Saara Maknojia
For the final stop of our Arkansas trip, we headed north to Hot Springs! We took in the stunning views from the Hot Springs Mountain Tower, enjoyed a quick tour, and refreshed our knowledge of the city’s rich history.
One of the city’s most notable landmarks is the Arlington Hotel, which has burned down twice and hosted historical figures like Babe Ruth, Al Capone, and President Ronald Reagan. The city is also home to historic bathhouses, as well as a variety of restaurants and shops.
I was especially intrigued by the artifacts on display at the Mountain Tower, particularly an old Arlington Hotel menu from the early 1900s, where a sirloin steak cost an eye-popping five dollars! But the views of the town and the Ozarks that were most inspiring.
Though we reached the top of the tower in under a minute via elevator, Professor Yawn challenged us to put our “hiking” skills to the test by walking down the 216-foot tower. To my surprise, I was the first to make it down the long flight of stairs—a satisfying redemption after my setback at Pinnacle Mountain!
Fordyce Bathhouse
by Olivia Discon
After we conquered the Hot Springs Mountain Tower, Saara and I headed to the Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center and Museum, a time capsule to an age when people believed these hot springs could cure just about anything.
Built in 1915, the Fordyce Bathhouse was once the go-to spot for people looking to treat illnesses like arthritis, skin conditions, and as you could imagine, chronic stress. We talked about how long some of these people would stay—weeks, sometimes even months—soaking in the mineral waters, hoping for a miracle cure.
The Fordyce is part of Bathhouse Row–several historic bathhouses that line Hot Springs’ main street–but it was the first to close. Just two decades after the development of penicillin, bath houses were seen as obsolete, and in 1962, the Fordyce closed. Since that time, the National Park Service has taken great steps in renovating the houses and re-opening them to the public as museums.
As we walked through the museum, we got a sense of just how elevated of an experience this must have been. With stained glass ceilings and marble accents throughout, it was clear that the treatment prescribed grandeur and luxury.
After our tour, Saara and I explored some of the rooms, and we found the gym to be the most interesting.
It was filled with old equipment and gymnastic apparatus, There was no shortage of details in what a long term stay would require.
While these baths might not have been miracle cures, they certainly forced relaxation and offered an escape from everyday life!
What I found especially interesting was that the entire area, including Bathhouse Row, is now maintained by the National Park Service and, indeed, much of the downtown area falls into the Park System. Indeed, some of our most memorable scenes were in the downtown area.
We only had a day in Hot Springs and we didn’t actually soak in any springs, but we greatly enjoyed our time, and left with a sense of rejuvenation.
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