Mobsters, Minerals and Massages: Vacation Like a Gangster in Hot Springs, Arkansas

Before Las Vegas glittered, the high rollers were soaking in the steamy springs of Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Nestled in the Ouachita Mountains, this small town built atop naturally heated mineral waters was once America’s original resort escape and the preferred hideaway of crime bosses like Al Capone and Lucky Luciano.

Drawn by the healing waters and lax government regulations that allowed gambling, booze and prostitution, the mob’s most notorious figures found Hot Springs the perfect place to lie low. 

In the early 1900s, the town’s mix of luxury bathhouses, fine hotels and freewheeling nightlife made it a seductive playground for both crooks and celebrities. 

Even Major League Baseball used the town at one time to tune up for the upcoming season, drawing stars like Babe Ruth for spring training.

The landmark Arlington Spa and Resort, still in business today, was home to Capone, who always took room 443 and had the whole floor for his staff and bodyguards. 

The then-illegal activity was cleaned up in the mid-20th century and moved west to places like Reno and Las Vegas.

Although the gangsters are long gone, visitors can still soak, sip and stroll through town much like the mobsters once did.

Tour the Gangster Museum of America

If you’re interested in learning more about the seedier side of Hot Springs’ history, then the Gangster Museum of America is a good place to start.

Sitting on the main drag of America’s first spa city, the museum, a passion project of executive director Robert Raines, offers a great overview of the intersection of illegal activity and relaxation in America’s first spa city.   

Tour guide Lance “Birdman” Burton, dressed like a made man himself, led us through a series of rooms showing short videos on why and when the criminal class descended on the town, relaxing and partying like it was 1929.

Organized into various galleries, like The Capone Gallery, The New York Connection Gallery or The Outlaw Gallery, the museum is filled with relics of the criminal high life.

Eat and Drink at the Ohio Club

One place Lucky Luciano and the boys hung out was at the Ohio Club, the town’s oldest bar in operation since 1905. 

Just steps away from the museum, it is a decided step back in time with its low lighting, extra-long bar and statue of Al Capone lounging out front.

At more than 100 years old, it’s not only Arkansas oldest bar, but once hosted talents like Al Jolson and Mae West, headliners brought in to entertain the high rollers drawn to the gambling action.

Visit an Original Bathhouse

Hot Springs’ fame Bathhouse Row, now a designated National Park Landmark District, has eight bathhouses built in the early 20th Century that launched a spa industry that continues to this day.

While most of the large buildings, each with a unique style and history, no longer operate as bathhouses, they are still a major feature on Hot Springs main street operating as a visitor’s centre (Fordyce), souvenir shop (Lamar), cultural centre (Ozark), modern spa (Quapaw) or hotel (Hale).

Superior Bathhouse, built in 1916, has even transformed into a craft brewery and restaurant, becoming the only brewery in a U.S. national park, taking advantage of the thermal hot springs to produce beer and heat the buildings.

Owner Rose Schweikhart started work on the Superior Bathhouse Brewery project in 2013 after approaching the federal government about taking ownership of the long unused bathhouse and to her surprise, and delight, they loved the idea.

If you’re keen for a true old-school bathhouse hydrotherapy experience, you can still get it at Buckstaff Bathhouse, where the original tubs, change area, and treatment rooms are still in operation.

The adventure starts when an attendant wraps you in a bath sheet, toga-style (you may go commando or wear a bathing suit if you prefer), and leads you to a tub where you sit in the thermally-heated and agitated water for about 15 minutes before being laid out on a table and covered in steaming hot towels from head to toe (you’re encouraged to drink cold spring water throughout the process).

The next stop is a sitz bath, then a vapor box, a steam-heated metal box that you sit in with your head sticking out of the top. It’s as freaky as it sounds but weirdly enjoyable.

We finished the session with a full-body massage. Bliss.

The entire circuit, which is separated by gender, takes about 90 minutes.

Try the Amazing Spring Water

Long a gathering place for people to take the waters for their healing properties, there are various places in town to bring your own containers and fill up at no charge.

Townsfolk and visitors alike fill up their jugs at communal hot and cold-water dispensers found at:

• Libby Memorial Physical Medicine Centre on Reserve Street
• In front of the National Park Service administration building on Reserve Street
• Hill Wheatly Plaza on Central Avenue
• The Shell Fountain on the Grande Promenade above Maurice and Fordyce Bathhouses

Hiking In Hot Springs National Park

It’s hard to say how much hiking the outlaws did, but when you know better you do better, so get out and explore the surrounding natural world. Part of the city is actually in the federal National Park System with almost 30 miles of trails to explore. It’s the National Park System’s oldest urban park.

If you’re pressed for time, walk to and from the Hot Springs Mountain Tower that looms over the town and with more time you can explore the myriads of walking trails that veer off from there. Originally built in 1906 as an observation structure, the tower was replaced in the 1970s.

You can also pay to climb to the top of the tower, which offers a 140-square-mile view of the surrounding area.

For a shorter stroll, head up to the Grand Promenade behind the historic bathhouses and enjoy the quiet away from the hustle and bustle of the main street below.

For a shorter stroll, wander up to the Grand Promenade behind the historic bathhouses and enjoy the quiet escape from the bustle of the main street below.

Whether you come for the history, the healing waters, or the quirky collision of spa culture and gangster lore, Hot Springs offers an experience unlike anywhere else in America. 

If You Go

Where to Stay:

For a central, walkable stay near Bathhouse Row, Hotel Hale and The Waters Hot Springs are top boutique picks. For reliable comfort and good value, Embassy Suites Hot Springs and The Hotel Hot Springs put you close to downtown and the National Park.

Tours & Experiences

A self-guided audio tour of Hot Springs National Park is an easy, low-cost way to explore the area at your own pace and works well for affiliate links. For something more adventurous, small group zipline tours in the Ouachita Mountains are popular.

Good to Know

Spring and fall are the best times to visit for mild weather. Downtown is walkable, but a car helps if you want to explore beyond the city. Booking spa treatments and tours ahead of time is smart on weekends and peak season.

Need a hand planning your trip? Here are the sites and services we rely on most, from booking tools to travel products we love.

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Author Bio: Pat Lee is a journalist with more than 30 years experience working in newsrooms as an editor/reporter/photographer/columnist in print and online; Writing travel-related features for newspapers and digital outlets across Canada and elsewhere; chair of the Atlantic Canada chapter of the Travel Media Association of Canada. My passion is active travel for older adventurers, especially on two wheels.

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