"Old Time Spa Treatment" a Hot Springs Travel Page by BruceDunning

This street of about 6 blocks is the hub of it all. One one side of the street are the bathhouses, and the other shops, promotions to take tours, and restaurants. In the old days, before 1884 the hot spring river ran through the middle and walk across bridges brought people to the various sides. Now the street paves over the stream, and water needed diverted into bathhouses, of drilled down under the buildings.

The town has one main street going through it called Central St. That is where the 8 remaining bathhouses are located. They were built from late 1980's until around 1920's, when hot springs bathes were the cure for ills. The Government has been involved with the area since 1832, when it took control of spring plots due to chaos of the people claiming rights. They improved the area through 1884, and even paved over the hot spring, and by 1920's the last good era was ending. By 1960's all bathhouses were closed. Park Service reopened Fordyce in 1988 as a tour of the past and replicated most rooms and areas.

The eight bathhouses are along a row stretching a long block. They all are niucely preserved, but only two are available for entry; the Fordyce operated by Parks Service for tours of the era of heh days, and Quapaw which is private and offers some hot springs services and treatments. The magnificence of the architecture is what brought me here.