Things to Do in Hot Springs, Arkansas: A Family Guide

The best things to do in Hot Springs, Arkansas, for a family start with Bathhouse Row and the Grand Promenade in Hot Springs National Park. Fill a jug with free thermal spring water and ride up Hot Springs Mountain Tower, then head into town for the Arkansas Alligator Farm, the Mid-America Science Museum and Garvan Woodland Gardens. Hot Springs National Park charges no entrance fee. Below are 13 verified picks, each with how long to allow.

The short version: in Hot Springs, the spring water fell as rain about 4,400 years ago and you can take it home for free. And a 573-foot Babe Ruth home run landed inside an alligator farm.

How we chose

We confirmed every pick on the National Park Service (NPS) site or the venue's own site, and left out adults-only stops. Times marked as estimates are ours. Hours and prices change, so check each official link before you go.

Can you drink or soak in the springs at Hot Springs?

Yes, you can drink the water, and you can soak in it, but only inside two bathhouses. The National Park Service says there is no outdoor soaking anywhere in Hot Springs National Park.

• Drink: The thermal water is monitored to US drinking water standards, according to the NPS. Fill jugs at the fountains on Reserve Street, in front of the Libbey Memorial Physical Medicine Center and the NPS Administration Building, and at Hill Wheatley Plaza on Central Avenue.
• Drink it cold: Happy Hollow Spring and Whittington Spring are cold-water springs, treated by ozone filtration as the Arkansas Department of Health requires.
• Soak: Only the Buckstaff Bathhouse (ages 10 and up) and Quapaw Baths & Spa (ages 14 and up) offer thermal soaking.
• Touch: The water leaves the ground at an average of 143 degrees Fahrenheit, but the NPS says it is cool enough to touch by the time it reaches the display pools. These include the Hot Water Cascade on Arlington Lawn and the Display Spring behind the Maurice.

Hot Springs National Park: what should a family do first?

Start at the Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center, walk the Grand Promenade, fill your jugs, and then decide who is old enough for a bath. Congress set the springs aside on April 20, 1832, which makes Hot Springs older than Yellowstone National Park by 40 years.

1. Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center, Bathhouse Row

Do: Walk through the Fordyce Bathhouse on Bathhouse Row in Hot Springs, Arkansas. It opened in 1915, it is the largest bathhouse on the Row, and today it is a museum furnished as it was in its bathing days. Pick up the free Junior Ranger booklet here; the NPS aims it at ages 5 to 13.

Allow: About an hour (our estimate).

Why: It's free, it's indoors, and it shows kids what a bath day looked like before they see anyone take one. The Fordyce is typically open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.

2. Grand Promenade and the display springs, Bathhouse Row

Do: Walk the Grand Promenade, a half-mile path that runs behind Bathhouse Row and is a National Recreation Trail. Then let the kids put their hands in the water at the Hot Water Cascade on Arlington Lawn, which the NPS calls the largest visible spring in the park.

Allow: 30 to 45 minutes (our estimate).

Why: It's the easiest way to see steam rising off thermal water without paying a cent. Strollers can use the ramp entrances at Fountain Street and behind the Fordyce.

3. Fill a jug at a thermal fountain, Reserve Street

Do: Bring food-grade containers that can handle hot water and fill them at the thermal fountains listed above.

Allow: 15 minutes.

Why: The NPS says about 700,000 gallons flow from the springs each day, and the water is free at every jug fountain. Selling it is prohibited, so nobody can charge you for it.

4. Take a thermal bath at the Buckstaff or the Quapaw, Bathhouse Row

Do: Book the traditional bath at the Buckstaff Bathhouse, 509 Central Avenue. It has been bathing visitors since 1912, and a new operator is set to take over the concession, so check its site before you go. Or swim in the public thermal pools at Quapaw Baths & Spa, 413 Central Avenue, typically $30 per person.

Allow: About 1.5 hours for the full Buckstaff package, the bathhouse says, longer when busy.

Why: Check the age rules first: the Buckstaff serves guests 10 and older, and the Quapaw pools take guests 14 and older, and guests 14 to 18 must come with an adult. The Quapaw requires a proper swimsuit and non-slip, slip-on rubber or plastic swim shoes.

5. Mystic Ozark, Bathhouse Row

Do: Step inside the historic Ozark Bathhouse at 425 Central Avenue for Mystic Ozark, an immersive walk through four themed rooms with flowing water, lighting, projections and hands-on water features.

Allow: About an hour (our estimate).

Why: It's the hands-on answer for kids too young for the baths. Mystic Ozark is typically open Wednesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

6. Lunch at Superior Bathhouse Brewery, Bathhouse Row

Do: Eat in the old Superior Bathhouse at 329 Central Avenue. Superior Bathhouse Brewery brews with the park's thermal spring water and calls itself the only brewery inside a national park.

Allow: About an hour.

Why: It's our pick for a family sit-down meal on the Row, and the restaurant says all ages are welcome with supervision. It opened in 1916 as the smallest bathhouse on the Row, with the lowest rates. It's typically closed on Tuesdays and doesn't take reservations.

7. Hot Springs Mountain Tower, Hot Springs Mountain

Do: Drive up Hot Springs Mountain Drive, or hike the Peak Trail from the Grand Promenade, to the 216-foot Hot Springs Mountain Tower at 401 Hot Springs Mountain Drive. The NPS says its upper deck sits at 1,256 feet above sea level and looks out over 140 square miles of countryside.

Allow: About an hour (our estimate).

Why: Kids get the elevator ride and the big view, and parking is free. Admission is typically $13 for ages 12 to 54 and $6.50 for ages 5 to 11; children 4 and under go free. Hours change with the seasons.

Beyond Bathhouse Row: what else is there to do in Hot Springs?

Outside the park, Hot Springs has a baseball history trail, a petting zoo with alligators, a Smithsonian-affiliated science museum and a botanical garden.

8. Hot Springs Historic Baseball Trail, around town

Do: Follow the self-guided Hot Springs Historic Baseball Trail with its free app, a QR code or a tour by phone. The trail says more than 250 major leaguers once trained in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Allow: One to two hours by car for a few stops (our estimate).

Why: It turns a drive around town into a scavenger hunt. Start at Whittington Park on Whittington Avenue: the trail says Babe Ruth trained in Hot Springs nine times, and on March 17, 1918, he hit a 573-foot home run from there that landed inside the Arkansas Alligator Farm.

9. Arkansas Alligator Farm & Petting Zoo, Whittington Avenue

Do: Hold a baby alligator, feed the animals in the petting zoo (the farm furnishes the feed), and buy a ticket to feed the alligators at the Arkansas Alligator Farm & Petting Zoo on Whittington Avenue.

Allow: One to two hours (our estimate).

Why: It has run since 1902, and the farm calls itself the oldest attraction in Hot Springs. Admission is typically $14 for adults and $10 for kids 12 and under. Winter hours typically skip Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and the live alligator feeding shows return in warm weather.

10. Mid-America Science Museum, west Hot Springs

Do: See the Tesla coil show, walk the Bob Wheeler Science Skywalk through the treetops and find the outdoor DinoTrek at the Mid-America Science Museum, 500 Mid America Boulevard.

Allow: Three hours (our estimate).

Why: The museum says its Tesla coil is the world's most powerful conical one, a Guinness record holder, and it was the first institution in Arkansas named a Smithsonian Affiliate. Admission is typically $15 for adults and $13 for children 12 and under. The museum is typically open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m., and closed Mondays.

11. Garvan Woodland Gardens, Arkridge Road

Do: Walk the forest paths, climb into the Evans Treehouse and look into Anthony Chapel at Garvan Woodland Gardens, 550 Arkridge Road. It is the botanical garden of the University of Arkansas.

Allow: Two to three hours (our estimate).

Why: It gives kids room to run between the museum stops. Daytime admission is typically $22 for adults and $10 for kids 4 to 12. From late November through December 31 the gardens switch to evening-only Holiday Lights, with more than eight million lights; nights often sell out, so buy online.

12. Hot Springs Farmers & Artisans Market, Orange Street

Do: Shop for local produce, baked goods and crafts at the Hot Springs Farmers & Artisans Market, 121 Orange Street in downtown Hot Springs.

Allow: 45 minutes.

Why: It's a cheap Saturday breakfast stop before the park. The market runs every Saturday, rain or shine and year-round, typically from 7 a.m. to noon in the main May-to-October season.

13. Lake Catherine State Park, on the edge of Hot Springs

Do: Hike the Falls Branch Trail at Lake Catherine State Park, 1200 Catherine Park Road, to a seasonal waterfall on Falls Creek. In the warm months, rent a canoe or pedal boat at the marina, which closes from November to mid-March.

Allow: Half a day; Arkansas State Parks puts the 2-mile trail at 1.5 to 2 hours.

Why: Expect a free swim beach (no lifeguard) and playgrounds. More parks and trails are on our outdoors page.

What can you do in Hot Springs on a rainy day?

On a rainy day in Hot Springs, go indoors on Bathhouse Row and then drive to the Mid-America Science Museum.

• The Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center (free).
• Mystic Ozark in the Ozark Bathhouse.
• A thermal soak at the Buckstaff or Quapaw, if your kids meet the age rules.
• The Mid-America Science Museum, with its Tesla Theater, planetarium dome and Tinkering Studio.

What is free to do in Hot Springs?

The national park itself is free, and so are most of the best family moments in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

• Park entry, the Fordyce museum, the Junior Ranger booklet and ranger-led tours, per the NPS.
• The Grand Promenade, the Hot Water Cascade and every jug fountain.
• 26 miles of park hiking trails.
• The swim beach at Lake Catherine State Park.

Magic Springs Theme and Water Park is paid and opens for a warm-weather season; check its calendar.

What is a good two-day family route in Hot Springs?

Park once downtown and do the first morning on foot.

1. Saturday: breakfast at the Orange Street farmers market.
2. Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center and Junior Ranger booklets.
3. Grand Promenade, Hot Water Cascade, then fill your jugs.
4. Mystic Ozark, then lunch at Superior Bathhouse Brewery.
5. Older kids and grown-ups: a soak at the Buckstaff or the Quapaw.
6. Hot Springs Mountain Tower.
7. Whittington Park and the alligator farm where Babe Ruth's homer landed.
8. Day two: the Mid-America Science Museum, then Garvan Woodland Gardens or Lake Catherine State Park.

To stay longer, browse places to stay and places to eat. Add a day of quartz digging in Mount Ida or diamond digging in Murfreesboro, or find more drives on our road trips page.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Can you swim in the hot springs in Hot Springs, Arkansas?

Not outdoors. The National Park Service says there is no outdoor soaking in Hot Springs National Park; thermal soaking is offered only inside the Buckstaff Bathhouse and Quapaw Baths & Spa on Bathhouse Row.

Can you drink the water in Hot Springs National Park?

Yes. The National Park Service says the thermal water is monitored to US drinking water standards and is free at the park's jug fountains on Reserve Street and Central Avenue. Bring food-grade containers that can handle hot water.

Can kids go in the bathhouses in Hot Springs?

Only older kids. The Buckstaff Bathhouse serves guests 10 and older, and the Quapaw Baths & Spa pools take guests 14 and older, and guests 14 to 18 must come with an adult. Younger children can touch the thermal water at the Hot Water Cascade on Arlington Lawn.

Is Hot Springs National Park free?

Yes. Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas has no entrance fee, and the Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center, Junior Ranger program and ranger-led tours are free. Bathhouse soaks and Hot Springs Mountain Tower are paid.

What is there to do in Hot Springs with kids on a rainy day?

On a rainy day, visit the free Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center and Mystic Ozark on Bathhouse Row, then drive to the Mid-America Science Museum for its Tesla coil show. Superior Bathhouse Brewery is an indoor lunch stop on the Row.

How many days do you need in Hot Springs, Arkansas?

Two days is our recommendation for a family: one for Bathhouse Row, the Grand Promenade and Hot Springs Mountain Tower, and one for the science museum, gardens, alligator farm or Lake Catherine State Park.