A Weekend Guide for Hot Springs, AR
- Lauren
- 3 days ago
- 4 min read
Have you ever said "let's spend a weekend in Hot Springs, Arkansas"? If not, you should. My boyfriend and I spent a weekend exploring Hot Springs, Arkansas and learning all about its history! When we first talked about visiting it was to check Hot Springs National Park off our list, but after research on the town we realized there was more to the area! Here is how to spend a weekend in Hot Springs, Arkansas:
Where To Stay
I cannot stress this enough – stay at the 1890 Williams House Inn!! This bed and breakfast is located just a couple of blocks from downtown Hot Springs, making it super easy to walk into town for activities and meals. The owners are extremely nice and helpful, and the team serves fresh, delicious breakfast every morning! There are sitting areas for you to play checkers or cards. The rooms are cozy and are equipped with everything you need. The stay was one of my favorite parts of the trip!
What To Do
Trolley Tour
This trolley tour offers visitors a little bit of background on the town, its history relating to baseball, healing, and mobsters. You also have the opportunity to familiarize yourself with the town and take in great views! The tour lasts about 1.5 hours and costs $21 per adult.
Hot Springs National Park
Hot Springs NP consists of 26 miles of trails and eight historic bathhouses. This area was designated as Hot Springs Reservation, a federal reservation, in 1832 and it was not until 1921 that the land was established as the 18th national park. Explore the land and soak up the nature by hitting the trails in the morning. The trails are peaceful and rejuvenating! You can also check out some of the remaining bathhouses! Fordyce Bathhouse houses the park's visitors center and a museum where you can see exactly how the bathhouses were set up when they were in the late 1800s/early 1900s.
Horse Racing
A short drive from downtown Hot Springs is Oaklawn, a racetrack and casino owned and operated by four generations of the same family since 1904. For some excitement and a tiny bit of gambling, check out the horse races at Oaklawn. Race season starts in December and ends in April. You can purchase tickets for a seat and watch the races or try your luck at choosing winning horses! Afterward, you can go spend your winnings at the casino nextdoor! (or you can be wise and not spend the winnings 😅)
Walk Downtown
I am a huge proponent of walking around towns/cities to learn more about the history and vibe. There are little plaques spread out across downtown that discuss historical events, figures, and buildings that contributed to Hot Springs. We walked from our Inn around downtown, and we always felt safe! We also felt that our Inn was the perfect distance from downtown.
Mountain Tower
In the national park you can go to Mountian Tower to learn about the area and soak in the views. The tower soars at 216 ft high, perfect for visitors to see the Ouachita Mountains and Diamond Lakes area. There are two different levels that you can stop at, the top level has an outdoor area where you can see 360º and an indoor area with some information. The second level is all indoor and offers more information on the area. Admission is $13.00 for adults.
Where To Eat
As you can tell by the name, Deluca's Pizza serves pizza, brick oven pizza made with handmade dough to be exact. Pizza is not the only thing you'll find at Deluca's though! You'll also find delicious pasta and salads. I highly recommend the Arugula Salad and the Zach-n-Cheese!
The Ohio Club is not just a bar and grill type of place, it is the oldest bar in Arkansas. It has also seen visitors like Al Capone and Bugsy Segel. The bar also offers diners and drinkers live music on the weekends! I recommend the Old Fashioned Burger, it is very good! Definitely read up on the history of the bar (you can find this in the menu) and take a look at different cool items around the place!
Most of the days we were in Hot Springs, we ate the delicoius breakfast provided by the 1890 Williams House Inn, however, one day we wanted to try The Pancake House after all the great reviews and blog posts that we read. The reviews and blog posts were right! The Pancake Shop has an array of breakfast options, from pancakes (obviously) to eggs and meat. Whatever you do, eat the coffee cake!! I am very picky about coffee cake and this one was seriously one of best coffee cakes that I've eaten!
I cannot speak to the lunch and dinner at The Arlington Resort Hotel's restaurant, but if it's anything like their brunch buffet then it's delicious. We decided to head to the hotel's restaurant for their Sunday brunch before we headed out of town and I am glad that we did. There were different stations at the buffet, including a crepe station, donut station, omelet station, salad and fruit bar, and more! We definitely got our money's worth at this buffet because it was so tough to pass up all of the good food!
I know, I know. Another pizza place, but you can never have too much pizza right?? If you're looking for a low-key, good pizza joint definitely check out SQZBX. I recommend the Biggie Smalls for fellow pepperoni lovers!
What was once a bustling spa town, MLB spring training site, and hotspot for illegal gambling and gangsters is now a small resort town in Arkansas. For a weekend full of history, romance, a little bit of nature, and small-town vibes, head to Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Have you ever been to Hot Springs? Tell me your favorite part!
Comments