In charming and quirky Hot Springs, Arkansas, you can join in the tradition of soaking your body in the thousands-of-years-old mineral waters that people have sworn by for their beneficial properties for more than 100 years. There are different ways to partake of these waters, with the most popular being through the bathhouse experience. Although they are famous, are they going to be your cup of tea? On a recent visit, in search of answers for Real Food Traveler readers, I found out it depends on who you ask. Here is our Editor’s Pick article on what to consider before you go – and what else to do when you’re in Hot Springs.

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Is the Bathhouse Row Hot Springs Experience Right for You?

Hot Springs, Arkansas is best known for several things: being a city in a National Park, having mineral springs that date back thousands of years, a gangster history, and the bathhouses which began in the late 1890s. There is currently only one Hot Springs bathhouse that still provides the “bathhouse experience” as it was when it opened in 1912. Another bathhouse provides a more “modern,” spa-like experience. Recently I visited Hot Springs to learn more about the bathhouse experience and found out it’s a lot like Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

Due to some medical issues, I was not able to experience the baths myself, although I still learned plenty about them, thanks to an excellent, newer display at the Fordyce Bathhouse, which houses the National Park Visitor Center. It’s the ideal place to start to learn about how the hot springs themselves came to be (they are 4,000+ years in the making!) and the history of the Hot Springs Bathhouse experience as a whole. See the bathhouse experience frozen in time, along with new displays and exhibits.

Examples of the sitz bath and vapor cabinet still used in Buckstaff Bathhouse but on display at Fordyce.

Although there are eight bathhouse buildings in Bathhouse Row, only the Buckstaff Bathhouse still offers the traditional experience. As it did more than a century ago, that experience consists of a Whirlpool Mineral Bath ($40) which includes hot packs on the body with cool packs on the face; a sitz bath; the vapor cabinet (a box you sit in with panels that leave your head exposed); needle shower (a shower with forceful jets of water positioned at multiple levels around the body which, according their site, is not currently offered); and whirlpool which reaches up to 102 degrees. There’s also a Swedish Massage ($45) using a 20-minute, open-hand, Swedish style. The Traditional Bathing Package ($89), includes the whirlpool mineral bath, loofa mitt and 20-minute full body massage. The Deluxe Bathing Package ($100) is the top tier of offerings and includes the above plus a paraffin treatment for hands.

The group I was traveling with all did the Traditional Bathing Package. I told them they’d have to share their experiences with me so I could relay them to my readers (that’s you!), since I couldn’t experience it myself. I assumed they would all share similar experiences since they would all be going through the same chain of events, using the same equipment. But as we all gathered for dinner that evening, i was ready to take notes about what they had to say. However, I was surprised by the different reviews. It was like they had all gone someplace different!

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The Bathhouse Row Hot Springs Experience – What to Expect

One writer, whom I’ll call “Shelly,” thought it was wonderful. She loved every minute, especially when they wrapped hot towels around her body and a cool towel around her face. She loved the feeling of being kind of swaddled. Shelly said she planned to do something similar (but less hot) for her kids when she got home and would absolutely return to Hot Springs to do it all again.

“Jean” liked having her back scrubbed with a loofah in the tub but had a really hard time getting out of the tub and the low-to-the-ground sitz bath. She had to tell her masseuse to ease up after a bit because it was a little too vigorous for her liking. But otherwise, she liked it but probably wouldn’t do it again.

Then there was “Chris” who was the last to join the dinner party and, having not heard everyone else’s assessment walked in and said, “Can we talk about that bathhouse?!” She disliked every minute of it, feeling that the heat was too hot, the cold was too cold, and that the sitz bath was just altogether too awkward. But she did like that the massage was kind of rough.

See? Goldilocks and the three bears – too this, too that, and just right. What did this say about the Hot Springs bathhouse experience? That it’s going to be different for everyone! Some people may love it. Some might not. And some will be in between.

From what I learned, through listening to my colleagues, and talking to some of the locals, …

You’ll likely love the Buckstaff Bathhouse experience if:

1. You’re a history buff and want to experience what people have done for generations.
2. You’re game for anything and don’t mind being a little uncomfortable in the name of having a unique experience.
3. You’re intrigued by the mysticism behind healing properties of mineral spring water.

Buckstaff Bathhouse was undergoing some construction to its exterior when we were there. But it’s still very much open to the public, sitting along Bathhouse Row as it has for more than 100 years.

You’ll likely not like the Buckstaff Bathhouse experience if:

1. You’re used to a more pampering spa experience with scented candles, calming music, fragrant massage oils and infused water to drink.
2. You have a bad back or hips.
3. You have high blood pressure (in fact, it isn’t advised now, nor was it way back when)

Note, if you fall under this category, there is an alternative, the Quapaw Bathhouse which is more of a modern take on the spa experience, similar to what people are used to. They have public thermal pools and private baths for individuals or couples plus aromatherapy, hydrotherapy, plus massages, facials, and even makeup application and blowouts. Quapaw’s experiences start at $25 and go up from there, depending on what you include.

Quapaw is the bathhouse that provides the kind of spa services people are more used to these days.

Clearly, like so many things in life, whether or not to partake of the traditional Buckstaff Bathhouse experience is a personal one. And even if you go in thinking you might love it or might not like it (but are just so curious to try what’s unlike anything else), you may come out with a different opinion. No matter what though, you’ll be able to say you followed in the tiny-tiled footsteps of countless people who came before you to partake of the potentially healing waters and therapeutic treatments that so many swear by, to this day.

And, if nothing else, you will have gotten to spend some time in lively Hot Springs, Arkansas having a heck of a good time. That’s something everyone can agree on.

For more information about the Hot Springs bathhouses, visit the National Park Service website, here.

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While you’re in Hot Springs, Arkansas

Here’s a quick list of places to stay, eat, and go. Watch for our upcoming Editor’s Pick article which will tell you more details and provide a suggested itinerary:

Where to stay:
Hilltop Manor Bed and Breakfast, where I stayed, is about 10 minutes outside of town. It’s in an historic house on lots of land and you can walk right off the property into the National Park. It’s not uncommon to see deer roaming in the back yard in the morning. The innkeepers are warm and welcoming and breakfast is delicious, whether you enjoy it in the dining room or on the patio.

Others in our group stayed at In the Trees, The Reserve and The Waters. The first two are slightly out of town but still a quick drive to downtown. The latter is across the street from Bathhouse Row and in the thick of the action.

Hilltop Manor Bed & Breakfast is one of the places to stay in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Where to eat and drink:
Breakfast: The Pancake Shop is an institution, having opened in 1940. With a diner-style vibe, take my advice and order a buckwheat pancake and top it with a side of a farm-fresh, over-easy egg and a sausage patty, made locally. It’s good eating! Two tips: Get there before 8:30am or so to avoid having to wait in line. But don’t worry if you have to wait because the owner has the Savory Pantry artisan food boutique next door for perusing.  The Pancake Shop hostess will pop her head in to call your name when the table’s ready.

Lunch and coffee: Kollective Coffee + Tea is just down the street from Bathhouse Row. Stop in for locally-sourced products that are certified organic or natural, with no GMO’s, preservatives or harmful pesticides. The family-owned business also has poetry readings every Wednesday and live music. The place is casual and a hangout for the locals. Tip: Order the Turkey and Swiss sandwich. It’s filling and fresh with a nice crunch from sprouts.

A bite and brews: Superior Bathhouse is a fascinating place. Through an amazing deal and so much work and perseverance, owner Rose Schweikhart opened the brewery and restaurant in a former bathhouse, making it the only brewery on National Park land in the U.S.! Tip: Get the soft pretzel with beer cheese.

Dinner: The Ohio Club is Arkansas’ oldest bar and, boy oh boy, if those walls could talk! The likes of Al Capone, Major League Ball players (spring training started here) and entertainers including Al Jolson and Mae West spent time there. You can still enjoy live music, along with a vast cocktail, beer, and wine menu and a something-for-everyone food menu. Tip: Don’t miss their hamburgers – they are known for them. My “Ohio Burger” with pepper jack cheese and bacon topped with lettuce, tomato, spicy mustard and a thick onion ring was excellent.

The Ohio Club retains its historic exterior and interior with very good food and drinks.

Where to go:
Gangster Museum of America should be one of your first stops when you arrive in Hot Springs, Arkansas. With great displays and engaging videos and tour guides, a visit provides a history of the waters in the context of how they drew gangster-types (really famous ones) to Hot Springs for non-violent activities that included gambling, a bustling music scene, bootlegging, spring training-watching, and bathhouse treatments to cure all manner of ills. Understanding that history helps explain a lot of things that you’ll see while visiting.

Garvan Woodland Gardens is an oasis that is a must when visiting Hot Springs. Some areas feel wild, others very manicured. But the sprawling, 210-acre gardens either require arranging for a motorized tour, or for wearing good walking shoes in order to see it all. Don’t miss climbing around in the gorgeous tree house structure or sitting for a moment of serenity in the chapel with glass walls and peaked ceiling. Both let you commune with nature in very special ways. Tips: If you have a membership with your local botanic gardens, see if you have a reciprocal relationship with Garvan Woodland Gardens. It could mean free admission. But even if you have to pay, it’s worth every penny. Also, they are known for their holiday lights and spring tulip displays but there’s beauty to be found year-round.

Plan to linger a while in the chapel at Garvan Gardans. It’s a unique and beautiful place.

-Story and photos by Courtney Drake-McDonough, Publisher and Managing Editor, RealFoodTraveler.com

Please note: I visited Hot Springs, Arkansas as part of a tour set up for food- and travel-writing journalists to facilitate being able to write about the destination. The majority of the trip was hosted, as is common practice but does not sway how we inform our readers about the opportunities that await them.