Visiting Bathhouse Row at Hot Springs National Park

Hot Springs National Park is one of the oddest parks in the National Park Service. While most visitors to national parks envision broad vistas of scenic beauty, acres and acres in which to tramp, and opportunities for physical activity, Hot Springs NP seems to take up a few blocks on Main Street of an Arkansas city. While the park does include over 5,000 acres (compare to 2.2 million acres at Yellowstone) of hiking trails, a mountain, and 47 hot springs, the bathhouses on Main Street are its main emphasis. Hoping to restore Bathhouse Row to its former splendor of the 1920s, the government is now trying to interest private developers in leasing the former bathhouses for commercial ventures. While Hot Springs NP joined the list of national parks in 1921, much of the restoration work has been recent; the Fordyce Bathhouse was completely redone in the late 1980s.

During the early part of the 20th century, Hot Springs was a popular destination for visitors who needed treatments for health problems. Hot springs bubbled up out of the mountain there; soothing mineral water that stayed at a temperature of 143 degrees caused people to flock to the baths. Doctors that specialized in the treatment of many illnesses recommended the hot springs, and after trains began to reach Hot Springs almost a million visitors a year made the trip to the bathhouses, seeking cures for their ailments.

The U.S. government began regulating the hot springs in 1832 after crowds of people began going to the waters. At first visitors just sat in the hot springs, but later simple bathhouses were constructed over the springs, mostly built of wood or canvas. A creek ran along the hot springs, and many problems occurred with the water from the creek and springs becoming unsanitary; the buildings often collapsed from flooding, fires, or from constantly being exposed to steam. The creek was finally covered by a road to alleviate some of the problems.

The government let private companies build bathhouses around the springs at the end of the 19th century; some were simple structures for the masses, and others luxurious, elaborate bathhouse hotels for the wealthy. The government maintained a bathhouse of its own that was free to all who wanted to come. Many different health treatments, some rather bizarre by today's standards, were performed in the bathhouses; the Fordyce Bathhouse displays all sorts of odd tools and equipment used for therapy at one time. After medical knowledge improved, the bathhouses no longer had as many clients, and many closed their doors. The only bathhouse still open on Bathhouse Row today is the Buckstaff.

The park service maintains the Fordyce Bathhouse as a visitor center, and it has been restored to its former grandeur. The multi-story building is filled with beautiful woods, marble, brass, and stained glass, and the past splendor of the old bathhouse shines through brilliantly. Most of the furnishings and equipment are original to the 1920s, when the Fordyce was in its heyday, and visitors can get a good picture of the experience of a wealthy spa patron of that time period. A self-guided tour takes a visitor through 23 rooms, including dressing rooms, bath halls, and hydrotherapy rooms on the first floor, massage rooms, a chiropody room, and other therapy rooms on the second floor, and a music room, roof garden, state rooms, a gym, and a large tiled Hubbard tub on the third floor. The gym and tub are extremely interesting; the wood-lined gym has ropes hanging from the ceiling, wooden Indian clubs, medicine balls, and other equipment of the time, and it was used by the Chicago White Stockings and other baseball teams for spring training. The tub has rails that were used to bring infirm patients down from the elevator; it's very deep and is covered in lovely mosaic patterns. There is a sunny solarium with amazing stained glass panels in the roof on the top floor; the Fordyce also has a gift shop and shows an informational film about the history of the bathhouses on the first floor.

The Buckstaff is the only bathhouse still operating on Bathhouse Row, although there are six privately-owned bathhouses operating under the direction of the National Park Service inside the park. Many tourists go to the Buckstaff, sit on the Adirondack chairs under the blue-and-white striped awnings on the spacious porch, venture inside for a look, and then trot back outside. Those who go inside for the full treatment, the "bathing experience," come out either totally refreshed or with a strange look on their faces; first-timers can be a little overwhelmed with all the procedures done in the two-hour stay.

What is the full treatment like at the Buckstaff? Visitors first choose a bathing package, which ranges from a mineral bath to the "traditional bathing package," a $42 service that includes the mineral bath, a loofa mitt, and a massage. Additional services such as manicures, pedicures and facials can also be added; these services are provided on the third floor. After selecting a package and paying in the front lobby, the visitor is asked to leave valuables in a locker and is given the key on a bracelet, as well as a ticket for the bathing package. Men are then taken through a door near the front desk, and women are taken on an elevator to the second floor by attendants.

Each person is led to a private locker and asked to disrobe and signal the attendant when ready. Women are then draped in a sheet by the attendant, and men receive towels. They are led to the first station, which is an old-fashioned whirlpool tub, and the sheet is removed. After settling in the tub, which is filled with 100 degree mineral water from the hot springs, the person is loofaed on the arms, legs, and back by the attendant. The attendant brings the visitor a cup of hot mineral water to drink, and the whirlpool apparatus, which resembles an old pipe, is turned on.

After spending 15-20 minutes in the whirlpool, the visitor is asked to stand and the attendant redrapes the sheet or towel. The person is led to a sitz bath, which is a small, shallow porcelain tub in an alcove. Hot water runs continuously through the sitz bath, and the person turns around and sits in the tub as the attendant remove the sheet and pulls a curtain in front of the tub. A sign beside the sitz bath states that it is good for those with prostate troubles, hemorrhoids, and low back pain.

After about 10 minutes in the sitz bath, the visitor is put into a steam cabinet. Since there are quite a few whirlpool baths, and only a small number of sitz baths and steam cabinets, visitors are often asked to sit on a massage table to wait between stations, draped in the sheets or towels. Before being put into the steam cabinet, the visitor is asked if he has any medical problems such as diabetes or hypertension, and the amount of time in the cabinet is adjusted to the individual. If a person doesn't like the looks of any service, he is free to decline it.

After a few minutes in the steam cabinet, the visitor is draped with towels that have been soaked in the hot water. This stimulates blood flow and helps to prepare muscles for the massage that is to follow. After relaxing on a table with the hot packs for several minutes, the visitor is redraped and led to a needle shower, an odd-looking enclosure that shoots out water on many different levels.

After being redraped, the visitor is taken to wait for a 20-minute massage. More hot mineral water is offered during the wait. A full body Swedish massage is given, and then the visitor is led back to the dressing locker by an attendant. After dressing, women are taken back down the elevator by an attendant, and men are free to walk out on the first floor.

First-time visitors who have never had massages or those who are bothered by glimpses of nudity may be uncomfortable. I felt it was a relaxing, rejuvenating experience, and I noticed my skin tingling and saw a rosy glow in the mirror afterwards. I talked to a couple of young men on the porch afterwards who were decidedly uncomfortable with the whole process, feeling that it intruded on their privacy; a young woman, however, told me that she was glad she waited until the last day of her trip to Hot Springs to take the baths or she would have spent all her money on repeat visits.

Opposite Bathhouse Row on Main Street are many small shops, restaurants, and other commercial establishments. There is an observation tower within the park and the city of Hot Springs has many attractions such as horse racing, water sports on Lake Hamilton, and horseback riding at Lake Catherine State Park. The area has agreeable weather and there are campgrounds and picnic areas within the park. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Hot Springs National Park, although I found it difficult to tell exactly where the park boundaries were. Bathhouse Row is very interesting, and there are informational plaques outside each bathhouse that give the history and details of each building.