Quapaw Baths and Spa

What to expect

Quapaw Baths and Spa is the answer to the most common question visitors ask in Hot Springs: where can I actually get into the water? NPS says there are no outdoor soaking opportunities in Hot Springs National Park and names two bathhouses on Bathhouse Row where the thermal water is piped in for bathing. The Buckstaff gives private, old-style treatments. The Quapaw is the one with shared pools you can sit in with friends.

The building is the longest on the row. It opened in 1922 on the site of two earlier bathhouses, the Horseshoe and the Magnesia, and its tiled dome is the most eye-catching roof on Central Avenue. It closed in 1984 and stood empty until it became the first Bathhouse Row building leased for a new use. It reopened as a spa in late June 2008.

The main event is the public thermal pools. Visit Hot Springs, the city’s tourism bureau, describes four large-capacity thermal water soaking pools, and the spa’s own site says they run at different temperatures. Quapaw does not publish the temperatures, so ask at the desk if you want the hottest or coolest. The water is the park’s spring water, which emerges from the ground at about 143°F62°C, far too hot to bathe in straight from the source. There are changing areas and towel service.

Beyond the pools, Quapaw sells private 20-minute baths in a jetted tub, massages, facials, a head spa and packages, and has a small cafe and a boutique that sells swimsuits. The steam cave is closed until further notice.

Prices and booking

As listed on the Quapaw website in October 2026:

• Public thermal pools: $30, first come, first served. No admission after 5 p.m.; the pools close at 6 p.m.
• Thermal Mineral Bath (private, 20 minutes, whirlpool jets): $40 or $55
• Aromatherapy Bath (private, 20 minutes, with Pacific and Dead Sea salts): $46 or $61
• MicroSilk Hydrotherapy (private, 20 minutes, microbubbles): $50 or $65
• Steam cave add-on: $20 when open; currently closed

The site shows two prices for each private bath without explaining them. Check which applies when you book. Couples packages that include a private mineral bath are sold too.

Pools need no booking. Private baths, massages and facials need a reservation with a credit card, though walk-ins are taken if there is space. Cancel at least 24 hours ahead to avoid a charge, and arrive 30 minutes early. Late arrivals may get a shortened service because appointments end on time. Book by phone at 501-609-9822 or online.

Quapaw is open Wednesday to Monday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and closed on Tuesdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter. The cafe and boutique generally close at 5 p.m. Lockers and towels come with most services; robes and slippers come with spa services.

Rules and etiquette

• Age: 14 and older only. Ages 14 to 18 must be with an adult at all times.
• Swimwear: Real swimsuits only. No cut-offs, athletic shorts or tops, T-shirts, tank tops, underwear, thongs or string bikinis.
• Shoes: Slip-on shoes made entirely of rubber or plastic are required on the tile. The front desk sells them for $7 plus tax.
• Health limits: No pool or private bath use if you are pregnant, have a pacemaker or defibrillator, are incontinent, rely on an oxygen tank or have been drinking. Menstruating guests may book private baths but not the public pools. Quapaw advises people with high or low blood pressure or heart conditions not to use water services unless the condition is controlled by medication.
• Accessibility: Quapaw asks guests with disabilities to call ahead so it can plan. NPS lists an elevator in the building.

Getting there

Quapaw is at 413 Central Avenue (AR 7), in the middle of Bathhouse Row in downtown Hot Springs, Arkansas.

• From Little Rock: NPS gives the route as I-30 west to Exit 111, US 70 west until it becomes US 70 Business (East Grand Avenue), right on Spring Street (which becomes Reserve Street), then right on Central Avenue. About 54 miles, an hour’s drive.
• From Texarkana: I-30 to Exit 78, then AR 7 north, which becomes Central Avenue.

Quapaw suggests parking along Central Avenue, in the nearby city garage or by the visitor center. The city has charged for parking on main streets and in its garages since 2025; the garage at 128 Exchange Street is a block west of the Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center. Allow extra time during racing meets and summer traffic.

When to go

Weekday mornings after the 10 a.m. opening are the calmest. Weekends, holidays and racing meets fill the pools, and because there is no booking for the pools, a busy afternoon can mean a wait. Remember the 5 p.m. admission cut-off and the Tuesday closure, which catches out a lot of visitors. Winter is the best season for a warm soak and the town is quieter.

Where to stay nearby

Two hotels on and beside the row have their own thermal water. Hotel Hale, in the old Hale Bathhouse a short walk north, has thermal-water tubs in its suites. The Arlington Resort Hotel and Spa across Fountain Street has a thermal bathhouse and Mineral Water Rooms. The park’s Gulpha Gorge Campground on the east side of town has 40 full-hookup sites at $34 a night, reservable only on Recreation.gov.

Safety notes

• Heat: Even at bathing temperature, thermal pools raise your heart rate. Take breaks, drink water and get out if you feel lightheaded.
• Footing: Tile is slippery when wet, which is why the rubber shoe rule exists.
• Breathing the water: NPS says Legionella bacteria have been found in some thermal water samples. The park’s stated concern is inhaling droplets, particularly for people with weakened immune systems, and it suggests checking with a doctor.

Nearby stops worth adding

Two doors south, the Buckstaff Bathhouse offers the traditional private bath sequence for those 10 and older. Walk north to see the Dripping Spring between the Hale and Maurice bathhouses and the Hot Water Cascade on Arlington Lawn, where NPS lets you touch the water. To fill bottles with free spring water, the Hill Wheatley Plaza jug fountain is at 629 Central Avenue. The park has no entrance fee.