Lifestyle

Hot Springs, Arkansas: 5 free things to see and do

Posted October 24, 2014 6:00 am

By Kristi Eaton Associated Press

The bar at the Ohio Club, one of several historic hotels in Hot Springs, Ark., claims to be the oldest bar in the state, open since 1905 when its patrons included the likes of Al Capone and Mae West. It features a massive 19th-century mahogany bar measuring 15-by-24 feet with hand-carved horse heads. ASSOCIATED PRESS/ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND TOURISM

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Hot Springs is a history-lover's dream. Over the years, visitors to this city of 35,000 in central Arkansas have ranged from baseball stars to notorious gangsters, all drawn by one thing: the naturally occurring warm mineral water that gives the area its name.

Here are five free things to see and do while visiting Hot Springs.

Fordyce Bathhouse

The Fordyce operated as a bathhouse from 1915 to 1962, then later reopened as the Hot Springs National Park visitors center. It's the largest bathhouse building on Bathhouse Row and offers exhibits about the springs' history, going back to Native Americans who were the first to use the water for healing. Other exhibits explore, among other things, what relaxation meant to visitors in the early to mid-20th century and how segregation laws affected African-Americans using the bathhouses. Watch for the room where women got their blisters removed. For details on visiting the Fordyce, go to nps.gov/hosp/historyculture/fordyce-bathhouse.htm.

The springs

There are 47 springs, but only 27 of them are used and on display. The rest are capped to keep the water from becoming contaminated. Two of the most readily accessible springs are located on Central Avenue, just outside of the Fordyce. At an average temperature of about 143 degrees Fahrenheit (62 Celsius), the water will feel surprisingly warm on your fingertips.

Mountain Valley Spring Company Museum

Pharmacist Pete E. Greene and his brother John Greene started selling Mountain Valley Spring water in 1871. After changing hands several times over the years, Mountain Valley returned to Hot Springs in 1987 and moved into a two-story classical revival style building on Central Avenue. Constructed in 1910, the building now houses a visitors center where you can see how bottle design changed over the years and sample some of the water. mountainvalleyspring.com/

The baseball trail

Did you know some of Major League Baseball's most famous players spent time in Hot Springs? The area was one of the first locations used for spring training, and hosted the likes of Babe Ruth, Honus Wagner and Jackie Robinson. Players and teams were attracted to the hot mineral baths, raucous night clubs and beautiful scenery. The Historic Baseball Trail guides visitors to spots marking important moments in the city's ties to the sport. Learn about where the players gambled in their off-hours or see the field where 18-year-old Hank Aaron played in the Negro League World Series in 1952. A documentary film about spring training in Hot Springs is also in the works. For details on the baseball trail, see hotspringsbaseballtrail.com/.

Historic hotels

In addition to Bathhouse Row, which is a National Historic Landmark District, Hot Springs is home to a number of other historic properties. The Arlington Hotel opened in 1875 as the area's first luxury hotel. It was razed about two decades later to make room for a new property. The third and current Arlington Hotel opened in 1924 and has hosted guests including Joe DiMaggio, Yoko Ono and gangster Al Capone, who favored room 442. arlingtonhotel.com/

Just down the street from the Arlington is the Ohio Club, said to be Arkansas' oldest bar. Open since 1905, Capone and other gangsters are counted among its many visitors. theohioclub.com/

A fountain sprays natural spring water in Hot Springs, Ark. Visitors have long sought out water from the natural springs for healing. At an average temperature of about 143 degrees Fahrenheit (62 Celsius), the water will feel surprisingly warm on your fingertips. ASSOCIATED PRESS/ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND TOURISM

The Mountain Valley Spring Company building has a visitors center where you can learn about the history of the business and see how bottle design has changed over the years. ASSOCIATED PRESS/MOUNTAIN VALLEY SPRING COMPANY

People walk by the Quapaw Baths on Bathhouse Row, a National Landmark Historic district in Hot Springs National Park in Hot Springs, Ark. By 1983, all but one of the bathhouses had closed, but their elaborate exteriors have been preserved. ASSOCIATED PRESS file photo

An old-fashioned gym is part of a museum at the Fordyce Bathhouse in Hot Springs, Ark. The Fordyce operated as a bathhouse from 1915 to 1962, then later reopened as the Hot Springs National Park visitors' center. ASSOCIATED PRESS file photo

Bathhouse Row is part of the National Historic Landmark district in Hot Springs National Park in Hot Springs, Ark. A museum about Hot Springs' history as a health resort and the visitor center for Hot Springs National Park are located in the Fordyce Bathhouse, in the right foreground. ASSOCIATED PRESS/HOT SPRINGS CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU

In this Feb. 18, 1935, Dizzy Dean gives a group of rookies a pitching lesson at a baseball school in Hot Springs, Ark. Some of baseball's most famous players spent time in Hot Springs, which was one of the first locations used for spring training. Visitors can check out spots on the Historic Baseball Trail marking important moments in the city's ties to the sport. ASSOCIATED PRESS file photo

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