Hot Springs, Arkansas: Gangsters, Bathhouses, Motor Courts, and Fried Pies
October 29 – November 1, 2026
Steven and I spent Halloween weekend in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and I'm not entirely sure how to describe this place.
It's a little bit of Colorado, a little bit of Utah, a little bit of Western Canada, and somehow parts of it feel European. There are mountains, lakes, forests, grand old hotels, little historic motor courts, and a national park woven right into the city.
And then there are the gangsters.
Hot Springs was once a fashionable health resort, a major destination for professional baseball players, and a haven for some of America's most notorious criminals.
Quite a combination for a city of fewer than 40,000 people.
Thursday, October 29: A Little Piece of 1937
As usual, our plans to leave Dallas early didn't quite materialize. We arrived in Hot Springs shortly after sunset and checked into Cove Tourist Court, a beautifully restored motor court built in 1937.
The original nine-unit property was built by Carl Crocker, with accommodations arranged around a courtyard and garages for travelers' automobiles. It was converted into apartments in 1946, added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004, and renovated in 2021.
Our room was lovely, and I enjoyed staying somewhere with an interesting history.
But why are there so many cute little motor courts in Hot Springs?
Before automobile travel became popular, visitors arrived by train to enjoy the thermal springs, grand hotels, and entertainment. When Americans began traveling by car in the 1920s and 1930s, motor courts offered a convenient and less formal alternative to downtown hotels.
Guests could drive right up to their accommodations, often parking in an attached garage.
Hot Springs eventually had more tourist courts and motels than any other city in Arkansas. Many disappeared or became apartments, but some have been restored and are welcoming visitors again.
I love that these little pieces of American travel history are still around.
Our first evening also included dinner from the Ohio Club, established in 1905 and recognized as Arkansas's oldest continuously operating bar.
During Prohibition, it operated as the Ohio Cigar Store, concealing illegal drinking and gambling activities. Its famous visitors reportedly included Al Capone, Lucky Luciano, Bugsy Siegel, and Owney Madden.
Steven went inside to place our order and photographed the elaborate old bar, complete with ornate dark woodwork and a huge mirror.
We also saw the enormous Arlington Hotel, which opened in its present building in 1924 and famously hosted Al Capone. We didn't go inside, but it certainly makes an impression.
Downtown Hot Springs was charming after dark, and we'd only just arrived.
Friday, October 30: Gardens, Mountains, and Fried Pies
Friday began with brunch at Best Café, located at Best Court Cottages, another beautifully restored motor court dating to 1933.
The café was quaint and lovely, and the hospitality was wonderful. In fact, the friendliness of the people was becoming one of our favorite things about Hot Springs.
We enjoyed the property so much that we returned later for photographs of the cottages and their wonderful old sign.
Our main destination Friday was Garvan Woodland Gardens, a botanical garden along Lake Hamilton.
The weather was cool and overcast, which was perfect for exploring. I even got to wear a sweatshirt!
The gardens featured beautiful fall flowers, pumpkins, winding pathways, bridges, unusual sculptures, and colorful outdoor installations.
I spotted some little gourds that reminded me of Pac-Man ghosts, along with a mirrored sculpture that almost disappeared into the surrounding trees. Naturally, I asked Steven to photograph both.
Another highlight was Anthony Chapel, a remarkable wood-and-glass structure that opened in 2006. Its soaring ceiling, enormous windows, and intricate wooden framework make the surrounding forest feel like part of the building.
I do want to mention something about accessibility.
The gardens are wheelchair accessible, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're easy to navigate in a manual wheelchair. There were hills and rocky pathways, and Steven worked incredibly hard pushing me through some of those areas.
I actually have an amazing power wheelchair that would have made the outing considerably easier. Unfortunately, we don't have a vehicle suitable for transporting it. I've owned it for about six years and used it exactly twice. It mostly stays home, which is pretty ridiculous considering how useful it could be.
There's also an emotional side to these outings. I used to love walking around places like this. I didn't mind climbing hills or spending hours exploring on foot.
Now Steven does the physical work while I sit and take everything in. I appreciate everything he does, but it's difficult sometimes. I miss being able to participate physically rather than simply being along for the ride.
Still, the gardens were beautiful, and I'm glad we experienced them together.
We also made time for Morrison's Fried Pies. Blueberry for me, walnut and apple for Steven.
Delicious!
Our final sightseeing stop was Hot Springs Mountain Tower, a 216-foot observation tower built in 1983. Observation towers have actually stood on the mountain since 1877.
From the top, we could see downtown, the surrounding Ouachita Mountains, and an enormous amount of national parkland.
I hadn't realized how much of Hot Springs National Park is integrated into the city itself.
The park covers approximately 5,550 acres, compared with Central Park's 843 acres in New York City. That's more than six times the size!
It's unusual to see a national park so closely intertwined with a downtown area, historic buildings, and residential neighborhoods.
Saturday, October 31: Bathhouses, Gangsters, and Halloween
Happy Halloween!
After a stop at Golden Raised Donuts, we headed downtown to explore Bathhouse Row and the Fordyce Bathhouse, which now serves as the Hot Springs National Park Visitor Center.
On our way across the street, someone passing by said something that stayed with me.
"Oh, that's what I should have done. I should have brought my wheelchair."
I don't know anything about that person's circumstances, and I'm sure the comment wasn't intended to be hurtful.
People use wheelchairs for many different reasons. Some use them occasionally, while others depend on them entirely.
But for someone like me, bringing a wheelchair isn't really a decision.
It reminded me how differently people experience the same world, and how even an innocent comment can land in a way the speaker never anticipated.
The Fordyce Bathhouse
The Fordyce opened in 1915 and was one of the most luxurious bathhouses in Hot Springs.
What an interesting place!
Its restored interior contains marble surfaces, elaborate tilework, stained glass, bathing tubs, and all sorts of unusual hydrotherapy equipment.
Some rooms look almost medical, while others resemble a luxurious resort.
Visitors came to Hot Springs seeking therapeutic benefits from the natural thermal water, which emerges from the ground at an average temperature of approximately 143 degrees Fahrenheit.
Here's something fascinating: the water began its underground journey as rainfall roughly 4,400 years ago.
It traveled deep through fractures in the rock, warmed naturally by the Earth's internal heat, and absorbed minerals such as calcium, bicarbonate, silica, and magnesium before returning to the surface.
No volcano involved. Just an extraordinarily long underground journey.
And despite the town being named Hot Springs, we witnessed an amazing number of people touching the water and announcing:
"Oh, it's hot!"
Yes.
Yes, it is.
It sprinkled while we were visiting, but that didn't bother us. Steven even went back out into the rain to film the steaming springs and historic signage from the days of yore.
The Gangster Museum of America
Our next stop was The Gangster Museum of America, where we took a roughly 90-minute guided tour.
What a great little museum, and what an excellent tour guide!
I knew Hot Springs had a gangster history, but I had no idea how extensive it was.
During the first half of the twentieth century, Hot Springs became a major destination for illegal gambling and organized crime. Gangsters enjoyed the casinos, hotels, entertainment, and a local political environment that was remarkably accommodating.
Al Capone, Lucky Luciano, Bugsy Siegel, Frank Costello, and Owney Madden were among the notorious figures associated with the city.
Madden, a former New York gangster, settled in Hot Springs in the 1930s and became an important figure in its gambling operations.
We also learned about Maxine Temple Jones (1915–1997), a well-known Hot Springs madam who operated brothels catering to politicians, businessmen, and mobsters. She even published an autobiography in 1983 called Maxine: Call Me Madam.
We didn't take photographs inside the museum. It wasn't really that kind of experience, and we were too busy listening.
I highly recommend the tour to anyone interested in American history, especially the less respectable parts of it.
We also explored more of downtown afterward, taking in the historic buildings and some rather unusual Halloween costumes.
And Then There's the Baseball History!
As though Hot Springs didn't already have enough history, it also played an important role in the development of professional baseball spring training.
In 1886, the Chicago White Stockings, predecessors of today's Chicago Cubs, traveled here to prepare for the upcoming baseball season.
The warm climate, mountain exercise, and thermal baths were thought to help players get into shape. Other teams followed, and Hot Springs became one of the earliest major spring-training destinations.
Legendary players, including Babe Ruth and Honus Wagner, trained or visited here.
In 1918, Babe Ruth reportedly hit an enormous home run that landed in the nearby Arkansas Alligator Farm.
Imagine being an alligator and having a Babe Ruth baseball arrive in your enclosure.
The city even has a historic baseball trail commemorating its baseball past.
And remember the Ohio Club from Thursday? Baseball players frequented that establishment, too.
It's remarkable how the city's history of professional sports, gambling, organized crime, and thermal bathing all overlaps.
Barbecue with Another Motor Court Connection
We finished Saturday with dinner from McClard's Bar-B-Q, another Hot Springs institution.
And wouldn't you know it? Even the barbecue has a motor court connection!
In the 1920s, Alex and Gladys McClard operated the Westside Tourist Court.
According to the family story, a guest who couldn't pay his $10 bill offered them a barbecue sauce recipe instead.
They accepted, and the sauce became so successful that they eventually shifted from lodging to barbecue. By 1928, they were serving barbecue, initially featuring goat.
McClard's eventually became a Hot Springs institution and a favorite of former President Bill Clinton, who grew up here.
So we stayed at one historic motor court, ate brunch at another, and got barbecue from a business that started as one.
I certainly didn't expect that connection when we planned the trip.
Sunday, November 1: The Scenic Route Home
Sunday was our departure day, but we weren't finished exploring Arkansas.
After checking out of Cove Tourist Court, we took a scenic route through the DeGray Lake area.
And what a way to end the trip!
Sunday had the most pleasant weather of our visit, with beautiful blue skies, sunshine, and gorgeous fall colors.
The lake and surrounding wooded hills were picturesque and serene. We stopped for photographs and enjoyed the scenery before continuing home.
The weather throughout our trip actually suited our activities surprisingly well. Friday's cool, overcast skies were ideal for the gardens, Saturday's light rain was manageable for the museums and bathhouses, and Sunday gave us sunshine for the scenic drive.
Sometimes things work out just as they should.
Final Thoughts
Hot Springs is an unusual little city.
Steven and I kept comparing it to places we've visited in Western Canada, Colorado, Utah, and Europe. It has a little bit of everything, and somehow it all comes together in one place.
We were especially impressed by the hospitality. People were exceptionally friendly and welcoming throughout our visit.
Between the historic motor courts, beautiful gardens, thermal springs, gangster history, baseball connections, friendly people, and lovely autumn scenery, Hot Springs gave us plenty to enjoy and even more to learn.
Not bad for a three-night getaway.
No disappointments.
