What to Do in Hot Springs, Arkansas for a Weekend
Published by Crystal Ridge Distillery | Hot Springs, Arkansas
Hot Springs, Arkansas has a way of surprising people.
Most visitors arrive expecting a quiet spa town. What they find is something much richer — a city with thermal springs flowing beneath the streets, gangster history on every corner, world-class horse racing, some of the most beautiful mountain trails in the South, and a downtown that somehow manages to feel both historic and alive at the same time.
Two days isn't enough. But it's a great start.
Here's how we'd spend a weekend in Hot Springs — written by people who live and work here, and who think this city deserves more credit than it gets.
Friday Evening — Arrive and Get Your Bearings
Start at Crystal Ridge Distillery
There's no better introduction to downtown Hot Springs than 455 Broadway. Crystal Ridge Distillery is housed in the F.C. Stearns Warehouse — hand-built between 1910 and 1920, exposed brick walls, original fire doors, and over a century of Arkansas history in every beam. We are the first legal distillery in Hot Springs, and we think that's worth celebrating.
Come in for a $10 tasting led by one of our Moonshine Experts. You'll sample from our 14 moonshine flavors, taste our Arkansas Vodka distilled 10 times, and get a feel for what this city's craft spirit tradition actually tastes like. Free tours run throughout the week. No reservation required.
It's the kind of place that sets the tone for the whole weekend.
Walk Broadway
After your tasting, walk Broadway. The street has been the center of Hot Springs life for over a century — bathhouses, restaurants, galleries, and shops all within easy walking distance. The architecture alone is worth the stroll. Hot Springs has one of the most intact early 20th century downtowns in the entire South.
Saturday Morning — History and the National Park
Bathhouse Row
Start Saturday morning at Bathhouse Row — a collection of historic bathhouses along Central Avenue that form the core of Hot Springs National Park, the smallest and oldest national park in the United States. Dating back to 1832 when Congress established the first federally protected area in American history, the park is built around the thermal springs that made Hot Springs famous.
Several of the bathhouses have been restored. The Fordyce Bathhouse serves as the park visitor center and is worth an hour of your time. The Buckstaff Bathhouse still offers traditional thermal baths if you want to soak in the same waters that drew presidents, athletes, and gangsters to this city for over a century.
The Gangster Museum of America
Speaking of gangsters — Hot Springs was, for much of the early 20th century, one of the most wide-open illegal gambling and entertainment cities in the country. Al Capone, Frank Costello, Bugs Moran — they all came here. The Gangster Museum of America on Central Avenue tells that story with genuine depth and a lot of fun. It's one of the more unique museums you'll find anywhere in the South.
Superior Bathhouse Brewery
One of the more remarkable facts about Hot Springs: there is a brewery operating inside a United States national park. The Superior Bathhouse Brewery on Bathhouse Row brews all of its beer using mineral-rich hot spring water — making it one of the most unusual breweries in the country. Worth a stop for lunch and a pint before the afternoon.
Saturday Afternoon — Nature and the Ouachitas
Hot Springs National Park Trails
The afternoon belongs to the mountains. Hot Springs National Park has several excellent trails right on the edge of downtown — the Sunset Trail, the West Mountain Trail, and the Gulpha Gorge Trail are all accessible and offer a range of difficulty levels. Views range from woodland walks to skyline vistas looking out over the Ouachita Mountains.
For those who want to go further, the Ouachita National Forest surrounds the city and offers some of the best hiking in the state.
Garvan Woodland Gardens
If hiking isn't your speed, Garvan Woodland Gardens is one of the most beautiful spots in Arkansas — a 210-acre botanical garden on Lake Hamilton operated by the University of Arkansas. The Anthony Chapel, designed by alumni of the Fay Jones School of Architecture and inspired by the legendary Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs, is extraordinary. Open to the public daily from 10 AM to 6 PM.
Saturday Evening — Dinner and a Night on Broadway
Dinner Downtown
Hot Springs has a genuinely strong restaurant scene for a city its size. Broadway and Central Avenue are lined with options ranging from casual to upscale. Ask a local — the best recommendations in this city always come from the people who live here.
Come Back to Crystal Ridge
Saturday evening is a great time to return to the distillery. Our tasting room is open until 8 PM on Fridays and Saturdays, and The Social Lounge — our in-house kitchen and gathering space — is the perfect place to end the day. Handcrafted pizzas, jumbo wings, and crafted starters made fresh to order, paired with moonshine, Arkansas Vodka, or a cold can of The Pack.
Before you settle in, browse our retail area — we carry a curated selection of premium cigars alongside the full spirit lineup. The kind of pairing that turns a Saturday evening into something worth remembering.
The kind of evening that turns a weekend trip into a story you tell when you get home.
Sunday — Lake Ouachita and the Drive Home
Lake Ouachita
Before you leave, drive out to Lake Ouachita. At over 40,000 acres, it's the largest lake entirely within Arkansas and one of the cleanest lakes in the country. The Ouachita Mountains backdrop makes it one of the more beautiful stretches of water in the South.
For Crystal Ridge, Lake Ouachita has a specific meaning — it was formed in 1953 when Blakely Mountain Dam was built and the Army Corps of Engineers flooded the Ouachita River valley, submerging the small community of Buckville where the Bradley family had lived for generations. The Bradley cemetery still rests quietly beneath those hills. The family stayed in Garland County. They kept going.
Knowing that history makes the lake look a little different.
Pick Up Something to Take Home
Before you leave Hot Springs, stop back at 455 Broadway. Our retail selection includes the full moonshine lineup, Arkansas Vodka in three sizes, and The Pack RTD cocktails. If you found a tasting room favorite on Friday night, take a jar home. It's the best souvenir Hot Springs has to offer.
Crystal Ridge Distillery
Plan Your Visit to Crystal Ridge
We're open throughout the week and there's no reservation required for tours or tastings.
Tasting Room Hours:
Hours subject to change — call us at 501-627-0722 or follow @crystalridgedistillery for the latest.
Monday: 12:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Thursday: 12:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Friday: 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Saturday: 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Sunday: 1:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Tuesday & Wednesday: Closed
455 Broadway St, Hot Springs, AR 71901 · 501-627-0722
Crystal Ridge Distillery — the first legal distillery in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Free tours, $10 tastings, 14 moonshine flavors, Arkansas Vodka distilled 10 times, and The Pack RTD cocktails. Seven generations of Bradley family craft, rooted in Garland County since before Arkansas was a state.
