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Eureka Springs, Arkansas, has a mysterious effect on people. No one seems to be able to explain quite why they love the place, which is secluded and peaceful with winding mountainside streets. The city has flair like no other. Chosen as one of America’s “Dozen Distinctive Destinations” by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, this Victorian village boasts the country’s only entire downtown on the National Register of Historic Places.
Nestled in the Ozark Mountains of Northwest Arkansas, this picturesque town has painstakingly preserved Victorian homes that hug the sides of cliffs and hillsides. There is block after block of one of a kind shops, boutiques, fine art galleries, craft emporiums, spas, and restaurants.
The town’s history is colorful and lengthy. Artifacts of Eureka Springs’ rich past are displayed in the Historical Museum. The town first drew visitors in the late 1800s because of the healing powers believed to be present in its more than 60 natural springs. The healing tradition, spawned by the springs in the early days, lives on today in the abundance of day spas, massage therapists, herbalists, and alternative healers. While the springs today are not potable, they are wonderfully landscaped and lushly gardened. They provide excellent picnic and rest areas as well as a beautiful arboretum-like feel.
Eureka Springs is a small town and proud of it! The absence of traffic lights, malls, and giant discount stores is a big part of the lure. Fewer than 2,500 folks live in this magical, friendly village, and yet there’s as little or as much to do as you like. Many come to Eureka Springs to enjoy the slow-paced peace and quiet, but those who are looking for an adventure can find plenty to do as well.
More than 20 million have seen the Great Passion Play, America’s largest-attended outdoor drama, a depiction of Jesus’ last days on earth. One of the country’s largest sanctuaries for big cats, Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, rescues large felines and places them in natural habitats. Visitors can enjoy nightly music shows, annual jazz, blues and bluegrass festivals, opera, and the country’s oldest folk festival. There are free outdoor concerts in Basin Spring Park, shows at the city auditorium, and colorful parades for every occasion! Trolleys are a preferred way to get around the winding, crisscrossed streets. Trolleys run year-round, though fewer days and hours during the winter months. There are more than 115 stops around town making it convenient for everyone.
Lodging options include something for everyone. There are numerous family-owned motels, historic hotels, and Victorian homes turned into bed and breakfasts, as well as nightly rentals. Unique treehouses, rustic cabins, and quaint cottages are tucked into the hillsides and woods. You can even sleep with tigers outside your window at Turpentine Creek!
Eureka Springs can satisfy every appetite for everything from down-home southern food to romantic, candlelit dinners. Award-winning restaurants serve savory Czech-German dishes, authentic Italian cuisine, and spicy East Indian fare. You’ll find Mediterranean, Chinese, Irish, Mexican, Cajun, and Thai as well. You can even dine on a dining car at Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway.
Despite Eureka Springs’s small population, more than 300 residents are working artists, helping the town make the list of “Top 25 Arts Destinations” by American Style Magazine for the past several years. The entire month of May is May Festival of the Arts, dedicated to all the arts including theater, performing arts, and music. A monthly gallery stroll and artists’ studio tours celebrate these artists’ works on a regular basis. For those who wish to expand their own personal creative art expression, the Eureka Springs School of the Arts offers workshops for adults and children throughout the year.
Outdoor adventures abound in Eureka. Two rivers and three lakes surround the city. On Table Rock Lake or Beaver Lake you’ll find excellent fishing, and smooth water for canoe/kayak float trips. Take a guided cruise, rent a boat or jet ski, or even paddle board! The 1,600-acre Lake Leatherwood City Park is one of the largest city parks in the nation. The hills surrounding the 85-acre spring-fed lake are crisscrossed with hiking and biking trails. Part of the Oz Trails system of Northwest Arkansas, Lake Leatherwood offers a huge variety of trails for mountain bikers of any experience level, from beginners looking for a scenic ride through breathtaking Ozark Mountains to seasoned bikers looking for professionally developed routes and are up to the ultimate challenge of the Eureka Springs Downhill.
This is decidedly not an ordinary town. For more information or to plan your extraordinary escape, visit eurekasprings.org.
