Experiencing the Healing Waters of Quapaw Bathhouse in Hot Springs National Park – Love, Laughter, and Luggage

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One spring break, we decided to spend a few days at Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas. That visit would include spending time on Bathhouse Row and trying one of the available bathhouse experiences; we chose Quapaw Bathhouse.

Hot Springs National Park is Unique

I love visiting national parks, and I’d had my eye on this one since Arkansas borders Missouri. Spring break seemed like the perfect time for us to go. It’s important to realize the Hot Springs National Park differs greatly from most parks. This park focuses on the history of medical tourism to Hot Springs, Arkansas, during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Due to the natural hot springs in the area, Hot Springs became a mecca for those looking to relieve their ailments in the mineral-rich water from the hot springs.

Though there are some ways to get some hiking in, if you come to Hot Springs National Park just for that purpose, you may be disappointed. The same goes for spotting wildlife; you may catch a squirrel or a bird, maybe a stray dog or cat. But you’re not going to see the wildlife of Yellowstone or Yosemite.

A Brief History of Bathhouse Row in Hot Springs

Native Americans had used the hot springs for their healing properties for centuries, and the word spread as white settlers discovered the area. Wooden structures sprang up following the Civil War. Until 1882, the Hot Springs Creek flowed in front of the bathhouses, providing the source of the water for the baths. In 1896, the wooden bathhouses began being replaced by stone and steel.

In 1882, an underground arch was built to contain Hot Springs Creek and to deter pollution and sewage issues. The arch was covered with landscaping and poplar trees, making the areas in front of the bathhouses more garden-like and relaxing. Pipes replaced wood troughs for the water, and the bathhouses themselves became a place of luxury with stained glass, marble, men and women’s lounges, and state-of-the-art gymnasiums.

By the early 1900s, doctors prescribed visits to the bathhouses to those who could afford the train ride and stay a few days or weeks in Hot Springs to make daily treks to the bathhouse. The bathhouses remained a destination for those looking for the healing waters of Hot Springs throughout the first half of the century. Even gangsters like Al Capone visited the bathhouses, when they weren’t drinking, betting on the horses, or expanding their moonshine business dealings.

After World War II, the bathhouses saw a decline in patronage. War often brings new medical discoveries and treatments. Business continued to dwindle, and in 1962, the Fordyce Bathhouse closed. Several closed in the 1970s and early 1980s. In 1985, the Buckstaff Bathhouse was the only one still operating.

Bathhouse Row was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, though Hot Springs was already a national park and had been one since 1921. The most lavish bathhouse, The Fordyce, was converted into the visitor center and museum, which is worth a visit while you’re at the park. The Lamar is now the Bathhouse Row Emporium which is an adorable shop and must-stop while visiting. Superior is now a brewery that serves lunch and dinner. The Hale is now a boutique hotel. One other bathhouse on Bathhouse Row offers spa services besides Quapaw– the Buckstaff. They offer a more authentic experience.

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Quapaw Bathhouse

We arrived in Hot Springs in the late afternoon. Our first encounter with this majestic Spanish Colonial Revival-style building was on a walk to have dinner at the Superior Bathhouse, the only brewery located inside of a national park! We got our bearings that evening with plans to return the next morning,

The next morning, we visited the Fordyce, the visitor’s center and museum. It’s free and well worth your time. Plan on spending an hour or two there. The park ranger at the visitor center suggested that we might want to head on over to Quapaw to get on the waiting list for the thermal pools before it got too long that morning.  The public thermal pools are on a first-come, first-served basis, so we took his advice and arrived at Quapaw Baths at about 10:15 a.m.

The attendant near the door took our names and verified Kristin’s age. (You must be 14 years old or older to use the thermal pools.) We then went to the counter to pay the entrance fee–$25 per person. They offer other services besides the public thermal pools; click here to read more about the other options.

After that, we were shown to a waiting area to wait our turn to enter the locker rooms. There is also a snack bar if you’re interested.

Soon it was our turn to change in the locker room. Men go to one, women another.

We changed into our swimming suits and placed our clothes into a locker. Before entering the locker room, you’re given a key you wear around your wrist. Kristin and I shared a locker.

You also need shoes when walking around the pools. We just wore our regular flops. You take them off before entering the water.

Ot was then time to enter the thermal pool room. There are four pools with different temperatures–95° F, 98° F, 102° F, and 104° F. The first pool on the top is the coolest; they get warmer from there.

You go in and out of the different pools as much as you want. You can also take breaks on a lounge chair. There’s an attendant at one end of the room with free ice water cups.

We decided to try the coolest pool first. You walk up these steps and step right on in.

We stayed for a bit, but then we tried the other pools. Jeff and Kristin liked the 102 degree pool the best, but I liked the hottest.

After a couple of hours, we were completely relaxed. We decided to see what other adventures we could find in Hot Springs National Park, including a visit to the Bathhouse Row Emporium at the Lamar.

If you’re wondering if the public thermal pools are worth it at Quapaw Baths, I would say yes. It was a unique experience, and it was cool to experience relaxing together while tying out the mineral water. Though it’s not quite the experience of those who came for healing, it did give us a taste of what soaking in the water would be like. Give it a try. It’s definitely relaxing.

Click below to read about some of our other adventures!

Driving Oregon’s Coast

Hiking the Narrows at Zion National Park

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks