Explore Hot Springs

HOT SPRINGS, ARKANSAS

Explore Hot Springs

Plan a trip around Bathhouse Row, Hot Springs National Park, Lake Hamilton, restaurants, cabins, hotels, hiking trails, spas, mountain views, and local attractions across Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Local Events

This Weekend in Hot Springs

Check what’s happening around Hot Springs before you head out — from live music and festivals to family-friendly things to do.

Arts & Culture

Historic Downtown Hot Springs Gallery Walk

Fri, Jun 5, 20265:00 PMDowntown Hot SpringsHot Springs, Arkansas

On the first Friday of every month, downtown Hot Springs comes alive with the Gallery Walk. Since 1989, local galleries and studio spaces have opened their doors to showcase new art exhibitions, featuring a mix of contemporary and traditional works. It's a great way to enjoy the arts and culture scene in this historic area.

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Community

Broken To Blessed Second Saturday Community Vendor Market & Free BBQ

Sat, Jun 13, 202610:30 AMBroken To Blessed CharityHot Springs, Arkansas

Broken To Blessed Charity is hosting its next Second Saturday Community Vendor Market and Free Community BBQ on Saturday, June 13, from 10:30 AM to 6:00 PM at 3861 Hwy 62/412 in Hardy, Arkansas. The event will include local vendors, a free community BBQ, family-friendly activities, and live music from returning performers Hardin Hunt and The Tracy Morris Band. The market is built around bringing the community together while supporting foster youth first, veterans, and families in need. The organizers are currently looking for food donations for the BBQ, especially side dishes, meat donations, and anything that can help feed the community. They have received some deer meat, but are still needing additional meat donations to help make the BBQ a success. Anyone who would like to donate food or meat can comment on the original post or message the organizer directly. There will also be a fundraiser raffle for a handmade arrowhead necklace created by Mia Del The Medicine Woman. Raffle tickets are $3 for one ticket or $5 for two tickets, with the drawing held once all raffle spots are sold. Suicide prevention awareness pins will also be available for $3 each or 2 for $5. These are sold separately from the raffle, and the group currently has about 40 pins they would like to get out into the community. Vendor spaces are available for $25. Vendors keep 100% of their sales. Setup is outdoors, with vendor setup from 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM, and the booth fee collected on arrival. Vendors interested in participating are asked to comment “LOCK ME IN” with their business name on the original post. Donations can also be made through Broken To Blessed Charity’s website or Cash App

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Community Photos

Have photos from around Hot Springs?

Send in local photos from events, Bathhouse Row, Lake Hamilton, restaurants, trails, or nearby spots. Approved photos may be featured in future guides and community updates.

Plan Your Visit

Explore Hot Springs by the kind of trip you want.

Hot Springs is easy to visit, but it helps to know where to start. Use these main guides to move between Bathhouse Row, Lake Hamilton, downtown restaurants, local shops, places to stay, and the quieter corners that make the area feel more personal.

Things To Do
Start planning

Things To Do

Start with the places people usually come to Hot Springs for: Bathhouse Row, mountain views, lake days, museums, gardens, trails, spas, family stops, and a few quieter places that are easy to miss if you only stay downtown.

Bathhouse RowLake HamiltonFamily-Friendly
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Restaurants
Eat local

Restaurants

Hot Springs has old-school breakfast counters, lakefront meals, barbecue, pizza, coffee shops, breweries, Mexican food, Italian dinners, and local spots people come back to after the trip is over.

Near Bathhouse RowLake Hamilton Food
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Cabins
Stay awhile

Cabins

For a quieter trip, look toward cabins, wooded retreats, lake stays, romantic getaways, and places that give you a little more room to slow down outside the busy parts of town.

Lake Hamilton CabinsHotels
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Hotels
Easy base camps

Hotels

Find hotels near Bathhouse Row, Oaklawn, downtown Hot Springs, Lake Hamilton, and Hot Springs National Park depending on whether you want walkability, lake access, or a simple place to land.

Near Bathhouse RowNear Oaklawn
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Local Finds
Beyond the obvious

Local Finds

Some of the best parts of a Hot Springs trip are the smaller stops: local shops, antique and thrift finds, Ouachita Avenue, hidden gems, and places that feel more like the town than a brochure.

Hidden GemsAntique & ThriftOuachita Avenue
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Local Businesses
Support the area

Local Businesses

Browse visitor-friendly businesses around Hot Springs, from attractions and local services to shops, guides, spas, outdoor stops, and small businesses that help make the city easier to explore.

Get ListedSubmit an Event
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Visitor Highlights

The places most Hot Springs trips are built around.

A first trip to Hot Springs usually starts with Bathhouse Row, the national park, downtown, and maybe a weekend around Oaklawn. From there, it is easy to add trails, family stops, lake views, local restaurants, and quieter places around town.

Historic downtownNational park trailsThermal waterFamily stopsOaklawn weekendsScenic overlooksMuseums

Keep planning

Build the rest of your trip around trails, free things to do, family-friendly stops, events, and the main Hot Springs guide.

For Local Businesses

Get seen by people planning a Hot Springs trip.

Have a restaurant, cabin, hotel, shop, attraction, spa, guide service, or local business in the Hot Springs area? Get listed where visitors are already looking for places to eat, stay, explore, and spend money locally.

These nearby guides are part of the same local tourism network, built to help visitors find real places to eat, stay, explore, and spend time in smaller Arkansas communities around Hot Springs.

Quick Planning Help

Hot Springs travel questions, answered plainly.

If you are trying to figure out whether Hot Springs is a good fit for your weekend, start here. These answers point you toward the main parts of town, the lake, the national park, restaurants, places to stay, and a few guides that make planning easier.

1

What is Hot Springs, Arkansas known for?

Hot Springs is known for Bathhouse Row, Hot Springs National Park, natural thermal water, Oaklawn, Lake Hamilton, historic downtown, spas, hiking trails, and classic Arkansas getaway trips.

2

Is Hot Springs worth visiting?

Yes. Hot Springs is one of Arkansas’ easiest trips to recommend because it puts history, outdoor recreation, restaurants, lake access, spas, hotels, cabins, and family-friendly attractions close together.

3

What are the best things to do in Hot Springs?

Popular things to do include walking Bathhouse Row, visiting Hot Springs National Park, exploring Garvan Woodland Gardens, spending time on Lake Hamilton, visiting Oaklawn, hiking trails, eating downtown, and checking local shops.

4

Where should I stay in Hot Springs?

Visitors often stay downtown near Bathhouse Row, near Oaklawn, around Lake Hamilton, or in cabins and vacation rentals outside the busiest parts of town. The best area depends on whether you want walkability, lake views, racing, or quiet.

Still deciding what kind of trip this is?

For a first visit, start with Bathhouse Row and downtown, then add either Lake Hamilton, Oaklawn, a cabin stay, hiking, or a local food/shopping stop depending on the season and who you are traveling with.

Start with Things To Do →