History • Downtown
Walk Bathhouse Row
Bathhouse Row is one of the main reasons people visit Hot Springs. It is easy to walk, close to shops and restaurants, and gives the city its classic historic feel.
THINGS TO DO
Things To Do in Hot Springs, Arkansas
Find hiking trails, bathhouses, mountain views, lake activities, scenic drives, family attractions, spas, shopping, museums, and outdoor recreation around Hot Springs.
Hot Springs Trip Planning
Start with the places that make Hot Springs worth visiting.
Hot Springs is easy to build a trip around because the city has a real mix of history, nature, food, lake time, spas, and family attractions. You can walk Bathhouse Row in the morning, hike above downtown, spend time around Lake Hamilton, eat somewhere local, and still have plenty left for another day.
Use this guide to compare the main restaurants, hotels, cabins, attractions, and local stops before you visit.
Classic Hot Springs Stops
These are the places most visitors recognize first: historic downtown, the national park, thermal water, Oaklawn, lake views, gardens, trails, and the parts of town that give Hot Springs its identity.
Hot Springs Highlight
Bathhouse Row
Historic District • Downtown Hot Springs
Walk the historic heart of Hot Springs with bathhouses, thermal water, downtown shops, museums, restaurants, and some of the city’s most recognizable architecture.
Learn more →
Visitor Favorite
Hot Springs National Park
National Park • Trails • Scenic Views
Explore one of the country’s most unique national parks, with mountain trails, scenic overlooks, historic bathhouses, thermal springs, and easy access from downtown.
Explore →
Visitor Favorite
Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort
Horse Racing • Casino • Entertainment
A major Hot Springs destination for horse racing, casino gaming, dining, events, and resort-style entertainment.
Explore →More Things To Do Around Hot Springs
These are the activities and local experiences that help turn a quick stop into a full Hot Springs trip.
National Park • Hiking
Visit Hot Springs National Park
The national park sits right around downtown, making it easy to mix hiking, overlooks, historic buildings, thermal water, and local food into the same day.
Lake • Boating • Views
Spend Time on Lake Hamilton
Lake Hamilton is a big part of the Hot Springs getaway feel, with lakefront restaurants, boating, fishing, vacation rentals, hotels, and sunset views.
Gardens • Walking • Photos
Explore Garvan Woodland Gardens
Garvan Woodland Gardens is one of the prettiest outdoor stops near Hot Springs, with landscaped trails, seasonal color, lake views, and the well-known Anthony Chapel.
Racing • Casino • Events
Visit Oaklawn
Oaklawn brings horse racing, gaming, restaurants, events, and resort energy to Hot Springs, especially during racing season and busy weekends.
Spa • Thermal Water
Try a Bathhouse or Spa
Hot Springs is known for its bathhouse history, and visitors can still plan spa time, thermal bathing, massages, and a slower downtown experience.
Museum • History • Downtown
Visit The Gangster Museum of America
The Gangster Museum of America gives visitors a deeper look at Hot Springs’ gangster, gambling, bootlegging, and early 20th-century history in the middle of downtown.
Tour • Family Activity • Lake Hamilton
Take a National Park Duck Tour
National Park Duck Tours give visitors a land-and-water way to see Hot Springs, with a downtown start, local history, and time around Lake Hamilton.
Scenic Drives • Overlooks
Take in Mountain Views
The city is surrounded by mountain scenery, with overlooks, winding roads, trails, Hot Springs Mountain Tower, North Mountain, and West Mountain viewpoints that make the area feel different from a normal downtown trip.
Parks • Trails • Outdoor Recreation
Explore Cedar Glades Park
Cedar Glades Park is a good outdoor stop for trails, disc golf, open space, and a more local park feel when visitors want to get outside beyond the main downtown attractions.
Distillery • Tours • Local History
Stop by Crystal Ridge Distillery
Crystal Ridge Distillery adds another downtown visitor stop with spirits, tastings, tours, cocktails, events, and a connection to Hot Springs’ moonshine and distilling history.
Family • Museums • Activities
Find Family Attractions
Families can mix outdoor stops with museums, parks, kid-friendly restaurants, Magic Springs, Mid-America Science Museum, Duck Tours, and easy downtown exploring.
Restaurants • Local Food
Eat Downtown or by the Lake
Hot Springs has everything from breakfast spots and historic bars to lakefront seafood, barbecue, pizza, breweries, cafes, and more polished dinner spots.
Lake Days & Mountain Views
Hot Springs works because you can mix city, lake, and outdoors.
Spend one part of the day downtown, another part near the water, and still have time for food, hiking, shopping, or a quiet place to stay.
Find Cabins & Lake StaysPlan Around the Kind of Trip You Want
Hot Springs can be a historic downtown trip, a lake weekend, a family vacation, a couples getaway, or an outdoor base. The best plan depends on why you’re coming.
For a First-Time Visit
Start with Bathhouse Row, Hot Springs National Park, downtown shops, a local restaurant, and a scenic overlook. That gives you the classic Hot Springs experience without overcomplicating the day.
For a Family Trip
Mix easier attractions like Mid-America Science Museum, Magic Springs, Lake Hamilton, downtown treats, family-friendly restaurants, and short scenic stops.
For a Couples Getaway
Look at bathhouses, spas, nicer restaurants, boutique hotels, cabins, lake views, gardens, and slower downtown exploring.
For an Outdoor Weekend
Build the trip around hiking, mountain views, Lake Hamilton, Lake Catherine, scenic drives, kayaking, fishing, and a cabin or lake stay.
Before You Go
Planning a trip around Hot Springs?
Check what’s happening this weekend before you go. Local events, live music, festivals, family activities, and seasonal things to do will be added as they’re approved.
Hot Springs Things To Do FAQs
Quick answers for people planning a Hot Springs weekend, lake trip, downtown stay, family visit, or Arkansas getaway.
What are the best things to do in Hot Springs, Arkansas?
Popular things to do in Hot Springs include walking Bathhouse Row, visiting Hot Springs National Park, spending time on Lake Hamilton, going to Oaklawn, exploring Garvan Woodland Gardens, hiking, visiting museums, trying local restaurants, and booking a spa or bathhouse experience.
Is Hot Springs, Arkansas good for a weekend trip?
Yes. Hot Springs works very well for weekend trips because you can fit in downtown exploring, national park trails, restaurants, bathhouses, lake views, hotels, cabins, and local attractions without driving far between stops.
What is Hot Springs known for?
Hot Springs is known for Bathhouse Row, natural thermal water, Hot Springs National Park, historic downtown, Oaklawn, Lake Hamilton, spas, hiking trails, and Arkansas getaway trips.
What can families do in Hot Springs?
Families can visit Mid-America Science Museum, Magic Springs, Hot Springs National Park, Lake Hamilton, Garvan Woodland Gardens, downtown shops, kid-friendly restaurants, and scenic outdoor spots.
Where should I stay when visiting Hot Springs?
Many visitors stay downtown near Bathhouse Row, near Oaklawn, around Lake Hamilton, or in cabins and vacation rentals just outside the busiest parts of town.
Planning Your Stay
Make the rest of the trip easier too.
Once you know what you want to do, find restaurants, hotels, cabins, and local businesses close to the parts of Hot Springs you actually plan to visit.