Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center And Museum

One of the best National park visitor centers I’ve been to! It hosts a 4 floor exhibit full of information for FREE! It also includes a 14 minute short fill which plays every half hour (I highly recommend it was super interesting and funny)! Make sure you make it to the basement which shows the water pumps and the hot spring! The center closes at 5, however the top 2 floors close at 4:45 so plan accordingly!

great info on the history and why there are so many hot water springs. There are 2 free audio tours available on the national parks app. We did one and walked through he area before driving up both mountains. Unfortunately it was rainy when we were in town but no flooding :) paid parking structure is close by. There are some nice places to sit on a nice day where you can find quiet spaces to enjoy watching the water flow and touch the hot water, just be careful it is very hot when it comes out the ground!

Nice history of Hot Springs National Park without being too much. Three floors of reconstructed rooms, highlighting different historic bathhouse services and gender specific rooms. We particularly enjoyed seeing the gym/fitness room on the 3rd floor. Don't miss Fordyce Spring in the basement. Ranger and volunteers are friendly and helpful. Top two floors close 15 minutes before closing. Takes an hour+ to see everything. Tours available.

The Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center is a beautifully preserved glimpse into the golden age of American spa culture. The stained glass ceilings, vintage gym, and historic bath equipment were fascinating. It’s free, well-maintained, and a great starting point for exploring Hot Springs National Park.

Absolutely the highlight of our visit to hot springs was our outdoors tour with Ranger Lisa, who, over the course of an hour and a half, thought us everything and more we needed to know about Hot Springs National Park, it's history, and it's future. The visitor center itself doubles as a museum, which is certainly the best value in the city (fantastic museum + free!)

A cool visitor center being a whole museum to an interesting bit of American past, definitely worth stopping by if in Arkansas for a quick look through, park rangers are very helpful and informative. Save our Parks!

Time Capsule! The Fordyce, one of the eight historic bathhouses on Bathhouse Row, is now a visitor center and museum of Hot Springs National Park. We took a self-guided tour of this four-story building, exploring different rooms and displays. The building has undergone substantial restoration to preserve its original appearance as a bathhouse, complete with marble flooring, stained-glass windows, a gymnasium, and numerous bathing rooms. We learnt the science underlying the thermal springs, the evolution of bathing practices in Hot Springs and different medical terminologies associated with this place. Our visit was deeply engaging and impressive.

Lots of cool history. There was a video room that ran every 30 minutes. The video was maybe 15 minutes long and very informative. Our kids (ranging from 3yo to 9yo) were all entertained and enjoyed walking the building. There were 3 stories of museums and free public bathrooms in the basement.

This was a great bath house history stop. Tour with the park ranger was worth the wait. Displays are interesting and informative.

Hot Springs is known for their bathhouses. This was a place of healing for many ailments and diseases. The bathhouses tapped directly into the springs. Currently in Hot Springs, there are active bathhouses, so make sure you ask before "touring" any of these locations so you don't get surprises. However, this location is more like a museum. The bathhouse was opened around 1914 and closed in the 1960s. They have most things preserved, including the elevator; although I am sure they have kept up maintenance. Everything is well laid out and easy to navigate. We did a self-guided tour which was fine because most explanations were given by the displays; although they do offer tours. We had a stroller and had no issues using it throughout the building. I thought everything was pretty interesting. I had never gone to a place like this and learned new things. They discussed the history of the town as well as the history of bathhouses in general. I think it's definitely worth stopping by if you are in the area. The time spent here can vary depending on how interested you are. We spent about 45mins and were able to see everything.

This is the most architecturally beautiful visitors center I've ever been in. The Fordyce Bathhouse Visitors Center used to be an actual, functional bathhouse on Bathhouse Row, but was retired and turned into an information center for Hot Springs National Park. Guided, park-ranger-led tours are available, but I personally like a self-guided experience, so I can go at my own pace. Either are welcome here. This visitors center is basically a furnished museum, with three floors of exhibits. You can see what the bathhouse used to look like, and the equipment they used to use. One of my favorite parts was the gymnasium, which had lots of old-timey gym equipment like rings and balls. Be sure to explore outside of the visitors center, because there are lots of fountains and opportunities to touch and drink the hot mineral water.

Great short self guided tour. It was interesting to see how the bath houses worked back in the 20's. My husband and I enjoyed all the history.

The beautiful historic Fordyce Bathhouse is well worth a stop, but I was lucky enough to enter right when a guided ranger tour was beginning. The tour was excellent and really brought the exhibits to life. The ranger talked about the building and the treatments, but he also put it in context of modern medicine and life. He was funny too! Don't miss the tour!

A great visitors center placed inside of one of the actual bathhouses. You can tour all 4 floors of the building which has much of the original bathhouse intact. There are also exhibits about the area and the springs in particular. We were there on a weekend and they offered several free ranger lead talks. We went on the one about the water and it was mostly good. The ranger took as too a couple of the display springs, walked us along the promenade and gave a good explanation about how the springs came to be. It did get a little preachy at the end. There were also doing tours of the bathhouse several times during the day. You can visit one of the display springs right behind the visitor center and one is onto the corner of the block (the hot spring cascade). If you ask at the desk they will give you a map showing where all the springs are. We went to one of the cold springs (in Happy Hollow) and were surprised by all of the people there filling up water containers. It looked to us like this is the only bathhouse you can tour. A couple are now restaurants, a couple are now active spas, one is the gift shop and one is the HQ. Including the talk we spent two hours there. I think had the weather been less hot and humid were would have enjoyed walking more of the promenade behind the bathhouse row.

Recommend this museum which is very informative and interesting, especially the treatments that were provided and rationale for them.

This is the National Park information center. You get your stamp here and at the Lamar bath house. This is not a working bathhouse but rather a museum. I love history of places and this was excellent and free. 3 floors: saw men and women lounge areas, electric therapy and cupping stations, all original. Tubs you could almost fully lay down in, steam stations and even the gym as it was back during the original times. Amazing that this was turned into a museum. Film was being shot during the time of our visit. A must to pop into.

A visit to the historic Fordyce Bathhouse is something cool & fun to do for all ages & I highly recommend to add to your itinerary, if ever in the Hot Springs area. Since "sharing is caring" here are a few of my "FYIs" and "Helpful Tips": ~This is a self-guided tour w/ several different exhibits located throughout the bathhouse displayed as it was back in the day. It is multiple floors but there are stairs & a very cool, old timing elevator to use to get to each floor. ~Free To Do but donations were accepted when we visited on 11/19/2021 ~masks were required to be worn during our visit on 11/19/2021. Not sure if still the case or not ~It took us about 45 mins to 1 hour to go through the entire bathhouse but the timing just depends on your schedule since it is a self-guided tour. The history of the Fordyce Bathhouse is so interesting & just walking through the space really felt like we had stepped back into time! Thankfully, this was just a feeling & not actually going back into time because I can't imagine having to wear those FUGLY swimsuits or those constricting corsets..I say let it all hang out baby!! ;)) ~Rebecca

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.

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!

Staff were super friendly even when I went tomato red because I was scared of them. Tour is worth it--we did self guided. Didn't read anything but we liked that we could touch rocks. Freaky as all hell. Definitely haunted. Please don't come after us ghosts. Cool as hell and surprisingly beautiful.

Wow, this place is full of historical information and artifacts. This is more than a visitors center, this is a museum. I was impressed with the amount of detail. We learned a ton about Hot Springs and the history of "Bathhouse Row" Apparently there are two Bathhouses currently operating to this day. Not Fordyce, this is where you go to learn about the area. If you are visiting the area I highly recommend you start here.

I try to patronize museums that really tell you the history, good and bad. I appreciate that Fordyce gives you that kind of view into life when the Bathhouses were built. I didn't expect to see as much as I saw or to learn as much as I did. They've preserved so much history all while giving you a chance to walkthrough and really explore this well documented part of American history. This is the best place to start your Hot Springs vacation. It gives you the foundation you need to appreciate everything else you'll see in HS.

Excellent museum FREE Does all of the bathhouse history in four stories and f a building Very personable staff really impressed me Bathrooms in basement Tours if how things were way back when bathhouses first established It's in bathhouse row You need to go

Really cool place to visit!! Even if you aren't into museums, this one is super cool! It's like walking back in time to an original bathhouse! My favorites are the 3rd floor gym and the basement spring!

This museum was awesome. So much history and so much to see. We did the self tour and walked through at our pace. The fact that it's free was the icing on the cake.

Man what a super cool museum! No Hot Springs visit would be complete without visiting here and learning about how the bathhouses worked. Great exbibits and the self guided tour is great! Stop by and plan to stay a bit!

This is maybe the most unique Visitor's Center I have ever been to - I've seen museums at them before, but none who's buildings are the actual historical item on display. It had three floors to walk around. Some items are able to be touched and the empty bathhouses give a unique vision into the past. Also -- staff was SUPER friendly and helpful! I will definitely recommend this to friends and family who visit the area!

There is no volcano on hot springs............... just mind blown at the learning experience of todays outing. Anytime I've been here or talked about the hot water that doesn't smell like eggs.......everybody has always said volcano but guess what?????they are wrong, it's geothermal and 6000 feet of circulating depth at the earths deeps that heats that water up and it taste great. Really enjoyed the staff here today and all the people visiting. Well worth the stop and visit for the kids to get their junior park ranger badges.

The Fordyce Bathouse as the name states....is the Visitors Center here at Hot Springs National Park. It's open daily, 9am - 5pm. This is one of 8 bathhouses located at the midpoint of Bathhouse Row Emporium on Central Avenue. Although this Fordyce is designated a bathhouse.....it's really just a former bathhouse that is no longer active. So....for this being the official Visitors Center....you can, and which I appreciated....casually take your time walking around exploring....getting a better handle for what life used to be like back in the day. Everything is pretty much relegated as is....this Fordyce Bathhouse is now a museum with exhibits. When I entered, there's a sign off to the right side stating....."Please start your Self-Guided Tour to the right". I followed the sign....and path....and made my way around the vintage bathhouse. My main message that I'd like to point out is.....how this building/bathhouse/relaxation hall was once a place of comfort and a spot for hard working folks to rest and heal....soaking up in hot baths and showers after a long day of labor. Interestingly in this day and age.....we have modern spas, parlors, jacuzzis, hot tubs, saunas and steam rooms. So...this type of place no longer exists. It was nice how they have preserved in classic fashion a few of these bathhouses (active and nonactive) and to permit tourists to come visit and better understand what life was like back in the olden days. This Fordyce Bathhouse was pretty big. Not only is the main hall full of different rooms consisting of private baths, tubs and showers, but upstairs on the 2nd and 3rd floors there's more offered including massage tables and rooms to lie down and rest. I spent about 30 minutes touring around and walking through each of the different corridors that composed Fordyce Bathhouse. For anyone interested, they also have a short film here called Valley of Vapors talking about the active and past history of bathhouse Row. Also in the main entrance hall, there's a small spot to get your National Park's Booklet stamped. One more thing....I visited during springtime. I did read that come summers, there are guided tours offered at Fordyce Bathhouse including traveling out to the beautiful Grand Promenade and walking along Bathhouse Row before returning back to Fordyce. Overall, I enjoyed my experience at Hot Springs National Park and Forydce Bathhouse is just one stop along Bathhouse Row that everyone should come inside, browse around and explore. Especially if you don't take a bath at the two active running ones....the Buckstaff or Quapaw Bathhouses, at least Fordyce will provide everyone an opportunity to sample looking around a real life though now retired Edwardian Era bathhouse.

Very interesting place, take the time and read all the history within these walls on the self guided tour.

Another absolutely fabulous part of Hot Springs, Arkansas and Hot Springs National Park. Fordyce Bathhouse is home to the Hot Springs National Park Visitor Center and an absolute plethora of information and history. There are numerous exhibits within the visitor center/museum in addition to a couple of movies. There is also the option to take a self-guided tour and/or take a ranger-led tour of the Edwardian Era bathhouse. The bathhouse closed in 1962 and reopened in 1989 as the visitor center for the national park. I was so eager to arrive at Hot Springs and check out the visitor center. Typically the visitor center is my first stop for any national park that I visit. The first floor took my breath away. I really felt like I had walked into the 1920s-1950s. The lobby has a beautiful fountain, marble floors, intricate details, and friendly rangers waiting to answer your questions! Since the two ranger-led tours did not fit with my schedule, I opted for the self-guided tour. I absolutely loved the stained glass ceiling in the Men's Bath Hall and all of the details throughout the entire building. With three floors in total, there is plenty to see and learn about. This is one of the best visitor centers I've had the opportunity to visit. One of the key things I would do if you're in the area and thinking about going down to Buckstaff Bathhouse is to watch the 9-minute video within the visitor center that shows the traditional bath routine. I was so thankful the ranger told me about this because I knew exactly what to expect after watching it. I also loved the music room on the third floor and the different lounging rooms. The contrasts between the men and women's sections was stark. Definitely, definitely, definitely check out Fordyce Bathhouse and make time for a self-guided or ranger-led tour. The museum is so well done and informative - take advantage; learn something new today!

Want to learn more about the Hot Springs Bathhouses and thermal springs? Visit the park's visitor center at Fordyce Bathhouse. From 1915 to 1962, visitors could receive treatments ranging from massages to electrotherapy in the largest of the bathhouse buildings. It even housed a bowling alley and had a grand piano to entertain guests. Although the building is currently closed, you can still peek through the windows to see the stained glass ceilings and fancy tile work or just admire the exterior facade. Make sure to stamp your Park Passport with a unique Fordyce Bathhouse stamp as well.

One of the most interesting, donation-only (also known as 'free') museums I've ever been to! It explained so much about the city's history, the hot spring geology, the culture at the time, and the rise and fall of the bathhouses. My only regret: we should have done this on Day 1 of our Hot Springs extended weekend, rather than waited until the last day. I think I would have appreciated other things differently had I been more informed. I spent about 2 hours in the museum, but I explored all the floors and read all the placards (nerd fabulously), but you could definitely do it in less than an hour if you're trying to fit it in between activities. It's not interactive, so young kids will be bored out of their minds, so you might consider an alternative activity for them (Fat Bottomed Girls Cupcakes, just a suggestion). I definitely recommend checking out this museum for anyone who visits Hot Springs!

Unique National Park in the middle of downtown Hot Springs. Enjoyed touring the Fordyce Bathhouse and looking through all the shops. Interesting history and architecture.

This was my second time visiting the Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center, and it was as great as the first! The bathhouse is three stories and may be explored through a self-guided tour. The bathhouse showcases both men's and women's facilities, including dressing rooms, bathing areas, massage rooms, and a gymnasium. Each room is set up as it would have been in the late 1800s/early 1900s. There is plenty of information about each room and the different equipment/machinery on display. One of my group's favorite parts was the elevator. The old-fashioned style elevator travels to all three floors. The visitor center and museum is clean and well kept. The front desk staff are friendly but don't make you feel overwhelmed by their presence. I would absolutely visit again!

Stopped by here not thinking much of it considering it is a visitor center but was very surprised that there was much more to explore inside! Was nice to walk at your own pace to learn about hot springs through the 3 floors of exhibits. Bathrooms were also available in the building.

The National Park Service has done an amazing job of preserving the old Fordyce Bath House. It is the main Visitors Center for the park. There are four floors you can visit to see the tubs, stalls, massage tables and artifacts that have been preserved from the early days of the Hot Springs Baths. When you walk in the front door you are greeted by a friendly Ranger or a Volunteer who will fill you full of information and maps. You have to climb stairs to get to the upper floors so if you have trouble there is an antique elevator that will carry you to any of the floors. There is also a short movie that runs every 30 minutes that shows a very informative short history of how everything started in Hot Springs. A must see.

When in Hot Springs, you must stop by its visitor center. They have a nice self-guided tours of what bath houses originally looked like. You will learn the history of the Hot Springs and the bath houses. Best of all, it is a free activity. It won't take you longer than 30 to 60 minutes. If you are collecting passport stamps of national parks, you can collect one there. They don't have onsite parking, but there's a parking garage nearby and free street parking close by too.

This is such a cool visitors center! Very informative and the friendliest staff ever! I learned what makes the water hot, history of the area, famous visitors, all the kinds of things offered at places like this, etc. I geeked out so much. Visiting this facility added such fun insight to the history of Hot Springs and added to my overall visit here. Bonus, it is free. Now, I need to have a spa hot springs experience.

Highly recommend coming here when you first arrive! The park ranger gives tours at 11 AM and 2 PM, and they run about an hour long. You'll not only learn about the bathhouses, but you'll learn about the history of Hot Springs and how the town came to be. The tour stayed on the first level, but after the tour, I explored the 2nd and 3rd floors for about half an hour.

The National Park Service's Visitor Center is located in the old Fordyce Bathhouse on Bathhouse Row. The building (3 floors and a lower level) have been restored and show what a bathhouse was really like. According to the Park Ranger, the bathhouses were popular until the 1950's - some a little later. The Fordyce Bathhouse still has many of the old dressing rooms, bathing areas, etc. The Park Service offers guided tours or you can take a self-guided tour. We took a 45-minute walking tour of the Bathhouse Row area where we learned about the hot springs and the development of the bathhouse industry. There is also a good film at the Visitor's Center (I think it plays every 30 minutes). If you're short on time, this would be the one "must-see" location in Hot Springs to give you an overview of the hot springs and the development of bathhouses. It also allows you to see what an actual bathhouse looked like. And - being run by the National Park Service - this is a very well done, very professionally run operation. I always appreciate the sites operated by the National Park Service.

I enjoyed the tour of the old bath house. The highlights were the stain glass ceiling and the old elevator that is still working. I felt like it was worth walking bath house row, liked all the history.

The National Park has completely renovated the Fordyce Bathhouse. Fordyce is now used as a museum. It is free and open to the public. Upon entering, visitors are greeted by a park ranger and provided with maps and information about the area. I initially thought that this was just a one stop shop to grab some materials and begin our exploration, but I quickly learned that this building is really the center of it all. We ended up spending well over an hour viewing each section of the bathhouse and reading about the rich history. The bathhouse, itself, has many levels and is filled with stain glass windows and marble. It is breathtakingly gorgeous. It is evident that in its heyday, it was a top notch state-of-the-art spa getaway. There is much for tourists to do in terms of seeing the Fordyce. With each level, there are fun and pleasant surprises that can be found, so it is worth going all the way from the basement to the very top floor. I was pleasantly pleased to learn that they took special time to pay homage to many of the workers at the Bathhouses, who were African American. Additionally, There is a small room that has been turned into a theater for visitors to hear a short presentation and view a video. Viewing times are posted near the entrance. Most of the bathhouses are now closed. The Park Ranger said that there are only two remaining bathhouses in full operation. The National Park Service has done an outstanding job with renovating Fordyce.

Hot Springs is a charming town and I've passed through here a few times. It's nice to park the car and see the local attractions on foot. Bathhouse Row is comprised of some lovely buildings and I would love to turn back the clock to experience what Hot Springs was like almost a century ago. Being pampered in these bathhouses must been wonderful but some of the contraptions and devices on display at Fordyce Bathhouse seem more suited to S&M than spa. (Hey, I'm not judging.) There is a lot to explore in this multi-story structure: baths, steam room, massage rooms, a barber shop, a gym, and lounge areas. This was a place to relax but it looks like it was a popular and crowded environment. I wonder if a solitary walk in the nearby hills would not have been as satisfyingly effective.

Arriving a few days early before my family reunion, I decided to take a day trip to Hot Springs. After much research, I decided to visit the Fordyce Bathhouse museum prior to partaking in Buckstaff's services. Of course, I looked at Quapaw as well. Yet, when you have a modern bathhouse in the city where you live, there's no rush. Traditional bathhouse it is. Well, how traditional, you ask? Fordyce will answer all of your questions. The private bath, the vapor room, the sitz bath, needle shower, and the massage. It was amazing to see where the modern day spa and gym grew. In the museum, you also see the dressing rooms, state rooms, beauty palor, sitting rooms, and chiropody. Quite the experience. You won't regret it. And don't forget to look up at the ceiling.

"The Fordyce opened March 1, 1915. Designed by Little Rock architects Mann and Stern and constructed under the supervision of owner Sam Fordyce's son John, the building eventually cost over $212,000 to build, equip, and furnish. Totaling approximately 28,000 square feet, the Fordyce is the largest bathhouse on the Row. It has three main floors, two courtyards, and a basement under most of the building. The Fordyce became the first bathhouse on the Row to go out of business when it suspended operations on June 30, 1962, but it was extensively restored by 1989 and is now enjoying a renaissance as a historically furnished museum. It also functions as the park's visitor center."

It's been a few years since my last visit to Hot Springs National Park and this time I had a little more research under my belt before the visit. The magnolia tree lined Bathhouse Row is home to stunning and diverse architecture with more than ten bathhouses built in the first quarter of the twentieth century. You can pop in the visitors center for more background information and visuals of what the interior of the bathhouses looked like during their roaring era. Along the backside of the bathhouses you'll find a stunning brick trail with beautiful overhead views of the houses and downtown historic Hot Springs. This trail will also lead you to an active spring that shows you just how hot the water is when it leaves the ground (I'd like to think of it as a public hot tub;). Give yourself an hour or so to loop around the houses and read the historical marker found at each. Across from Bathhouse Row you will find a multitude of local restaurants and shops ideal for tourists. **it seems that they would benefit from a few more kid-friendly/interactive elements to suit and educate the whole family.

The Fordyce Bathhouse is become the National Park Service Welcome Center. This bath house become a museum and receive a lot of visitor for Hot Spring National Park. This is properly the only city national park that I know. The fountain on the side is from the hot spring and you can see the vapor in the air. The bath house become a place to visit with rich history. The decoration and room set up represent the rich and famous spend their time here. It is a bath house that not in service but tell a lot of story. The men bath area is very nice. It have multi jet shower for multi direction of whole body. Very cool in 1900. The massage room is very interesting. They call it electro and mechano therapy. Imagine you have this equipment like hammer vibrator. Mechanic wheel stretcher.... Sound like torture machines. They also have steam room with you whole body and only your head is expose not steam. Nail and hair service. I can live with that life. Don't miss the opportunity to visit this place.

Came here on a self guided tour. If you're into the history of the area, this place is SO COOL. They recreated what it was like in the old bath house days with restored original equipment. It was really cool to see what it was like almost 100 years ago. You could almost picture the hustle and bustle of the bathhouse when it was in its peak (but it's kind of creepy thinking most of those people are probably dead now, so maybe you don't want to think about that). There's also a video on the second floor (I think) that's hilariously outdated, but gives you a good idea of what the bathhouses were like (someone actually SCRUBS you? No thanks). The stained glass in the men's bathhouse is BEAUTIFUL.

Interesting and unique. I definitely recommend checking this out. We did not do the guided tour, but just exploring the vintage spa areas is really cool. It gives a nice flavor of the Hot Springs heyday and it's something you can't see everywhere. I also suggest taking a few minutes to sit on the veranda in one of the rocking chairs. It's nice place to stop and enjoy the breeze and the view of Central Ave.

Part of the small Hot Springs National Park, now Visitors Center. Ranger guided walks available twice daily, we did ours self guided. Lovely old historic bathhouse building worth a walk through, all 3 stories! It was wonderful to visit this air conditioned spot when it was so hot & humid outdoors today! I regret not rocking on the outdoor rocking chairs on the porch, but it was just too hot today!

There are not many towns in the USA that have been declared a national park. This is one of them that has been. It is very unique as it's history is a resort town built in hot bath and massage houses from the natural springs. 5 of them are still in operation and regulated by the federal government. This bathhouse is a museum that shows you the history of the town and bathhouses. It is perfectly protected in the original Art Deco design that is stunning! You can tour it for free and learn so much about this interesting slice of American history (some of which is sad). Well worth the visit!

This bathhouse turned visitor center is a must see whilst in hot springs. It really shows you exactly what the bathhouses were like and you can pretty much peruse on your own. There are plenty of informational plaques in each room to ice you all the details. And when you first walk into the building, they have a staff of people ready to help guide you in the right direction. Check it out!

Went here with my family ( range of ages from 65 and 10 ) and loved the history of the place and beautiful architecture! The younger one ( 10 years of age ) didn't really understand it but they did like it none the less.

Worth the visit. My husband and I enjoyed exploring this huge historic bathhouse. You can imagine the people flocking to this area for the healing properties of the hot springs water used in the bathhouses along Bathhouse Row. Fordyce is the largest and most elaborate bathhouse on the street and is now a visitor center and museum. It's an interesting place to visit. Much of it is as it was in its heyday the tubs, showers, steam cabinets, dressing areas, lounges, gymnasiums and private state rooms. The glass ceiling in the men's shower is beautiful, as is the ceiling upstairs in the common area between the men's and women's lounges. You can do a guided tour by a ranger or walk yourself reading the informative signs. Free to the public, but make sure you leave a donation on the way out.

A must see! I highly recommend going though this museum, especially if you're considering going to one of the active bathhouses.

Most NPS visitor centers are built for the purpose. And they're usually quite nice! I don't know if there's a "bad" visitor center out there. But none of the ones I've been to have been like the Fordyce, an already extant building they've re-purposed into a visitor center. Even better, they're restored and preserved what seemed to be the poshest of the original Bathhouse Row businesses. In other words, it's really, really cool. The ranger desk is the old check-in counter. The man working the counter was incredibly eager to share information and local trails for people to try, utilizing maps and highlighters. From there, you can pick up a brochure for a free self-guided tour of the bathhouse, which is both really interesting and kinda weird. It's fun seeing what people thought had medicinal value (and I say that fully aware of how some of what we think now will come off silly later). Hot Springs is the smallest National Park but has perhaps the best visitor center of them all. That's pretty cool.