We have been taking advantage of my son’s Every Kid Outdoors Pass and visiting as many National Park sites as possible. For this post, I will use the term National Park to mean any park site, including historic sites, monuments, etc.
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Our first National Parks stop on our recent road trip was Hot Springs National Park. We chose Hot Springs due to its proximity to another stop on our route, but I’m glad we took the time to visit.
One of the unique things about this park is that it is right in the middle of town. The buildings and walking paths go through the town instead of being on one isolated property. In addition to the main part of the park in town, there is a campground and some hiking trails outside of town.
When we first got there, we checked in at the campground and then went into town to check out the visitor’s center and historic buildings. Parking is mostly street-side parallel parking in town or parking decks.
There is a visitor’s center, gift shop, walking trail with hot springs and other landmarks, and a row of historic bathhouses that can be seen from outside (several are still functional, and you can make appointments for swimming and spa services for varying fees).
Our Suggested Itinerary
I recommend starting at the visitor’s center to better understand the history behind the bathhouses and how they changed over time. Your students can also pick up their Junior Ranger books and work on them as you tour.
Once you have seen the visitor center, you can walk the trail behind it and run behind the row of bathhouses. Signs point out several springs and other landmarks. You can feel warm water in several places; there is even a fountain where you can taste the fresh spring water (bring your own bottle or container).
At several stops along this path, there are signs with a phone number for an audio tour, which adds a lot of interesting information to the walk.
Next, you can walk back up the front of bathhouse row and see all of the different architecture and historical buildings. This is also a great time to visit the gift shop, located in a separate building from the visitor’s center.
Once you have finished your walking tour, you can turn in your completed Junior Ranger books. Most people could probably see the in-town part of Hot Springs National Park in two to three hours. However, if you have time, you can take longer and explore the area around the park or visit some of the bathhouses. Also, while I would prioritize the in-town portion of this park, I recommend driving over to the area near the campground for some beautiful hiking if you have extra time.
History and Science at Hot Springs National Park
In my experience, all national park sites have something to offer in the form of either history or science education, but Hot Springs has both. We were able to learn more about the science behind the hot springs themselves and enjoy nature study on our hike.
The visitor’s center and bathhouse row offered some great historical knowledge as well. The children learned about what medicine looked like many years ago and how people had used the hot springs medicinally.
If you get a chance to visit, let me know how you like it, and don’t forget to take your park passport and get it stamped! We have found that the passport is a great way for the children to get a souvenir at each park with no additional expense after the initial purchase.
Location and General Information
Where:
Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center
369 Central Avenue
Hot Springs, AR 71901
Hours of Operation:
Visitor’s Center: Seven days a week, year-round, 9:00 am–5:00 pm (Closed Major Holidays)
Park Grounds: Open 5 am to 10 pm
Costs:
Fee Free to visit the park, visitors center, etc. The campground does have fees.
Homeschool Discount:
N/A due to no fees
Website:
https://www.nps.gov/hosp/index.htm
Food:
While there is not food available at the visitor’s center, it is in the middle of town, so there are a variety of restaurants available, as well as open spaces for picnicking. We did not need a meal while we were there, but we did enjoy some ice cream at a local shop called Mamoo’s Creamery. The ice cream was delicious, and they were great at helping us navigate allergies. They also had a dairy-free option. (We also loved the name because by six-year-old calls his older brother Mamoo because he couldn’t say Matthew when he was younger.)
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