hot Springs National Park guide · 2 min read
Bathhouse Row: America's Grandest Spa Architecture
Bathhouse Row lines Central Avenue, the main road through the town of Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Its nine historic bathhouses are a big part of what draws people to the park. The springs have been used for healing and relaxation for 200 years. In the 1800s and early 1900s, visitors from around the world bathed here, and rich and poor alike relaxed inside these buildings. Today the Row stands as a tribute to the American Spa of the 20th century.
Many of the interiors once had marble and tile on their walls and floors, while some rooms featured polished brass, murals, fountains, statues and stained glass. The Superior is the smallest of the nine, and it once provided low-cost hydrotherapy and massage treatments. A large tiled dome sits atop the Quapaw, which dates to 1922, and its decoration draws on American Indian motifs.
The Fordyce Bathhouse now houses the Fordyce Bathhouse Museum and Visitor Center, a museum with 24 rooms of exhibits. Stop in to talk with a ranger before you explore the Row. Park rangers also lead guided tours through historic bathhouses, and a number of the buildings can be toured.
The springs flow at more than half a million gallons a day, and their thermal water is piped directly into two bathhouses. The Buckstaff opened in 1912 and has remained in operation ever since, offering a traditional bathing experience. The Quapaw runs a modern spa with open thermal pools, private baths, a steam cave, massages and facials. Because the park has no outdoor soaking, these two buildings are the only places to soak fully in the thermal water.
Visitors can fill their own jugs at public fountains along the Row, where the mineral water runs hot or cool, and many people do. Happy Hollow Spring is another spot for filling jugs.
