8 Best Sights in Hot Springs, Arkansas

Stretching a little more than ½ mile, this district contains an array of commercial buildings constructed between 1886 and 1930 in a variety of styles, including Classical, Italianate, Romanesque, Victorian, and art deco. Among the notable structures are the impressive Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa and the Medical Arts Building, a 1929 skyscraper that was the state's tallest structure until 1960. The district was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985, and today these architecturally delightful buildings house a variety of businesses including restaurants, nightclubs, and boutiques.

This flat, paved, scenic trail travels alongside the Hot Springs Creek for 5.5 miles, beginning downtown and terminating at Lake Hamilton. Perfect for a leisurely stroll or bike ride, the trail meanders past a sculpture garden, the city’s farmer’s market pavilion, the Veteran Memorial, a skate park, ballfields, a dog park, and Hollywood Park, with picnic tables, restrooms, and a playground. Easy.

The origins of Major League Baseball's spring training can be traced back to 1886, when the Chicago White Stockings, now the Cubs, came to Hot Springs to “boil out the winter.” Other teams followed suit, and through the middle of the 20th century, Hot Springs hosted more than 300 professional ballplayers including Babe Ruth, Cy Young, Jackie Robinson, Hank Aaron, and Honus Wagner. This free, self-guided tour around town features 32 markers at significant locations, like the spot where Babe Ruth hit the first home run to fly more than 500 feet. You can find out more about each location by dialing in to the accompanying audio tour or by using the free, web app. Trail brochures are available at the Hot Springs Visitor Center.

This wooded system has more than 31 miles of world-class mountain biking trails of all levels with cross-country single track and downhill jump and flow routes. The Lucky 13 expert section, the system's only black diamond downhill trail, features a 24-foot jump over a creek. There is also a skills park at the Cedar Glades trailhead. (The Waterworks Trailhead on Pineland Drive is considered the main trailhead.) The Pullman Avenue trailhead provides access directly from downtown, just a short bike ride away. Each November, the Northwoods hosts the annual Güdrun MTB Festival.

Since it was established in 1904, Oaklawn has grown into one of the country's top thoroughbred racetracks and the state's top tourist attraction. Live racing is held from late January through early May with the Arkansas Derby and the Racing Festival of the South as big draws. Year-round, Oaklawn offers simulcast racing and a sprawling casino, open 24/7, with live craps and blackjack tables and a dizzying array of slot machines. More than a track and casino, Oaklawn also has an eight-story hotel with some trackside rooms, a four-star spa, numerous dining establishments and a multipurpose event center.