Bathhouse Row
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Bathhouse Row
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Aerial view of Bathhouse Row
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| Location | Central Ave. between Reserve and Fountain Sts., in Hot Springs National Park, Hot Springs, Arkansas |
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| Coordinates | 34°30′49″N 93°3′13″W / 34.51361°N 93.05361°WCoordinates: 34°30′49″N 93°3′13″W / 34.51361°N 93.05361°W |
| Area | 6 acres (2.4 ha) |
| Built | 1892+ |
| Architect | several |
| Architectural style | several |
| NRHP Reference # | 74000275 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | November 13, 1974 |
| Designated NHLD | May 28, 1987 |
Bathhouse Row is a collection of bathhouses, associated buildings, and gardens located at Hot Springs National Park in the city of Hot Springs, Arkansas. The bathhouses were included in 1832 when the Federal Government took over four parcels of land to preserve 47 natural hot springs, their mineral waters which lack the sulphur odor of most hot springs, and their area of origin on the lower slopes of Hot Springs Mountain.
The existing bathhouses are the third and fourth generations of bathhouses along Hot Springs Creek and some sit directly over the hot springs – the resource for which the area was set aside as the first federal reserve in 1832. The bathhouses are a collection of turn-of-the-century eclectic buildings in neoclassical, renaissance-revival, Spanish and Italianate styles aligned in a linear pattern with formal entrances, outdoor fountains, promenades and other landscape-architectural features. The buildings are illustrative of the popularity of the spa movement in the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries. The bathhouse industry went into a steep decline during the mid-20th century as advancements in medicine made bathing in natural hot springs appear less believable as a remedy for illness.
Bathhouse Row was designated a National Historic Landmark on May 28, 1987.
The Bathhouse Row contains eight bathhouses aligned in a row: Buckstaff, Fordyce, Hale, Lamar, Maurice, Ozark, Quapaw, and Superior. These were independent, competing, commercial enterprises. The area included in the National Historic Landmark also includes a Grand Promenade on the hill above the bathhouses, an entrance way including fountains, and a National Park Service Administration building.
Completed in 1912, the elegantly designed Buckstaff Baths operates under National Park Service regulations, its well-trained staff provides a range of services from tradition thermal mineral baths and body massages to Swedish style full body massages. The bathing tubs are private and bathing suits are optional, although visitors may cover themselves between the bathing stations. Services begin with a "Whirlpool Mineral Bath" for $35.00
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Wikipedia