7 Top Things To Do In Hot Springs Arkansas

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This blog post is sponsored by Arkansas Tourism. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Welcome to spa city! Just an hour from the heart of Little Rock, Arkansas is Hot Springs – it’s a scenic drive with great views of Hot Springs National Park. Eat all the pizza, hike Hot Springs National Park, and soak in the thermal baths!

SEE ALSO: 9 Top Things To Do In Little Rock Arkansas

Hot Springs, Arkansas, and Hot Springs National Park owe their existence to an array of springs that still supply naturally heated water for thermal baths. Hot Springs National Park is the smallest and oldest of the parks in the National Park System. It dates back to 1832 when Congress established the first federally protected area in the nation’s history.

Fun fact: Hot Springs was a popular hangout for Al Capone, Frank Costello, Bugs Moran, and other infamous mobsters.  

FAQS ON HOT SPRINGS, ARKANSAS

When is the best time to visit? 

Hot Springs, Arkansas is known for, well, its hot springs! So winter (October to April) is the best time to visit, in my opinion. If you come in late October to early November, you can see fall foliage, too!

Austin to Hot Springs – what’s the best way to get here?

The drive from Austin to the city of Hot Springs, Arkansas is 7 1/2 hours or you can fly into Little Rock and then drive to Hot Springs.

What should I pack for Hot Springs?

Definitely pack a swimsuit because you’ll need it to soak in the hot springs. Also, pack hiking or tennis shoes to hike in Hot Springs National Park. 

THINGS TO DO IN HOT SPRINGS, ARKANSAS 

HORSE RACING AT OAKLAWN RACING CASINO RESORT

If you’ve never been to a horse race, the Arkansas Derby at Oaklawn needs to be on your bucket list. I went for the first time this year and I genuinely did not know what I was walking into — and left completely obsessed.

Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort has been a cornerstone of Hot Springs since 1904 and is one of the most prestigious horse racing venues in the entire country. The Arkansas Derby is a Grade 1 race and one of the biggest Kentucky Derby prep races in the US — the winner earns 100 points toward a Kentucky Derby spot. This year, Renegade won the Arkansas Derby and went on to become a Kentucky Derby contender. We actually bet on him to win — along with Silent Tactic and Taptastic to finish 2nd and 3rd — and they came in exactly that order on our first time ever betting on horses. I will never top this.

But here’s what I didn’t know going in — you don’t have to come just for Derby Day. Live racing at Oaklawn runs from December through May 2nd and gate entry is FREE every race day. First post time is 12:30pm and gates open at 11am. If you want the full Derby Day experience with the fashion, the hats, the fascinators, and the electric crowd energy — plan around a featured race day for the biggest atmosphere.

After the races, head to The OAK Room & Bar right inside Oaklawn — the NY Strip and Almond Trout are incredible and the vibe post-Derby is absolutely unmatched. And don’t miss Track Kitchen in the morning before the races — it’s the breakfast spot inside Oaklawn where jockeys, trainers, and racing insiders eat. So cool.

2705 Central Ave, Hot Springs, AR | oaklawn.com | Gate entry FREE | Live racing through May 2

LAKE HAMILTON

Hot Springs is not just about the thermal springs — it’s also sitting right on the edge of one of Arkansas’s most stunning lakes. Lake Hamilton is a 7,200-acre lake that stretches 18 miles right through the city, with grand houses, waterfront restaurants, resorts, and marinas all along its shoreline. It was created in 1932 when the Carpenter Dam was built across the Ouachita River and has been a recreational hotspot ever since.

We did a sunset chartered boat float on Lake Hamilton and it was honestly one of the best parts of the entire trip. The Ouachita Mountains in the background, the golden hour light on the water, the most peaceful end to a perfect weekend — I cannot recommend it enough.

If you want to make the most of the lake, you can also rent boats, go tubing, wakeboarding, water skiing, kayaking, or just cruise around and soak it all in. And several of Hot Springs’ best waterfront restaurants sit right on the lake — including Fisherman’s Wharf, where we had dinner one night. Get the seafood and grab a table with a lake view.

Lake Hamilton, Hot Springs, AR | lakehamilton.com

HIKE HOT SPRINGS NATIONAL PARK

You can hike into Hot Springs National Park or drive into the park and then hike as we did. Hot Springs National Park is the country’s smallest and oldest National State Park and features thermal springs and more than 30 miles of hiking trails through the Ouachita Mountains.

Outdoor activities in the Hot Springs area include mountain biking, hiking, golf, horseback riding, fishing, digging for quartz crystals and water sports that center around the Diamond Lakes Catherine, DeGray, Greeson, Hamilton, and Ouachita.

Admission: free

Hours: Sunrise – 10pm daily (Visitor’s Center hours are 9am-5pm)

369 Central Ave, Hot Springs, AR, nps.gov/hosp/index.htm

STROLL DOWN BATHHOUSE ROW

Bathhouse Row is one of the most unique stretches of architecture you will ever walk down — eight beautifully preserved historic bathhouses lining Central Avenue, all protected by the National Park Service as a National Historic Landmark. Built between 1892 and 1923, these grand buildings were constructed so visitors could soak in Hot Springs’ 47 natural thermal springs, and each one has its own fascinating story.

• Hale Bathhouse — the oldest surviving bathhouse on the row, originally constructed in 1892–93. It has since been beautifully renovated into the Hale Hotel, a boutique property where guest rooms feature original tiled bathrooms with clawfoot tubs fed by natural hot spring water. One of the coolest places to stay in Hot Springs.

• Maurice Bathhouse — one of the original grand bathhouses on the row, now undergoing restoration. Worth seeing for the architecture alone.

• Buckstaff Bathhouse — the only bathhouse that has operated continuously since 1912 for traditional bathing. If you want the most authentic, old-school bathhouse experience on the row, this is your spot. No reservations needed — just walk in.

• Fordyce Bathhouse — the most elaborate bathhouse on the row, built in 1914–15 in Renaissance Revival style. Colonel Samuel Fordyce built it as a tribute to the healing waters he credited with saving his life. It featured bowling lanes, a billiard room, a gymnasium, and a rooftop garden at its peak. Today it serves as the National Park Visitor Center and museum — and it’s completely free to visit.

• Superior Bathhouse — built in 1916, it was the smallest bathhouse on the row but holds a very cool distinction today: it reopened in 2011 as Superior Bathhouse Brewery, the only brewery located within a National Park and the only brewery in the world to use natural thermal spring water to brew its beers. Go for the craft beer and the giant pretzel with beer cheese.

• Quapaw Bathhouse — renovated into a gorgeous modern day spa with four communal thermal pools, private baths, steam rooms, massages, and facials. This is where we soaked and it was absolutely incredible. The glass ceiling dome alone is worth it. $30 per person for thermal baths. Reservations recommended.

• Ozark Bathhouse — now home to the Ozark Bathhouse Cultural Center, hosting rotating art exhibits and events from the Artist-in-Residence program. Free admission, open Friday through Sunday.

• Lamar Bathhouse — built in 1923 to replace an earlier bathhouse destroyed by fire. Today it serves as the National Park gift shop, selling books on Hot Springs history, local crafts, and vintage bathhouse memorabilia.

SOAK IN A HOT SPRINGS BATHHOUSE

We soaked at Quapaw Baths & Spa — one of the original bathhouses on the row that has been renovated into a modern day spa. The thermal pools are filled with natural Hot Springs water that has been carbon-14 dated at 4,000 years old and is rich in silica, calcium, magnesium, and bicarbonate. Soaking in that water under the gorgeous glass ceiling dome is one of the most relaxing experiences of my life. They also offer massages, facials, and other spa services.

Updated pricing: Thermal baths are $30 per person (updated from 2019 pricing). Massages and spa services are available to add on. No admittance after 5pm and pools close at 6pm.

413 Central Ave, AR 71901, quapawbaths.com

WALKTHROUGH Garvan Woodland Gardens

Garvan Woodland Gardens is one of the most breathtaking places I have ever been — and I genuinely did not expect that going in. This 210-acre botanical garden sits on 4.5 miles of Lake Hamilton shoreline and is owned and operated by the University of Arkansas School of Architecture. It was donated to the university in 1985 by Verna Cook Garvan, who spent decades transforming what was once a tract of timberland into one of Arkansas’s most beloved natural treasures.

Walking through Garvan is like walking through a dream. The gardens are home to over 160 varieties of azaleas, Japanese maples, Oriental dogwoods, thousands of tulips and daffodils in spring, and a stunning 4-acre Asian garden with a 12-foot waterfall and three unique bridges. And then there are the peacocks — actual peacocks roaming freely through the gardens. Nothing prepares you for turning a corner on a woodland trail and coming face to face with one.

The gardens have five miles of walking trails winding through the woods, past waterfalls, pools, a bird sanctuary, a wildflower meadow, and scenic overlooks of Lake Hamilton. Over 70 species of birds have been documented here by the Arkansas Audubon Society. If you visit in spring, the Tulip Extravaganza is absolutely not to be missed — the entire garden erupts in color and it is one of the most magical things you will ever see in Arkansas.

And then, at the end of the trail, hidden in the middle of the forest — the Anthony Chapel.

Regular garden admission: $15 for adults, $5 for children, $5 for dogs 🐾 Open Monday–Saturday, 9am–6pm

550 Arkridge Road, Hot Springs, AR, garvangardens.org

VISIT THE ANTHONY CHAPEL

Nothing can really prepare you for the moment you see Anthony Chapel through the trees. It stops you completely in your tracks.

Completed in 2006, the Anthony Chapel is a soaring six-story wood and glass structure nestled on a hillside overlooking Lake Hamilton inside Garvan Woodland Gardens. It was designed by architects Maurice Jennings and David McKee — both alumni of the University of Arkansas’ Fay Jones School of Architecture — and was inspired by the legendary Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs, which was named the fourth best design of the 20th century by the American Institute of Architects. Jennings himself calls Anthony Chapel “the finest” of the more than 20 chapels he has designed across the country.

The chapel features massive yellow pine columns and beams, floor-to-ceiling glass walls, multiple skylights, and roughly 10,000 square feet of glass — all designed so the surrounding forest feels like a living extension of the space inside. Every single detail was designed by Jennings and McKee themselves, from the open beam bracing system down to the pews, wall sconces, and outdoor lighting fixtures. It seats 160 people and hosts approximately 200 weddings a year — so if you can visit on a weekday, do it.

And yes — admission is free. The chapel sits just outside the ticketed area of Garvan Gardens so anyone can walk in. Just note it closes for weddings and events which happen frequently on weekends, so check ahead.

550 Arkridge Road, Hot Springs, AR, garvangardens.org/the_gardens/anthony-chapel-complex/default.aspx

FILL UP ON FREE HOT SPRING WATER

Walk around the corner of the Lamar Bathhouse to fill up on free hot springs water! The locals showed me how to fill up! Bring your own thermos or purchase a jug at the Hot Springs National Park gift shop.

509 Central Ave, Hot Springs, AR

SEE THE VIEW FROM HOT SPRINGS MOUNTAIN TOWER

For a panoramic view of the Ouachita Mountains, go to the Hot Springs Mountain Tower. The 216-ft observatory tower was built in 1982 and opened in 1983.

Admission: $8 for adults

401 Hot Springs Mountain Dr, Hot Springs, AR 71901, hotspringstower.com

BEST RESTAURANTS IN HOT SPRINGS, ARKANSAS 

There are three things you have to eat and drink in Hot Springs: pizza, beer, and Mountain Valley Spring Water – because it’s all made with thermal spring water from Hot Springs, Arkansas!

Superior Bathhouse Brewery

Superior Bathhouse was originally built in 1916 and was the smallest bathhouse on Bathhouse Row. It reopened in 2011 as a brewery and uses thermal spring water to brew unique craft beers. We dined here twice for the giant pretzel with beer cheese, sour beer, and root beer floats!

Deluca’s Pizzeria

DeLuca’s is one of the most beloved spots in Hot Springs and once you try it, you’ll understand why. But here’s the detail that makes it even better — the pizza dough is made with Hot Springs’ natural thermal spring water. Yes, the same legendary water that flows through the city’s famous springs goes into the pizza. You can genuinely taste the difference.

The pizzas are cooked in a 725-degree brick oven that creates the most perfectly charred, crispy crust. They come in massive 18-inch pies so come hungry and come with friends — we had a big group dinner here on our first night and it was one of the highlights of the entire trip. The energy in this place on a Friday night is unreal.

We went for the Frankie’s Flatbush and The Sarah Meadows and it was hands down some of the best pizza I have ever had. Don’t miss it.

833 Central Ave, Hot Springs National Park, AR 

Track Kitchen

Before you head out to the races, breakfast at Track Kitchen is a must. This is the insider spot inside Oaklawn where the jockeys, trainers, and racing insiders eat every morning — and getting to sit among them before Derby Day is one of those experiences that makes a trip feel really special. We had the Loaded Hashbrown, Chicken & Waffle, and Blueberry Pancakes and it was the perfect fuel before a long, incredible day at the races. Get there early and soak up the atmosphere.

2705 Central Ave, Hot Springs, AR 71901 | Inside Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort

The OAK Room & Bar

After the races, The OAK Room & Bar inside Oaklawn is where you want to be. The energy post-Derby is absolutely electric — everyone is still buzzing from the day and it makes for the most incredible dinner atmosphere. The NY Strip and Almond Trout are both incredible, the cocktail list is great, and the Banana Pain Perdu for dessert is not to be missed. Make a reservation because it fills up fast on race days.

2705 Central Ave, Hot Springs, AR 71901 | Inside Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort | oaklawn.com

SQZBX

I wanted to try at least one more pizza spot in Hot Springs to do a comparison so we went to a newer pizza spot called SQZBX and I love both of them. SQZBX pizzas come in three different sizes so you don’t have to commit to a giant pie. I got the pepperoni pizza and brought home leftovers with me. 

The Pancake Shop – don’t miss this local diner that’s been around since 1940 and is known for their pancakes.

Kollective Coffee + Tea – this is the local coffee + tea shop. I stopped in to get my morning coffee before hiking Hot Springs National Park.

The Ohio Club – this spot is Hot Springs’ oldest bar and former gangster and baseball player hangout.

Where to stay in Hot Springs, Arkansas

The Waters Hotel

We stayed at The Waters Hotel in downtown Hot Springs, a boutique hotel nestled in Hot Springs National Park, located right on Central Avenue. You can’t beat the location – we valeted our car and walked to the restaurants and Bathhouse Row (you also get 15% off at Quapaw Baths & Spa as a hotel guest!). The hotel is the result of a multimillion-dollar historic renovation of the revered Thompson Building on Bathhouse Row (originally built in 1913) and combines vintage details with up-to-date comforts and amenities.

340 Central Ave, Hot Springs, AR, thewatershs.com

OTHER THINGS TO DO IN HOT SPRINGS ARKANSAS

Bill Clinton Boyhood Home – (also known as the Birnbaum-Shubetz House) you can visit Bill Clinton’s historic house in northern Hot Springs at 1011 Park Avenue

Ouachita National Forest – this National Forest that lies in the western portion of Arkansas and portions of eastern Oklahoma.

Lake Ouachita – Arkansas’s largest lake, Lake Ouachita offers 40,000 acres of clear, clean water surrounded by the scenic Ouachita National Forest.

Gangster Museum of America – learn how about how the most notorious criminals in America resided in Hot Springs. Did you know Alphonse Gabriel Capone first came to Hot Springs in the early 20’s and owned a suite on the fourth floor of the Arlington hotel?

Valley Of The Vapors – this year the 22th annual Valley of the Vapors is March 13-15, 2022.

Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival – one of the oldest documentary film festivals in the world is held annually in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The festival began in 1992 and this year’s festival is OCT 9-17th, 2026.

Hot Springs, Arkansas completely blew me away. I came for the Arkansas Derby and left with a whole new favorite city — one with thermal springs flowing beneath the streets, history on every corner, world class horse racing, and some of the most beautiful nature I have ever seen in the south.

For more travel ideas and inspiration to plan a trip to Arkansas, visit Arkansas.com.