• water flowing over rocks into basin

    Hot Springs

    National Park Arkansas

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  • Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center Closed

    The Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center is closed until Fall 2013 for a major maintenance project. A temporary park Visitor Center, along with the park store, are located in the Lamar Bathhouse at the south end of Bathhouse Row. Call for more information.

Superior Bathhouse

The red brick Superior from the south end of the building shows the new access ramp that was part of recent rehabilitation work.

Superior Bathhouse was recently renovated. The new ramp makes the building entrance accessible.

The present Superior opened on February 1, 1916. It was built by L. C. Young and Robert Proctor in “an eclectic commercial style of classical revival origin,” contained 11,000 square feet, and cost $68,000 to build. The architect was Harry Schwebke. The smallest bathhouse on the Row, the Superior also had the lowest rates; it offered only the basic hydrotherapy, mercury, and massage services. It closed in November of 1983.

Read a brief history of the Superior.
Download Adobe Acrobat Reader for the .pdf file.

Did You Know?

black and white photo of bronze eagle on top of limestone

In 1892 U.S. Army Lt. Robert R. Stevens hired the noted Boston firm of Frederick Law Olmsted to create landscaping plans for Hot Springs Reservation, now Hot Springs National Park. Stevens rejected the firm’s plans in 1893, but some features were adopted and still survive today.