Fordyce Bathhouse Reviews

Very cool to see what the old bathhouses were like. Well built for those times. It was an awesome display and quick to walk through.

Took a day trip from another area we were staying in Arkansas. Came for the bath house. Toured Fordyce & it didn’t disappoint. Was free & wasn’t overly crowded. Took about 2 hours to see it all.

This place had a lot of history behind it. I enjoyed seeing how things were back then. It is amazing how you everybody had their own little private rooms.

the entire bath house row is a must see. rich in history, interesting, worth the time. free parking one street over. lots of neat places along the way

We had a great Sunday afternoon visit. The historic building- displays and movies were a lot of fun. Our kids ranged from 5-23 years old and all enjoyed the visit. At the Fordyce- we picked up Junior Ranger Books, a special one on Bats. They really enjoyed completing them and earning a special NPS patch. The staff were very helpful and friendly. They were out of the regular program, but we will stop back another time and try it. Also enjoyed the NPS gift shop down the street/bathhouse row and got to take pictures of the kids in a tub- way fun! The staff there was super friendly too.

Enjoyed the tour. very interesting! I enjoyed looking back in time and imagining what life was like!

If you want the history and background of the early bathhouses you have to make this your first stop. The museum is well done, building beautiful, staff knowledgeable and it’s amazing to see the original tubs, tile, and tools used in those days.

This may have been the high point of out visit to Hot Springs. We enjoyed the informative and well-preserved displays and fixtures in this former bath house, now the national park headquarters. The free self-guided tour is a must.

We luckily arrived 5 minutes before closing yet were able to do a quick self guided tour of the bathhouse. It was nice to actually see one and it has been preserved from the start of last century.

The young girls at the front desk were pleasant and informative they knew the area well. I good info on the hiking in the area.

So much history I did not know about the bath houses of the past! I love how much was preserved to see what it was like in its heyday! The beautiful stained glass was a site to see! Glad we stopped un!

Very interesting building. Staff is very nice and answered all our questions. Bath house has been well preserved. Stained glass is beautiful. I wish this was functional but history is interesting.

Stop by here to get a few gifts the gentleman here help me and was very friendly , had a lot of Ark. gifts , On the main street which was nice I would recommend this place

Loved this beautiful historic site. Examples of spa service and massage was eye opening. Building is lovely. Stained glass windows are breathtaking artful. Go here!

Unfortunately it is closed for Covid. However, the splendor is evident on the stunning bathhouse exterior. You can not go in but you can see the splendor this building once had. It is the most ornate building on the Row. You can look in the windows and get information on the park. Also there is an access to the Grand Promenade with an exposed spring.

The national parks turned this once booming hot spring spa into a museum and pseudo welcome center. Both self guided and ranger led tours of the museum. Some great history to learn about and cool things to see, the exhibits felt authentic to the time period.

Free admission. Self guided tour (so go as fast/slow as you like). Lots to see with several video explanations.

This is a FREE site. Ranger tours last 45 minutes and are at 10 and 2. Site is open 9-5 and you can stroll through beautiful and interesting renovated rooms. Lots of information is available. If you come to Hot Springs and want to know why the city exists, then stop in here. Excellent information center, museum, in the center of town, and a good resting spot with air conditioning inside and rockers in the porch.

So this was very education, and it was free! We walked all the way through and learned a ton about the bath houses and the equipment they used in the day! I was impressed with the whole self guided tour. At the end we went and talked to one of the employees. You could tell that he really enjoyed and loved this job. He was passionate about the bath house and he gave us a lot of extra information we didn’t get on the tour!!

The hot springs in Arkansas were an important social and cultural place 100 years or so ago, and Fordyce is one of the bathhouses of the time. It's been preserved and turned into the Visitors Center for the Hot Springs national park. We were able to go into the building for a self-guided tour (lots of one-way directional arrows). The signs were interesting and helpful to teach more of the history of the place, and how the hot springs and other areas functioned when they were popular. Entrance to the bathhouse was free (although we had to wait a few minutes since people inside are currently capped due to Covid) and it was definitely worth taking 30 minutes or so to explore it.

Had to ask where the gift shop might be. People are very helpful and knowledgeable Plenty to see and absorb

We expected a lot of history or fascinating stories. Honestly, you can look at pictures and read much more information online. Not a necessary stop. We walked a trail behind bathhouse row. That was far more fun. There was a nice gift shop in one of the old bathhouses though. Interesting stuff inside and the salesman was so nice and helpful

The NPS does another amazing job. The Fordyce is well interpreted and there are amazing free tours led by Rangers that clearly care. The building itself is from the guilded age and the artwork and care in the decorations therein are incredible.

There are several pools on the backside of these buildings that you can go to and see 143 degree water coming out of the ground. These old fountains are a testament to the old world workmanship missing in slot of modern construction now.

The bathhouses are heavily signed with significant facts provided about each of these beautiful 1920's type of buildings.

Would highly recommend to bring a water bottle - at the end of the row there is a water filling station where you can get some 143 degree unfiltered water, and another smaller fountain behind the Fordyce- and it was really good!

What a neat place! We opted for the self-guided tour so we could look at our own pace. They did a great job of describing the bathhouse experience.

Enjoyed going through the Fordyce Bathhouse Museum. Interesting exhibits giving insight into Hot Springs during the early 20th century.

Fun place to tour and learn about the history of hot springs. We visited on a rainy day so this perfect to stay dry and keep busy.

This is really cool because it is unaltered from the turn of the century. Its interesting to see the technology and reflect on what is still valid today and what tuned out to be of little medical value. Also, there is a lot of history around baseball and beautiful architecture.

Very interesting, well worth a visit.
I would have liked to visit here back in its heyday. Volunteer rangers were very informative.

This 'museum' was a nice look back into the history of bath houses. The video they showed was very interesting talking about the thermal springs. Great place for history buffs.

We stopped in Hot Springs for the first time and checked in to the visitor center for tips on where to go during a short visit. The desk said we must see Fordyce and she was spot on! The building itself is beautiful in architecture and style, it’s free to walk through the inside, and it’s truly like taking a walk through history and seeing a glimpse of how the bathhouses were used back in the 1920s-40s. Very interesting! Almost made me nostalgic for a different time and place when things were so different! A must do while you’re in town you won’t be disappointed.

Worth a stop, this is interesting history and the park visitors center is friendly and helpful, and has local products

This was a great place to walk through and learn about. The majority of the items in the museum were originals from the early 1900s. This was the only bathhouse we visited because based off what I had read this was the only one with the original items in it and it was free to tour. Also, make sure to go behind the bathhouses to see an actual spring and more!! Neat place.

A tour of the Fordyce bathouse is a must for any visitor to Hot Springs. It's an opportunity to look back in time to a perfectly preserved/restored icon of America. Very reasonable and most interesting.

As part of our visit to the Hot Springs NP, we toured the Fordyce Bathhouse. This was the largest of the bathhouses on Bathhouse Row. There were eight. Each opulent. We envisioned a place with a large swimming pool and Jacuzzi-type tubs around the pool. Nope! Going to a bathhouse was far more of an experience than that – individual hot-baths in large tubs, fancy showers, exercise equipment, hot towels, massages and the like. Prices began at $45/person. And the men and women are kept separated.

There’s a self-guided tour of the Fordyce Bathhouse. It provide to be quite interesting and enlightening. Don’t know that we’d like to avail ourselves of a bathhouse. But it was interesting nonetheless.

The tour is something you absolutely should do when checking out Bathhouse Row. Your guide will give a great narrative on the bathhouse as well as the history of the area. You get to go through all sections on the bathhouse and you can explore the upper floor on your own. The Fordyce is the largest bathhouse on the Row. It ceased operations in 1962.

The staff with the National Parks at this visitor center is amazing- they are excited and happy to answer questions and share their passion of history with you. The exhibits show a good understanding of what the bath houses were like and the building and entire bathhouse row is exceptionally clean.

This was a really fascinating NP Visitor Center--very different, obviously, than most others! We loved that it was housed in one of the old bathhouses and that so much history was preserved. The exhibits were really interesting--I would guess that not too many people are familiar with the history of these bathhouses. I learned a lot!

The Visitor Centers are always a really good first stop when arriving at any national park--it's a good place to grab a map, chat with the rangers and get the lay of the land, so to speak. It's also where you can get your junior ranger workbooks!

It was very interesting to see everything as it once was used. I was previously unaware of steam boxes. I learned something new! :) I loved the stained glass windows and ceiling. Don't miss it!

Great old architecture that has been restored. Now the visitors center for Hot Springs National Park.

Good information and brochures, near trails, and free parking ramp visible the next parallel street. Good displays of the bathhouse when it was a working entity.

great way to get an idea of the operations of the bathhouse when it existed. Intriguing and pretty, plus it is FREE

We went in here while visiting hot springs and we loved it. The people working were all so helpful and nice! I bought a lot of products, the whipped body cream smells soo good! I got the orange, vanilla, jasmine omg it’s amazing! I also got a small one to carry in my purse. Would recommend stopping in here !

We were so bummed that the bathhouses were completely full and we couldn’t soak. But was excited to see that the Fordyce and the National Park Service provided us with this perfect peace of history. Some of the contraptions are just hard to believe that people did, especially the steam boxes.

If you don't have time to visit anything else this will give you the clear picture of Hot Springs history and purpose. There are guided tours at 11 and 2. You can borrow a booklet from the Ranges desk to make a self guided tour anytime. Well worth the time.

This is a great site to visit. You can complete a self-guided tour, but I'd really recommend taking one that is led by a ranger. They give you such an in-depth view of what it was like to use this bathhouse a century ago. It's a window into life in the Gilded Age, and there's so much history that they interpret so well at this site. When you complete the tour on the first floor, you can then visit the other levels of the bathhouse on your own. I thought that the gym looked especially great, and I can imagine people working on in it. It'd actually be a lot of fun to work out in a small gym like this one. There's also a re-created parlor area. That section looks a bit like it could have been used as a movie set in the "Titanic." The same type of aristocracy would have visited this bathhouse, hopefully with a better outcome.

The historic information is amazing…from the marble walls, to the stained glass, the bathing items, to the National Forestry Service staff. A great place to see especially if not visiting one of the bath houses.

Came to the visitors center and have a wonderful time taking the self tour. I recommend highly especially if you want to learn about the bathhouse in its heyday. The rangers are friendly and are knowledgeable at any questions I had. Bonus, the self guided tour is free.

I am so glad we toured the Fordyce Bathhouse to get a real understanding of the history of this area.
The video, museum, and exhibits open the door into the past and give you all the background on this area and the bathhouses in the early 1900s. I loved the mosaic tiles, stained glass windows and architecture. The original bathhouse rooms and equipment, original photos and costumes were most interesting.
My husband and I took one of the free 45-minute Ranger-led walking tours and thoroughly enjoyed it. I highly suggest it if you want a more detailed history of the area.

The building itself is beautiful, and the Park Service offers free tours of the Bathhouse. Our tour was very informative & gave us a lot of insight about the area we would have messed if we were just walking through ourselves. Then we could wander around the rest of the bathhouse and explore a little more. Definitely recommend this being one of the first things to do in Hot Springs as it gives you great information about the history of the town!

We toured the facility, and I found it fascinating. My teens did not think it was as interesting as me. The workers there were friendly and helpful. It was definitely worth exploring all of the floors.

Interesting look into an era before regular spas. Old equipment set up in interesting displays. Well worth the time it took to see.

The staff was very informative and the building is spectacular! Loved that there was a water fountain to taste the spring water and it even had a sign posting what elements had been found in thr water! Bought aone of their signature magnolia scented bath products...smells really good!

The effort expended by the park service to restore this facility is impressive. You get a true feel of the environment from the thirties forward.

The National Park Service always does an aces job in presenting our national treasures. This Visitor Center is no exception. It's well worth a visit. The restoration is near perfect. There are antiques displayed throughout and an information video that lasts 15 minutes. Do visit

This place is so interesting and full of history. We loved seeing how the bathhouses would have been run and set up. A great trip back in time. The details of the building are well maintained and just amazing to see.

My husband and I toured this facility and it was so interesting. Glad we went. It was worth it. There is no charge since it is the visitor center but we made a small donation in the donation box. They offer guided tours but we toured on our own. The elevator is the old kind. Old enough it was a bit scary to me using it. But it worked fine. The 2nd floor is being refurbished. The first and 3rd floor are awesome though. Well done and worth the time spent there.

We took the bath house tour. It was free and very informative. The guide was knowledgeable and happy to answer questions. I suggest making this your first stop in Hot Springs.

This original beautifully restored building with its inlayed tiles and beautiful stained glass is a must see. The National Park rangers are informative and offer a guided tour, which was very informative.

Kind of creepy but cool considering that this actually existed. The place was opened in 1915 and shows the inequality that existed. Kept in great condition

Beautifully maintained as a Bath House ( Circa 1930) . perfrctly preserved as the Visitor Center to dispay the wonder of Bath House Row. A Must See for all Visitors from the gymnasium on the third floor to the mineral springs coming out of the ground in the basement. Amazing.

Especially informative for first time visitors like I was to learn about the past and how bath houses were used. Attendants were very informative and helpful.

This is a very well done museum about what the bathhouses were like back in the day. It was extremely informative and explained a lot. Would highly highly recommend visiting this. Really gives you a great perspective on what they focused on. I had not idea that baseball players came here to train and relax.

This is a beautiful street with lots of history. Unfortunately this house was closed due to Covid. We were told this is the only bathhouse that does tours.

I guess I’d rather be about it than talk about it. This is just a self guided tour of bath houses. You pretty much get the same thing if you actually go experience it for yourself. I pretty much got a better version and more colorful from my bath attendant. But the people working there seemed really nice.

Awesome look back in time at how things used to be on bathhouse row. The self guided tour is free and takes about 30 minutes. There are also ranger guides talks throughout the day.

We always go downtown when we go up to Hot Springs. Walkaround and look. Grab a bite to eat, whatever .

I love this place. Tours can either be guided or self-guided. Make sure to go to the basement....surprising how ahead of the times yet NOT the were.

Not only is it FREE, but very cool which was appreciated in 100 plus degrees. Make sure you make it to the top floor.

Friendly park rangers, great exhibit (self-guided), good air-conditioning. Step inside, cool off and learn some history! Highly recommend.

Family trip to a National Park. This is the smallest park in the system and can be quickly seen as the park is one side of the street in downtown Hot Springs. Park rangers provided a tour while we were there and gave insight into the building of Fordyce Bathhouse, some of the famous patrons and the ultimate demise of most of the bathhouses on the row. Worthy of a look if passing through or trying to see all of the National Parks.

My family & I just spent the day in Hot Springs this July. Our first stop was the Visitors Center for the National Park, which is housed in the Fordyce Bathhouse.
I realize businesses are opening & closing at various times due to COVID, but I was very disappointed upon arrival to find out the Visitors Center & Museum were closed on a Saturday.
There was a masked park ranger stationed on the front porch, with a map, available to answer questions, as well as a rack with a few brochures and trail maps. I guess that’s better than nothing at all.

Even though countless reviews & websites encourage you to stop at the Visitors Center before exploring Hot Springs, you might want to plan accordingly for current times.

We were pleasantly surprised by how much we enjoyed our visit here. We found the tour fascinating. It’s free, self guided. I would consider it a must do in hot springs.

This is very cool!! It is a museum, it is free. Free bathrooms as well and it is very cool. We really enjoyed our stay!!!!!!

Open to veiw to see what it was like back in 1020 for the rich and famous to go. Saw changing room, steam room and beautiful stain glass ceiling.

This bathhouse is now a museum. You can walk around to take a look of the baths, showers, lockers, gymnasium, and more. You can also get your National Park Passport stamps here.

This is a very intersting way to spend an hour wondering the rooms of a long ago used bathhouse. It is run by the National Parks. They have a ranger there at the front to answer any questions you may have. This is well documented on YouTube so if you wish to see what it is like it is easy to find. The actual experience here was worthy of the stop for us as we enjoyed seeing the seemingly torturous methods the patrons put themselves through all in the spirit of feeling better. It has three stories to visit each of them with their own interests. Thy old gym was of particular interest to us. What we call a gym now is nothing like what they had available to them.

It is a free stop so well worthy of the investment in time to visit if you are at all interested in history. This is like a time capsule of a long lost era.

This is the national park visitors center. It offers a self-guided tour with many informational signs throughout. Lots of history and interesting side notes. Well worth your time.

This is a must stop while you're in Hot Springs and a good place to start. A visit helps one understand the history, hoopla and why the bathhouse model no longer works. The Park Service has done a terrific job with the Fordyce Bathhouse. Worth a visit.

We thoroughly enjoyed this self-guided tour. Lots of history by way of artifacts, pictures and videos.

Very interesting place, lots of history and free to explore. Read the plaques and enjoy the older establishment.

Visited Fordyce and learned many things. The videos were kinda corny but informative. I wished I had signed up for the guided tour as I feel we might’ve missed something.

We enjoyed our self tour of this property. Great signs and exhibits take you back to old times. It doesn’t take a lot of time and it’s one of the only buildings that’s open with exhibits like this.

Our family had so much fun visiting the Fordyce Bathouse Visitor Center! There’s 3 floors or bathhouse exhibits. You can learn a lot about how bathhouses operated. Everything seems to be original. There’s an elevator for those that can’t climb the stairs. There’s a short film too. And free! You can’t beat that if you want to check our bathhouse row! Check it out!

The bath house has been renovated to
the time it was in use. It’s a great example of the medical treatments of the times. I took a tour with a park ranger which was excellent.

Interesting history from the early 1900’s
Bath houses were state of the art for the time
The area and specifically the bath houses
Attracted
Famous entertainers, athletes and gangsters

Great place to start on a weekend trip to Hot Springs! Not only a ton of cool photo ops, but a lot of information on the area and its history.

The rangers were very helpful and they offer twice daily tours.

On the day I visited, the first tour was about the hot springs and how they were used for health, and the second was focused on drinking from the springs.

FREE!

Hot Springs NP is unlike any other NP you have been to. Be sure and start here at the visitor center. There is a free parking garage across the street, signs will take you to it. Best place to park to explore the town and bathhouse row. The visitor center is an original bathhouse you can do self guided or ranger. It will get you started on what the bathhouse period was all about and we learned what and how a bathhouse works. This is the only place to see an actual bathhouse unless you actual use the only one remaining. Very helpful guides and information on the rest of the park. Lots of hiking trails and walks.

This is a free museum, and so nicely done. You tour on your own, or there were several times to take a guided tour.

What a great place to visit and learn about the history of Hot Springs!

The kids and us really enjoyed our experience. We have been to many national parks, and this was one of the better ones to visit with little kids!

Very well kept from the days of bathhouses. There is a 15 minute film about Hit Springs. Informative and interesting.

The bathhouse is the Visitor Center for Hot Springs National Park. It's very interesting to walk through the bathhouse and see how people in the early 20th Century treated their ailments and what they considered relaxing and healthful. There is a short movie you should see and you can walk through on your own or do a guided tour. I have done the guided and self tours and recommend the guided tour because you will learn so much more. Don't forget to get a paper cup at the end of your tour and try the spring water which comes out next to the bathhouse. There is a metered parking lot just down the street as well as on-street parking. The gift shop is a few doors down from the bathhouse. My only negative comment is that it seemed a little difficult to get information at the information desk. The attendant would answer my questions but didn't offer any additional information. He asked if we wanted a guided tour or not and, when we said we would go on our own, he pointed to a door and said start there. I had to ask if there was a brochure and he didn't mention the movie.

It was a very interesting visit. very helpful and friendly staff. very good history lesson here of how it was 'back then'. pretty neat!

Staff had great historical knowledge and it was cool to see how things were done decades ago. Neat little place.

See the historic bathhouse and learn about the city's history. You can see original baths and steam rooms. There is a short movie that tells all about the town.

Gorgeous building, impressive museum. I wished they'd advertised the museum part more on the outside. It gives you a good look into how things were back in the hay day.

It was an unplanned stopped. Free self guided tours. It was very interesting and a nice break from the heat.

This is a 4 floor museum giving you the history of the bath houses- very interesting, stained glass was beautiful- hubby sat on front porch in a rocking chair while my 6 year old granddaughter and I explored the outside area- you can take a tour but we did the self guided - lots of information for you to read as you visit each floor

The highlight of visiting the Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center occurred at the end of our trip when my five-year-old granddaughter was officially sworn in as a Jr. Ranger by a delightful Ranger at the park. The booklet she had been given helped her and us to understand the park better. That is an excellent program for anyone bringing a young person to the park. The Center itself has much history of the bathhouses for park visitors.

We stopped here when we got to the national park - it was nice to do the bath house tour get some background info on Bathhouse Row and history of the park itself. The park rangers at the front desk were very helpful, and we were able to sit out on the front porch and plan our hikes for the day with a larger map the ranger provided.

We enjoyed walking through the Fordyce bathhouse. It was cool to see how the old bathhouses used to be and all of the old equipment. The building itself is beautiful. It doesn't take long to walk through.

This tour is really interesting, although I had heard of the bath houses I never knew the history and they were so much more than I expected. There is also a video that takes you step by step through the treatment which is a must-see before heading to the Buckstaff Bathhouse to experience it for yourself.

Located in a former bath house, this facility is now under the National Park Service. It is now set up as a museum with artifacts and pictures of how the facility was set up and operating “back in the day,” with various rooms containing furniture and equipment along with pictures and postings to give better understanding. The gymnasium is set up with training equipment used during that era. Included are names of many public figures who visited the waters of the hot springs utilized in the area.

We learned a lot here about a part of history we never even knew we were interested in. There are a lot of things to see here about how the springs were used for bathing/healing. Some of the rooms are a little creepy but still worth seeing and learning about.

A volunteer, Bill, was a wonderful knowledgable guide. He knew the history of the area, the national park, and the bathhouse. It was so very interesting. Even though I knew a lot from personal experience, I learned a lot too. Thank you Bill!

Nice place to stop and buy bath products. Customer service very good. Right in the heart of downtown.

Great NPS staff provide overviews of the area. The art displayed throughout was gorgeous, and the AC was a welcomed break from walking around!

Take the time to enjoy the guided tour the history is very interesting, seeing some of the old things was almost scary.

Very well maintained visitors center with friendly park rangers. Loved walking through the bath house to learn about the history of Hot Springs. Definitely worth a visit!

So much history and interesting information. The exhibits are very informative, and it was neat to think about visiting in the past for health or for relaxation. We were so glad we got the chance to visit and walk around the whole area.

This visitor center is unique compared to the other national park visitor center. It's previously a bathhouse. Therefore a museum of bathhouse is part of the visitor center. A park ranger served as a guide for the tour of the old bathhouse. I learned a lot from this tour.

This is an excellent museum and go at your own pace. Plenty of information and examples of the services and equipment the bathhouses offered over time. The stained glass is exceptionally beautiful.

Love this little downtown area - and the Fordyce Bathhouse is fascinating, even my teenage boys enjoyed making a swing through to check it all out.

I actually had no idea that we could go into the bathhouses at all, then I kept hearing people talk about the one they toured, so I asked. I was not disappointed at all! They had a great set up with information and displays and I am so thankful that this bathhouse was open as a tour so everyone could see what it looked like in the 1920's

Lots of great information on Bathhouse row and the history of the bathhouses. I would highly recommend going there first if you are interested in going to one of the bathhouses for services.

This was once a bath house, now it is a museum. They also have tour around the hot springs, this is depending on weather.

A great spot to get information on the area, and the history of the Hot Springs. So many interesting facts! They also offer a tour which I caught just a bit of and it seemed well done. Definitely worth a 30 minute or more stop, to get your journey started in this area.

Went here on a Saturday and it was a good time. This particular bathhouse is maintained by the national park and helps to educate visitors on the history of bathhouse row.

The house is in excellent condition and has all the amenities of old bath houses with good explanations.

I would recommend.

We took the tour and the guide was very knowledgeable ad entertaining. We leaned a lot about this facility and others in the area. I would recommend doing the tour as its free and entertaining.

Kids enjoyed learning, neat clean environment. Staff were engaging with the kids and welcoming of questions. Nice stop on bath house row.

The museum is very informative, and is a self guided tour, so go at your own pace! The video shown goes step by step over the real experience of the Buckstaff bathhouse...I only wish I had gone to the museum prior to the bathhouse so I would have known more what to expect

Soaking, resting, healing at its best. Time just stands still in the warmth of the natural springs water and the beauty of this renovated exquisite site. Go every day of your vacation!

This is a most unusual national park. Touring this bathhouse on bathhouse row in Hot Springs, AR takes you back to the glory days of bathing in a facility for health and luxury. The visitor center is an original building from the early 1900’s with stained glass, mosaic tiles, and equipment from the era. Self guided. After the tour you can even experience this bathing process in one of the other bath houses located on Central Ave. within walking distance from the Fordyce. Lots of shops and restaurants nearby.

I believe this building only recently reopened. You walk through on your own and there is information posted at each room. It is beautifully restored and we enjoyed seeing all three floors. Definitely worth s stop!

Beautiful monument and very informative visit to the free museum.
Numerous rooms on three levels, not forgetting the basement (direction restroom) to see the period machinery of the baths and elevator.
Park at the large free parking in front.

I toured the Fordyce Bathhouse which also serves as the visitor center for Hot Springs NP. The tour was a one-way self-guided tour of 3 stories of the bathhouse. It depicts how the bathhouse was used during it’s heyday in the early 20th century. Seeing all the odd instruments and treatments was fascinating. I spent close to an hour exploring the rooms. The bottom floor also has a glassed room where the actual hot spring is located. There are also exhibits explaining the geology of the area in detail. This is a must-stop location in Hot Springs National Park.

Free, interesting walk through to get some good historical facts. Doesn’t take to long and worth checking out.

Only bathhouse that you can tour and photograph top to bottom and get a history tour of the bathhouse. Also downstairs if you're lucky you can see one of the hot springs in action. This sight is absolutely free to tour and they have park rangers available to answer your questions on things to do.

this is such a cool place! and it's free!! they have tours too so you don't have to read, if reading is not your thing. LOL

Worth the stop, especially if you only have a short time to visit. Make sure you visit all the floors. We will definitely stop back here some day when we have more time to tour the whole area of this National Park.

I am really glad we visited, as I did not have any concept of the bathhouse experience. It was very different than what I imagined. Very institutional rather than spa like. I found it odd, a little creepy, yet fascinating. After seeing it, I know I definitely would not have liked the bathhouse experience. I do feel like I saw a piece of Hot Springs history for which I am grateful.

My kids loved visiting the bathhouse and seeing the hot springs in the park next to it. We didn’t stay long, but thoroughly enjoyed our time.

Very nice, self guided tour. Original facilities were maintained and preserved very well. Nice presentation. Almost like going back in time. Must see to really understand what that era was all about with the bathhouses.

The NPS has done a really good job in restorating this bathhouse to its glory days.
You can walk around from basement to the top floor and feel like going back in time.
The wooden dressing rooms are quite impressive.
To give it a more lively effect, I would suggest that they add some dummies in historical gear.

Seeing the actual rooms used for treatments was interesting. I really enjoyed seeing the parlors and gymnasium with the historical exercise apparrel. Short film gave a good synopsis.

This is a wonderful place to visit that you shouldn't miss if you are in Hot Springs. The bathhouse is also the State Park's Visitor Center. We received a lot of helpful information from the Park Ranger on duty, but even more impressive was the info that she gave us regarding the facility. We took the self-guided tour and were completely satisfied as we could see everything at our on pace. Several areas of the bathhouse are set up as it was in it's heyday, so make sure to see everything on all 3 floors and definitely take a ride on the elevator.

This is a great "museum" that explains how people used the bathhouses for medical purposes. The old equipment is amazing to see. They used to have a movie to watch at the beginning of the tour, but that area was under renovation. All areas have nice plaques explaining the processes. It's like stepping back in time.

First - I must thank the park ranger who recommended we enter and view the exhibit. It was his enthusiasm that pushed us to visit the building. Inside is a well laid out history of the bath houses and some of the historical facts prior to the discovery and building of the house. Each floor contains artifacts of its period from the old fashioned steam device that reminded me of a James Bond movie to the tubs and electrical devices of the period. What was also interesting is the adaption of early physical therapy. All in all a great exhibit.

Went to Hot Springs for labor day weekend. This was one of the first places we went to. Great idea if going hiking or need to figure out what you wanna do while in Hot Springs. Really neat museum, well kept and you can learn the history of the city. Best part it’s FREE !!! Park rangers were there to help with any questions about the park especially if your going to explore the trails. Check it out !

Nice slide show about the development of bath houses and the tour of the actual bathing rooms is very interesting. The bath house history comes alive.

I had a great time here. The museum was really interesting. There were all kinds of fascinating old spa equipment and facilities. I was really interested in the exhibits on African-American employees and spa users and differences in the facilities for men and women. I liked that attention was paid to these differences. It was more fun for adults than kids, for sure, but the kids were relatively entertained for the hour or so we spent there. I would have preferred more time to read the interesting signage and really check out the bonkers equipment, so maybe try going without kids or when kids are tired!

We wandered into the visitor center for information about the park and only then learned of the tour of the bathhouse. They have the actual rooms with equipment set up as they were used. in the early 1900's. Interesting pieces of history regarding Hot Springs and the bathhouses.

Having never previously visited a bathhouse, we found the self-guided tour of the facility enlightening and interesting. The National Park Service has done a great job allowing access to the various rooms and stories of the room uses are located throughout.

I so rarely come across people who LOVE their job and Ranger James absolutely loves his job. We walked in a few minutes before he was to start his tour, and he asked us to join so we did! He told us all about the history of the bath house, the history of Hot Springs and made it interactive too. He asked questions, engaged people in discussion and really was enthusiastic. He grew up in Hot Springs and said he wanted to be a Park Ranger for his whole life, and we felt lucky to have been on his tour!

I really like that the Park Service chose to preserve this view of history. Great informational signage and nice Park Service employees.

Very interesting and enjoyable to see an older bathhouse just the way it was. We did all the floors. It about an hour. Free!

Very interesting stop! Unlike some of the other bathhouses, this one is FREE, operates on donations. Makes you appreciate the privacy and the hot running water we have in our homes today.

The Fordyce Bathhouse is also the visitor center for the park. But it's main attraction is the self guided tour of this historical relic. It shows the different treatments that were available and different ways people sought to treat their ailments in the "medicinal waters," and pamper themselves.

Even on a rainy day we were able to enjoy it! We did the tour with the park ranger- a must if you like to learn about the history and little details of how the town was, and how it is now!
The rangers are super Knowledgeable and you could spend and hour or more here.
They show a movie as well about the history. Kids can do the booklet and you can get your Park “passport” stamp here.

Visiting the Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center will make you want to run over to the Buckstaff Bathhouse to try a traditional bath for your self.

We were visiting as a group of older adults. We did take the tour. It was interesting and informative. There were others in the tour group who had very young children. This is nothing a young child would enjoy. The were bored and because it has very high ceilings their voices made it difficult to hear the tour guide. Unless your child is an exception please do not make them suffer through it.I do recommend it for anyone interested in history. It is free.

This place tells you everything you need to know about what made this town special to so many in our past. They have an interesting and informative, free, self guided walking tour of this old Bathhouse. A video on what to expect from taking a mineral bath at The Buckstaff that continues the tradition.

Great overview of Bathhouse Row. Take the free tour so you can go experience a bath in one of the 2 bathhouses.

Wow what a place !! Really reminded me of all those opulent millionaire mansions back east. Interesting to see how they use to have guest get their treatments and yes the water is Hot

The Fordyce looks fantastic from the outside as the main museum of the Bath house era. It was closed due to COVID, but there was a park ranger at a table outside offering information about the National Park.

Really cool, self-guided tour. Kids really enjoyed using the old elevator. If a person read all the info at the displays, could spend 2-3 hours, easy.

We really enjoyed our visit. There are 3 floors and the basement. It was full of information. The stained glass windows are gorgeous.

The 15 min. of visit gives a condensed history of the hot spring bath for healing and its historical role played during the civil war. The display includes the original equipment. In addition, the audio-video material gives a live view of how hydrotherapy works.

A must see and tour in Hot Springs. Fascinating history and magnificent architecture on “bath house row”

This historic bath house now houses the Hot Springs National Park visitor center. There are maps and information here and helpful rangers to answer questions. You can do a free self-guided tour of the three level bathhouse and learn about the springs, the operation of the bathhouse from late 1800’s and see historic equipment. There is an elevator if stairs are an issue. Very informative.

In enjoy viewing and photographing great architecture. Bathhouse Row and Central Avenue is easy and quick walk. Across the street are a large variety of shops, restaurants, murals, a gangster museum and historical buildings. Hot Springs is a place worth stopping for 1-2 days.

The Fordyce Bath House is the Visitor Center for the National Park. It is also the bath house "museum exhibit" for what these institutions were like - so take the time to walk through and enjoy the exhibits and the various rooms. See what the tubs, changing rooms, massage rooms, and the general setup of bathhouses was like. Enjoy the wonderful stained glass - particularly the ceilings, as well. An elevator is available for those who may not wish to walk up and down stairs.

Free self-guided tour of bathhouse. Introductory video. Very interesting. A look into the past of the wealthy. Guided tours available at set times. Very worthwhile.

The history and the look back to times long since past is incredible. What a great job they have done in preserving this treasure.

Great location with a self guided tour that explains the history of the area and the bath houses. Well worth a visit

This bathhouse is the visitor center. Tour all three floors at your own pace. Great place to start your visit in the national park of Hot Springs. Outdoor tours are available with a park ranger.

I agree with one of the other reviewers on here. It was a bit creepy. It is worth spending an hour to go through it and watch the video. It is free and all the original items are there.

It says visitor center but its more like a museum. They have park rangers there so you can ask questions and right behind the visitor center is a hot spring so you can see the temperature of the water. On a hot day it has some nice air conditioner and chairs to sit in. It was very informative and interesting for something that was free to do.

This museum was really great! It incorporates African American history into the exhibits with interviews and photographs. Videos shown could be updated. The ones they use now are from the 80s or early 90s. There are park ranger guided and self-guided tours. Recommend the ranger guided of the ground floor, then go looking on the other floors alone.

Nice historical snapshot of the past. Everything was in good shape. Interesting to see how the hot springs were used and to what level. My teenagers enjoyed it too.

We walked around the first floor looking at exhibits but nearly missed the upper and lower floors until I read the brochure of the self-guided tour. Yikes! There was more to the story. The "lift" is a history story in it's own right. Kids will be amused but older adults will enjoy it most.

The history was fascinating, architecture mesmerizing. We did a walk thru on Sunday morning. It was peaceful and not very crowded yet.

Beautiful place. Family of four two teens. We all completely enjoyed the self guided tour. Loved the stained glass windows.

The bath house offers a tour of an original bath house frozen in time. The tour is self guided, covers three floors and has a lot of frank history explained in each room.

The tour is free and you can take as long as you like. I would recommend it to anyone interested in history.

We didn't stumble upon the place until it was almost closing time. It was very interesting to see all of the old rooms and pictures of days gone by. You can't go to the Hot Springs and not tour this place.

Fordyce Bathhouse tour was a glympse into the past! It was fascinating to see how a turn of the century spa looked and how the spa experience was so different during that time.

This was an interesting look back into the history of Hot Springs and the bathhouses built around the local springs. This particular building on Bathhouse Row has been restored and is run by the National Park Service. We enjoyed this peek back into time. We'd been told not to expect too much in Hot Springs, but this was very enjoyable.

Presented by the National Parks Service - free and very interesting review of the history of this particular bath house, and the development of the area.

Allow time to walk through this place . A true piece of history and marvel of engineering from long ago . You will see how people were treated for their ailments long ago . A bit creepy but interesting . A must see if you are here ... definitely worth the time .

Definitely stop in and see this free piece of American history while you're in Hot Springs. The architecture is gorgeous. The artifacts are wonderous and, at times, creepy. Everything is so well preserved, it feels just like stepping back in time.

This was the best part of the national park. The exhibits showing what the boathouse was like back in the day were very well done and interesting.It certainly was an elaborate system for the baths

Beautifully maintained and a must see....so nice to see exactly how they were used so many years ago.

This place is a great place to visit! It was very interesting to see how the baths use to be set up. It was a self guided tour. They had clean bathrooms as well so that was a plus. The tour is completely free.

Staff was friendly and invited us to walk all floors reminding us to go into the basement. Well preserved and lots to see!

I liked this one the best of all on the Row, it gives you a lot of history and background of Hot Springs, nice folks that greet you and staff is knowledgeable. Clean and has elevator for mobility and nice bathrooms, and best of all it is no charge. Children will like this also, self-tour unless you want to do one of the twice a day Ranger tours.

I recommend touring this before going to Buckstaff Bath's for a Traditional Treatment. You will understand the process better.

Step back in time as you walk through the men's and women's locker rooms and learn the history of the Hot Springs bath houses.

A great place to stop in and see how the rich relaxed back in the day! It's preserved very well and my husband and I enjoyed meandering around as did my 8 year old daughter. If your kids are in to getting a Jr. Ranger badge and stamp for their passport book, this is where you do it. And if you've never done it before, try it! They give you a little booklet and you have to answer questions and go on a sort of scavenger hunt and then you get sworn in by a park ranger. A very fun and memorable experience!

Great tour. Ranger explained the history of the both houses. Very informative. Tour lasted for half hour. Be sure to check out the spring behind the visitor center.

Enjoyed our visit. Actually a US National Park. Well presented exhibits. Educational experience regarding days gone by. Three floors to review. Particularly liked seeing the gymnasium and the stained glass. Worth a visit if in the area.

Now the visitor center and museum for the Hot Springs National Park. Be sure to go in and take a quick walk thru if you are interested in seeing how the old bath houses were set up with tubs, changing rooms, etc.

Free admission. The interpreters offer great talks throughout the year. Check for the current schedule.

The Visitor Center for Hot Springs National Park is located inside the Fordyce Bathhouse. You can take a free self-guided tour of the 3 floors (and basement) which are filled with historic exhibits and the history of bathhouses, the use of water as medicine, and the role of thermal water in making this place a national park. It's a great place to visit!

This is the second time I have been here. It is a trip back in time. It makes you have a view of how the wealthy lived a hundred years ago. A must see.

They provide free tours of the bathhouse. Recommend for older kids. Not for younger kids. The tour guide was very informative. wish we could have stayed the entire time to hear about the history but unfortunately kids under 6 will not stay to listen. Better to tour on your own. They give you a tour of the first floor and other 2 floors you tour on your own. Really fun to see what it was like and how bathouses were used for medical treatment.

this place was very nice to visit, the employees were very nice also. you can learn alot about the place and just enjoy relaxing. its a must

Preserved as a free museum but the National Parks Service, it offers a good look at the history and functions of the bath houses built in the early 1900's. Well worth a tour if you are in the area.

Helpful NP staff awaits in old bathhouse. The baths are preserved just like they were decades ago. The museum is extremely interesting and the video informative.

Wonderful view into the history of Hot Springs and how the bath houses on bath house row evolved. 3 floors of exhibits to see how it all used to be. Then go and enjoy the hot springs and a massage in one of the current bath houses. Great experience!

We decided to do a "stay-cation" and Hot Springs is close to home. We spent a day walking Bath House and decided the visitor center might be an interesting way to beat the heat. The original elevator is still in operation which is absolutely fascinating. There is a lot of history on display and some very beautiful features that are definitely worth the time to explore the building.

This was another national park that we added and were not really sure what we were going to get with it. We arrived early, which the center opens at 9 and caught the movie and then back to back ranger tours. One about the hot springs and the other about the bathhouse. Both were VERY informative and I would suggest taking them. The Rangers did an awesome job explaining the area, how the springs came about have been used and the future of the springs, and try the water, it really is good! Also explaining the the bathhouse use and the process of the baths that took place. Once we finished with the tour, we then explored the house itself, and what a neat place to go through. Truly learned a lot about this area and what took place here. Interesting to say the least.

Free & informative, friendly staff. My small kids were excited about becoming junior rangers. This is a must stop for everyone visiting Hot Springs. Free parking garage about a 3 minute walk away.

Of Course the girls have a small bathhouse. LOL! Pretty cool little self guided tour. Doesn’t take long so set aside 30minutes and check it out.

Well preserved. Great examples of the bygone era. The building is fairly well preserved and the exhibits of the instruments and devices used in the last century add depth to your grasp of history here. Free admission. A park treasure.

This bathhouse is a great place to wander around on a self guided tour. It is impressive to see the grandeur of the industry from the highest class bath house on the row and well worth the time you spend there. A really a neat experience, a time capsule.

We had a really delightful tour of the Fordyce Bathouse with Lisa Allen! So informative and interesting! This was one of the highlights of our trip to Hot Springs! Highly recommend!

Realistic presentation of this establishment as it functioned years ago. Amenities helped us to imagine the mindsets of the patrons of the day.

This is a very interesting place to visit and the self-guided tour well worth the time. The history is intriguing and they have done a good job with displays and informational signs. The movie however is very dated and therefore distracting.

We did the guided tour and highly recommend it.

Our guide was very knowledgeable and made our tour worthwhile.

It took about an hour and was well worth it

You can walk through at your own pace and take as long as you want to look at everything. It's really interesting to see how things used to be.

Really interesting visit to bathhouse row and the one open as a museum (you can bathe even today down the street at the last one still operating "we accept walk-ins"). Preserved at a moment in time, along with some of the back story and period equipment, clothing, furnishings, the experience is not 'gilded age' but it is thorough and informative. Seems some people miss part of the third floor past the locker rooms; check out the exercise equipment - Dr Whatsis ahead of his time. Between the elevated path behind the row and main street with places to eat and shop, you can make a decent day trip out of it if that's your intention.

This was a great stop and very insightful. We came from FL and didn’t really know what to expect on our quick stop through but we got a lot of info and enjoyed walking around, both inside the building and around back. I took off one star because the entire place smells horribly of cat spray that really stings your nose.

This was a great place to learn about what bathhouses were like. It was also a chance to fill up our water bottles with cold water fresh from the springs! The rangers were incredibly informative. If you have kids, make sure you grab a junior ranger book from the front desk.

We happened in just five minutes before a guided tour. Beautiful building and got lots of good info. Picture of first gym in Arkansas

This is an actual bath house from early times of Hot Springs National Park. You not only get information on what to see in Hot Springs, you and tour the rest of the building and see what the bath houses was like. Tours are available or go on your own.

This is a very interesting place that shows the history of the area. All the rangers were very knowledgeable and talkative about the springs.

Really interesting. We learned loads about bath houses, their history and development and how they operated. Great to be able to wander through at our own pace.

My husband and 3 young children decided to do a self-guided tour of the bath house. I love historical buildings, so this was very enjoyable for me! My 5 year old son and 3 year old daughter actually seemed to have a good time, too! It was neat to see all the parts of the bath house and the real equipment that was used, all set up like it was during the time the bath house was in operation. I think this is a “must do” if you are interested in the history of Hot Springs!

It was very informative and interesting. The history that was displayed was unique and very cool. It was history brought to life.

Self-guided tour - free. Lots of great information - especially related to it’s heyday and the people that flocked to these baths. The original contraptions that were used to help heal/cure people of their afflictions was interesting to see. We enjoyed viewing the exhibits and learning about the bathhouses. Well done!

Interesting.. single mom with 3 and 12 y.o. 3 y.o. was bored to death. 12 y.o. was curious, shocked and unaware of what a commodity her bathtub is and that great grandma boiled water to take a bath in a tub about once a week lol she was overall bored as well

Like going back in time to how it use to be here. From the old original floor tiles and big tubs to the dressing rooms you can truly feel the history of Bath House Row.

So many thing’s to talk about. When u first come in there’s old mailbox’s, beautiful stained glass ceiling,Statues n so many more

My family of 5 visited the Fordyce Visitor’s Center on March 8, 2020. We took the self guided tour and felt that we were provided with all the information we could have needed with the signs that were present at each room. My two youngest (9 and 12) really enjoyed the tour. They really enjoyed going to the basement to see the spring itself, and the gymnasium.

Very informative. We took the tour and it was very interesting to see how the wealthy were treated when this facility was in use.

We have found that National Parks never disappoint, and this one is great! The Fordyce Visitors Center is in a former bath house, so it is loaded with charm and history. There are four floors dedicated to the history of the hot springs and bathing industry, and it is super interesting and well done. We read every placard and looked at every exhibit. Also enjoyed a ranger led tour to a nearby hot spring and learned why the water is hot as it comes up from the ground. The building itself is gorgeous and the large front porch features rocking chairs where you can take a break. Take the time to roam over this grand old building and take in all it has to offer. Be sure to go in the former men’s bathing room and see the incredible stained glass ceiling, as well as the stained glass on the top floor. Totally free experience and super enjoyable!

There are lots of hidden treasures and even more information here. Original artifacts add to the experience. Be certain that you allow enough time for visiting this informative place.

It’s was interesting to learn how they took the water from mineral springs and used it for bathing. The inside is beautiful with the marble walls and deco.

In my mind, this is less of a "visitor center" and more of a federally funded historical museum.. But once I got over the disappointment of no rows of little brochures, I really enjoyed this. It's free, has really good staff who tell you all kinds of interesting stuff, and the rooms have been kept mostly original. I can't believe what we use to do in the name of health and beauty.. But I'm going to do it at the Buckstaff later this week (sans the mercury treatment..)!

We really enjoyed visiting the free, self-guided tour of this mini-museum, which offered a glimpse into the glory days of the bath houses. We learned so much history of the bath house era and found it really fascinating, with pictures, a short video and various artifacts.

This bathhouse is very well preserved and fun to explore. The stained glass ceiling in the men's area is quite beautiful. Very interesting to see the spa culture in Victorian times.

You literally feel like you have stepped back in time! Much of the museum is how the Fordyce Bathhouse operated many years ago! The furniture, stained glass ceilings on the top floor, and tile floors are beautiful! We laughed and were entertained by the types of treatments that were given! I'm so glad we did not walk by and skip the self-guided tour!

Run by State Park Rangers they will greet you with a smile and it is an awesome experience. There's a place for you to leave a tip in the plastic box since it is a free tour and state run

The guided tour gave an excellent overview of Hot Springs history. Our guide was knowledgeable and entertaining. Once guided part is completed, there is is much to see.

The displays at Fordyce Bath House make this a worthwhile stop. You see parts of the bathhouse in the way they used to be. So that made this an interesting stop. They also have restrooms in the basement level as well as rangers here for questions and maps. Be sure to check the website for visitor center hours … they are currently closed two weekdays. Hope they can reopen for all the tourists.

Everyone was very nice and the workers are very hard workers.It’s best to make reservations. We loved the pools and it really made me feel very relaxed.

2 adults and 2 teen girls visited on 7/28. We thoroughly enjoyed the FREE self-guided tour. A 15 minute movie provides history of the area and the bath houses. Seeing a bit of how spas worked 100 years ago was fascinating. The building itself was quite beautiful, and I think the national park service has done a great job with this site. Would definitely recommend stopping by this place.

This visitor center is very interesting. The free museum is a look into the past. The walking tour outside was very informative about the hot springs and how they were used and preserved today.

We visited on the 4th of July and the guided tour was free. It is very informative and may be a little extensive for small children. I had done the tour years ago, but enjoyed this visit as well, the tour guide, Lisa, was a lot of fun.

National Park Service (free) great self guided tour. Very interesting history. 3 floors including a gym with old early equipment.

The staff there was very informative whiched helped a lot on all of our experieces. This should have been our first stop.

Do not miss. Free. Excellent 15 minute movie. Very helpful rangers. Great displays of how the bathhouses were. See all three floors.

Must do! My friend and I loved touring this beautifully preserved bathhouse. I wish you could tour all of the row like this but at least there’s this one. We loved learning all about the history and seeing all of the pretty exhibits.

This isn’t a functional bath house but it is a visitors center where the staff is so hopeful and super nice! The three floors of this place has tons of rooms set up from the past to see how things used to be when they first made
These. There are also different videos you can watch every 15-30 minutes. They provided us with a lot of good information and advice. If I was walking down BathRow, I would definitely stop by there first. They also give you detailed information on how to hike to the natural springs in the Hot Springs National Park.

Excellent preservation of the bathhouse. Placards with detailed info are available at each station.
You can go to the springs behind the bathhouse and feel how hot the water is!
I hope the closed bathhouses will soon be reopened for visitors.
Some of them have been converted to restaurants

Definitely a tour that should be experienced! It’s free and self-guided but there are also guided tours available. It has three levels of well preserved bathhouse history and really provides a look into the past. The rangers working at the front desk were very helpful and gave us information on important things not to miss in Hot Springs. Do not miss this!

We just popped in to find a bathroom and found a big surprise. There were rooms set up exactly as they were over 50 years ago. I enjoyed seeing the instruments used in those days. It was definitely worth a look and it's free! Make sure to look up in the communal bath are to see the beautiful stained glass ceiling.

This is in the National forest so your four guide is a park ranger. We took the free tour of the bath house. The guide was very informative. Had several folklore stories and a lot of history. The tour is about an hour long an you can explore the other floors on your own. If you have a chance take the tour.

This is a must stop if in Hot Springs to understand and see the boatyard reason for the town/ National Park. Walk through a 3 story bath house. Ride the old elevator. Free

This is the exact experience I wanted out of hot springs. It is a free tour through a historical bath house, giving some context and allowing you to see how the baths worked, how the people used them, etc.

Simply put, I walked into this visitors center a little annoyed that hot springs had risen to national park status, since it was just a few... Hot... Springs. But I walked out glad that the NPS was preserving this slice of the past.

We were considering skipping this because there were other activities we wanted to pursue. We were all glad we did not skip it. We learned a lot. It was amazing to see!!

This is actually the Visitor Center and it was great to walk through the whole place and see how everything was situated. You really could imagine what it was like in its heyday.

My husband and I had a weekend getaway to Hot Springs and this was one of my favorite things we did. I loved being able to explore the whole bathhouse and learn the history. They have it set up so nicely. Amazing that it’s free! We have paid a lot of money for historic tours that weren’t nearly as good. Also loved that they had stamps for our National Park Passport book!

I absolutely loved this beautiful historical building. They knocked it out of the ball park by making this the Hot Springs NP headquarters! I did the self tour & learned so much. I couldn't believe that all these services were available almostb100 years ago!I highly recommend taking the time for the tour & watching the video.

What’s not to like?! It’s free! It’s history! It’s beautiful and so well-maintained. It was fun to see how the rich lived a century ago. The tour is completely self-guided and you can take as long as you want. We were waiting for our spa appointment and went thru in about 20 minutes.

This was very interesting and enjoyed the history of the bathhouse. It was fun to see the way things use to be enjoyed. Make sure if in this area to tour here.

We had trouble determining where the park, where trails began, and how to find the entrance. When we went to the visitor center, a ranger was able to give us a map and directions on the features we wanted to see. He even drew out recommended paths and directions for us on the map. The lobby is a little tight, especially when a tour group is taking up most of the room, but it's a very busy attraction. Just be willing to go with the flow and you can get in and out with what you need.

Nicely renovated. Interesting history. Wonderful stained glass windows. Guided tour was moving very slowly so we did the self-guided. Even on a crisp fall day it was warm inside. Parking is a nightmare in Hot Springs. Bring quarters for meters. Local said tickets aren’t given out on weekends if you are brave.

We have never seen the inside of the bath houses on bath house row. It was educational. They have nice displays and plaques to tell you about each part for the 20-30 minute tour we took. There is an elevator if you need assistance to bottom floor restrooms. Rocking chairs on front porch to watch the people and traffic go by. Nice break from the summer heat. We enjoyed it.

Lots of information. Great guides. THE must see to learn all things about hot springs and it's history.

Loved this free tour! Definitely worth walking through. The place is maintained well. It’s fun to walk the halls, ride the elevator, and imagine what it would have been like to experience this back in the day! I wish that we had been able to take the guided tour but we just didn’t have time. I would do that if I come back another time.

The Fordyce Bathhouse opened in 1915 and closed in 1962 only to be restored in 1989 and now serves the visitor center for the Hot Springd National Park. It feels like you back in time going through all the areas set up how they were and occasional pictures of the very sites you see with your own eyes. I really like history so it was interesting to see something so intact and detailed. It’s self paced so you can take your time

Really cool visitor's center operated by the National Park Service. Very well-preserved bathhouse and lounge. The exercise room was amazing to see. Glad they were able to preserve it as it was. Worth a look.

Bathhouse Row is very scenic, and this was the best of the many bathhouses. Very informative tour staff, many fine chairs on the porch to enjoy the street scenes.

Very cool to see what the bathhouses looked like in the 1900s. Free admission. Self guided and a good amount of information

Very informative and out of the ordinary piece of history. Loved thinking of the historical significance and changes and similarities in the way we think of “spa”,

Our self guided free tour of this facility really educated us on the history of the hot springs baths. Spent about an hour walking through the actual locker rooms and bath areas that folks used years ago . There are interesting displays that explain the whole procedure and what "cures" people came for.

Put this on your list of things to do when you first arrive. We walked in last minute before closing but got a few minutes to check it out some. Didn't get to see the entire thing but can say it's FULL of amazing history of the bath house's. You get to see all the original fixtures, the tiles, how it was used, etc. The community room with the statue and stained glass ceiling was incredible. I could just imagine it in its hay day with people busying about. A must see. If this helped you please give this a thumbs up.

The National Parks staff were really knowledgeable, friendly and helpful. Their ‘office’ is situated in a wonderful heritage building. We especially enjoyed wandering through the beautifully decorated relaxation areas. The gym on the top floor was particularly interesting. We questioned if some of the machines were actually good for you?! Well worth a visit.

This Bathhouse is a museum and so interesting! Much of the original fixtures have been preserved. This particular bathhouse was very fancy in its heyday — the lounge upstairs has a stained glass ceiling that is stunning! Free admission and very interesting!

Beautiful and informative place to visit. The woman at the front desk was very polite. There was enough room for my toddlers to roam. We will definitely be back!

We did the self tour of this historic building which gave the history and a glimpse of Bathhouse Row in its early years. Very informative.

They show you exactly how the bathers experienced and enjoyed being pampered back in the day. Preserved or restored for everyone to enjoy. The attention to detail is amazing.

At the center of Bathhouse Row, it is a renovated visitors' center for the park. If you only do one bathhouse - there are several along the palisade, do this one to get a feel of the olden days.

I have been to Hot Springs before, but never visited the bathhouse row area. Set aside about an hour or two to visit the Fordyce Bathhouse. It is a museum of the bathhouses in their prime and worth the time spent. What a history lesson. They also have a few short moving running in this bathhouse too that provide additional information on the time period.

Start your visit to Hot Springs here. Maps of the park, be sure to ask for trail map of west side of park too. Museum of a historic bathhouse on site. Free parking garage access the street.

The tour is very informative of when the bath houses started. My husband and I really enjoyed every minute of it . I highly recommend it

Very well maintained, beautiful bath house that shows us the fun and quirky history of Hot Springs Arkansas. The stained glass is stunning!

While I've been to many, many national parks, this is very different than any of the others I've seen. It was interesting to go through the various areas and see the equipment used in the 20s.

Anytime i take new grandkids or friends...you have to go here. Cool off. Rest. Look back at a great time in history. Been going 40 years.

It is a nice museum (free) that showcases the bathhouse of yesteryear. It's a visitor's center; I wish they had pamphlets or other things for tourists to know about Hot Springs.

We really enjoyed this, more a museum than a visitor center. Fascinating glimpse into how the bathhouses used to be. I will say it made me decide against having a bathhouse treatment, but this is not my thing anyway. if you lkie history, don't miss this.

Fantastic preservation and presentation of Bathhouse Row. The Gymnasium is original, must see the basement and the active spring. Beautiful tile work, and original equipment.

The self guided tour is very interesting! I loved seeing the history of Hot Springs. If you travel to Hot Springs, the Fordyce Bathhouse is a great place to stop!

Started with a walk through their museum displays inside
Then waited on the porch for the ranger walk which was excellent
The ranger we had took a great deal of time to impress upon us that Hot Springs was once the place to go. IN 1916 it was the most visited of all the NPS parksl

The walk behind the bath houses tied the history together, especially the rich vs poor fight on the who should be there in Hot Sprins.

We went through the self-guided tour and were amazed at the building and all the fixtures. Learned quite a bit about the history of the city and how the bathhouses functioned years ago. Great tour! The park officials were also available here and helpful with information about the surrounding trails.

The Fordyce Bathhouse was a friendly, at your own pace, site. The care into each exhibit was clearly evident. We are big national park travelers so this was a must on our trip. It was really neat to see the original work and the spring directly in the lowest level. The sun was out today and the stained glass colorings were breathtaking. Absolutely recommend to anyone looking for a good spot. It is also free!

We took a walking tour with someone from of the National Forestry Service, then came back and toured the building. Self guided tour and really gives you a feeling for what the places were like when they were open.

Note for while in town:
Be sure to fill your water bottles up and drink the water from as many different sources as you come across.

My husband and I enjoyed the self guided tour throughout the bathhouse. It’s a must see whether you are interested in history or not!

This is a fantastic historical building in a gorgeous location. It is self guided and maintained by the Forest Service (I think) It is free of charge and is in very good condition. Don't miss out on this magnificent gem.

This is an old bathhouse turned into a museum. See how the bathhouses worked originally. It was so interesting.

Great place to spend an hour! Very interesting to see the displays and to learn about history! The original tubs and changing rooms are available to see and to understand more about the history of bathhouses. Make sure to talk to the park rangers - they are excited to share about the property and give the experience some perspective. Also a great spot to sit on the porch and people watch!

Cool look into the past on how the bathhouses operated. It’s a self guided tour that has tons of information. You get to walk thru the old rooms and see how those in years past, cooled off as well as sought medical help thru the mineral baths. Learned quite a bit that we didn’t know. Many famous people came from all around to get in these baths. The stained glass was beautiful!! Men and women were kept separated for the baths. This is Definitely something to not miss when you are there in Hot Springs. Entrance is free, but you can leave a donation.

Very cool place, lots of exhibits & lots of history. The self guided tour can be done in about 30 min pretty easily through the 3 stories. Perfect place when gets hot out

This bathhouse has been renovated back to it's original grandeur and is well worth a stop when visiting Hot Springs. The three story bathhouse shows some great exhibits of medical spa treatments and gymnasium equipment. Very interesting!

Nice little museum on Bathhouse Row. It is free, and the employees are nice and helpful. It is a great way to learn about the history of the bathhouses.

This is a must see!!!! The history depicted here is amazing. I am so glad we did this on our trip and I would recommend it 100%. Be sure to go through all 3 stories and take the elevator at least once.

We stumbled across Fordyce Bathhouse while exploring Bathhouse Row on our honeymoon—and we were instantly sucked in! The history was fascinating, as well as the self-guided tour. We learned so much and found ourselves fascinated by the history of a place and era we knew little about. It’s free and there is an elevator, although we hiked the stairs. :)

Interesting historical bath house, now serving as the National Park Service Visitor Center for the Hot Springs National Park. The self-guided tour provides a fascinating glimpse of the old era of resort bathing.

NPS visitor’s center and great opportunity to see the Fordyce bathhouse as it was 100 years ago. Self tour through all 4 floors. Elevator works well. Restrooms available in the basement.

Highlights were the large bath rooms with individual stalls for each bath and the plumbing mechanisms, as well as the elevator equipment in the basement.

Well worth the time to see what the bath houses were like.

We decided to stop and tour this visitor center. It's free! There is a 9 minute video on the second floor that is a must. It explains the process one takes to have a bath. I recommend you watch it first because it explains several of the items you will see throughout the building.
We found the bathhouse interesting. My children found the "gym" their favorite room. My son said, "Now, that's a man if he can do all this! We pale in comparison!" I enjoyed the elevator!
If I ever come back to Hot Springs, I will be sure to have a bath!

Great place to stop at first to get a little history and helpful info about places to visit in Hot Springs.