Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge

 

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my Disclosure Policy for details.

For Christmas, my daughter and son in law gifted Greg and me an overnight stay at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, located near Eureka Springs, Arkansas.

Adriel and Nate LOVE Turpentine Creek. They’ve visited many times, typically booking around their wedding anniversary. And since the birth of their daughter Finley, they’ve taken her along with them for their stays.

Their love and appreciation for Turpentine Creek led them to want to share the experience with us. We recently booked our stay and discovered the wonder that is this refuge for big cats and other animals.

Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge title

How Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge Came to Be

In 2022, Turpentine Creek celebrated 30 years in operation.

The refuge officially began in 1992. However the incredible story starts in 1978 when Don and Hilda Jackson rescued their first lion, Bum. He was discovered tied to a cinder block in a backyard. Five years later, the Jacksons acquired Sheila, another lion. Her owners had tried, unsuccessfully, raising their baby with the lioness.

In 1991 a big cat breeder named Katherine Twiss showed up at the Jackson home, towing 42 big cats and other animals in cattle trailers. She was running from law enforcement.

The Jacksons moved the animals to a friend’s 460 acre ranch near Eureka Springs, Arkansas. With the priority of providing enclosures, shelter, food, water and health care, Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge was formed in 1992, on its current site. An intern program was created in 1997 as Turpentine Creek continued to respond to the need to rescue wildlife.

During those 30+ years, TCWR has rescued more than 500 animals from abuse, abandonment and neglect, providing them with care and a lifetime home.

Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge sunset
Gorgeous sky as the sun sets at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge.

 

Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge Mission and Vision

The sanctuary’s mission is to provide a lifetime refuge for abused and neglected big cats and bears, with an emphasis on tigers, lions, leopards and cougars.

Vision

“Through public education we work to end the Exotic Animal Trade, making sanctuaries like TCWR no longer necessary; together we can preserve and protect these magnificent predators in the wild for our children’s future.”

Guiding Principles

Education – working to end the Exotic Animal Trade while educating today’s youth with in-classroom visits and onsite programming through interpretive learning.

Preservation – rescuing survivors of the Exotic Animal Trade with an emphasis on big cats and bears, providing them with a safe, lifelong home, exceptional care and proper diets while working to preserve endangered species in the wild through pubic education and advocacy.

Compassion – big cats are predators, not pets or entertainment for the masses. They and other exotic and native wildlife deserve to live out their lives with dignity and allowed to be the wild animals they instinctively are.

Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge tea
Enjoying a cup of hot peppermint tea on the front porch of the Siberian Suite.

Turpentine Creek Lodging

Not only can you learn about the animals that call Turpentine Creek home, you can spend a night…or two or three…in the refuge.

Lodging includes a treehouse, safari suites with tigers as neighbors, the five Zulu Lodge suites, glamping safari tents and six RV spaces.

Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge is a non profit organization. All funds from lodging goes to the care of the animals and upkeep of the facilities.

A complimentary tram tour is included with lodging, as is the freedom to explore the Discovery Area with its wildlife inhabitants.

Click HERE to check out the available lodging.

You can also visit the refuge without spending the night. General admission includes walking through the Discovery Area and an hour long tram tour. Purchase tickets through this LINK.

Other tours are available as well, through the above link.

Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge tram
Educational tram tour of the facilities.

Meet Some of the Animals at Turpentine Creek

Turpentine Creek provides a home and care for the animals who live there. The refuge exists because of the need to rescue these beautiful creatures from horrendous situations.

There are currently 99 animals living at TCWR with enclosures currently being built to house more.

Meet a few of the residents of this sanctuary.

Joey

Joey is a female tiger, who shares her habitat with another tiger named Khaleesi. Their enclosure is next to the Siberian Suite.

Joey came to Turpentine Creek through rescue from a Colorado based cub petting and animal breeding facility. Altogether 115 animals were rescued, many of them suffering from neglect and medical conditions. Thirty four of those animals came to TCWR while the rest found forever homes in other sanctuaries.

Joey required the removal of a hematoma on her elbow when she arrived at her new home. Today she is a playful eight year old tiger who enjoys swimming and observing guests from her perch.

Joey the tiger
Joey the tiger.

Lakota

Lakota is a Ti Liger, a hybrid. His father is a tiger. And his mother is a liger, a cross between a lion and a tiger, created for the entertainment industry.

Lakota came from the same Colorado facility as Joey. He shares his habitat in the Discovery Area with Aurora. Lakota is laid back, preferring naps over playtime, although he can still summon the energy to chase after Aurora.

Lakota the ti liger.
Lakota is a Ti Liger.

Mauri

Mauri is a lioness, rescued from an Indiana facility along with seven other big cats. A federal judge ordered the animals removed due to inhumane practices including declawing and prematurely removing cubs from their mothers. The rescue required the use of US Marshals who had to sweep the facility and then stand guard as the animals were removed. All of the big cats had health issues.

Mauri limps and is on pain management due to declawing. She’s still very playful and enjoys her enrichment toys and caroling at night with the other cats.

Mauri the lioness.
Mauri the lioness.

My Experience at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge

Siberian Suite

Greg and I arrived for our stay in the Siberian Suite, just after the check in time of 3:00 pm. The beautiful suite is located next to Joey and Khaleesi’s habitat and across from Mauri the lioness and the Discovery Area.

A corner table and chairs set provides a space to eat meals and holds complimentary tea and coffee. An apartment sized refrigerator contains water and juice, muffins, fruit and packets of oatmeal.

The rooms are spacious and attractive and the bathroom HUGE with both a sunken tub and shower. The couch in the living area converts into a full sized bed, making this suite perfect for two to four people. Children of all ages are welcome here along with pets.

I especially love the covered front porch, with its bistro table and two chairs.

As dusk approached we lit the citronella candle on the table, more for atmosphere than mosquitos, and settled in with drinks and snacks. As the sun set, the big cats began caroling…roaring and chuffing socially to each other, from all over the compound. It was an incredible chorus that sent shivers down my spine.

Siberian Suite living room
Siberian Suite living area

The Discovery Area and Tram Tour

We enjoyed exploring the Discovery Area the afternoon of our arrival and early the next morning. The enclosures house lions, tigers, hybrids, African servals, bobcats, cougars and bears. It’s a beautiful, peaceful area. The animals are well cared for and have large, safely enclosed areas to live and play in with night houses, heated during the colder months, for sleeping.

During our morning wanderings, we paused to sit on a bench down near the cougars. To our delight, several of the big cats nearby began caroling. The roars were SO loud and extremely beautiful.

Our scheduled tram tour took us on an hour long ride around the facility with an extremely knowledgeable guide. She shared stories about the animals we saw and information about the refuge.

We left after our tour with a deep appreciation for all that TCWR does to care for animals and their rescue of wildlife in need. And we departed with a greater awareness of the horrid practices out there that these gorgeous creatures suffer through.

White tiger
One of three white tiger siblings rescued from the Colorado facility. They were unable to walk due to metabolic bone disease. However all have healed now and can walk and play.

What You Can Do to Help

You can help Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge in the following ways.

If you are in the Eureka Springs, Arkansas area stop by for a tour, to visit the giftshop or to enjoy an overnight experience. All fees collected go toward the care of the animals and the upkeep of the facilities. The address is 239 Turpentine Creek Lane, Eureka Springs, AR.

Make a donation. Every donation goes 100% toward the care of the animals.

Adopt or Sponsor an animal. With adoption, you receive a high-resolution 11″x 8.5″ certificate with a photo and short bio of your chosen animal, as well as room for the name of the recipient. Sponsorship includes a glossy 8×10 photo, biography certificate and one year pride membership.

Memberships come in a variety of levels. Sign up for the one that best suits your desires and you and up to four guests can get in to the refuge free.

The Legacy Program allows you to continue helping TCWR beyond your lifetime to ensure animal rescue continues and animals are cared for.

I highly recommend a visit to this amazing sanctuary. I’ll certainly return, again and again. I’m so grateful to Adriel, Nate and Finley for the gift of an overnight stay at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge. What an enriching experience. They’ve made me a fan and an advocate.

Have you ever visited a wildlife refuge?

Bedroom in the Siberian Suite
Bedroom in the Siberian Suite.

 

Pack for your trip to  Turpentine Creek:

 

 

Cindy Goes Beyond is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This affiliate program provides a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, all at no extra cost to you.

 

 

 

 

Family Fun at Topgolf

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my Disclosure Policy for details.

Recently Greg and I joined our son, daughter-in-law and three grandkids in Rogers, Arkansas for family fun at Topgolf. I volunteered to sit out playing so I could take photos and videos.

I bought Greg a gift card to Topgolf for Father’s Day and this was our first experience at the entertainment venue. We enjoyed the lively atmosphere, the food and the family time.

Grandson Joey turned 16 the day before our outing so we also celebrated his birthday with a shared meal and dessert.

Family Fun at TopGolf title meme

Topgolf History

The Jolliffe Brothers and a licensee developed the first three Topgolf locations in the United Kingdom in 2000. Both brothers, who were avid golfers, wanted to improve their game. They designed and patented technology that places an RFID (radio frequency id)  chip inside golf balls. Originally called Target Oriented Practice Golf, the name eventually shortened to Topgolf.

The US licensee brought Topgolf to the US in 2005, opening its first location in Alexandria, Virginia, a Washington DC suburb. The company incorporated in 2008 as Topgolf International.

Today they are considered pioneers of the sports entertainment industry with a proven track record of creativity infused with technology.

The company currently has 70 venues with 200,000+ swing bays in 28 states in the US plus four countries.

At Topgolf the mission is to help people create unforgettable experiences with family and friends.

Family Fun at TopGolf interior
Interior shot at Topgolf Rogers, Arkansas

How Do You Play at Topgolf?

The Topgolf centers offer two or three story buildings with dozens of climate-controlled bays that rent by the hour. Up to six people play at a time, adults or children. Golf clubs are provided or you may bring your own. Each venue offers a full service bar and restaurant and an impressive menu, with dining/drinking available while you play in your bay.

Topgolf offers a variety of games that utilize microchipped golf balls and a tracer that keeps track of shots. Each player scores points by hitting golf balls into targets on the large field. The more accurate the shot and the farther the distance, the more points earned. Think driving range with fun twists! A computerized screen provides data about distance and accuracy with each ball hit and a leaderboard keeps score among the players.

Each player gets ten shots and you rotate through those, one shot at a time. The targets range from 25 yards away to 200+. You can choose from 12 or more different games, to play as a group. The most commonly played is simply called “Topgolf”.

Family Fun at TopGolf aubs
Family Fun at Topgolf – Aubrey teeing up
Family Fun at Topgolf - Oliver
Family Fun at Topgolf – Oliver’s turn

Planning Your Visit

Whatever location you choose to play in, it’s best to book a bay in advance. Using the Topgolf app, you can also “walk in” and add yourself to the wait list. Wait times vary, from 15 minutes to much longer at peak playing times.

It’s easy to reserve your spot online by entering the number of players and the date you wish to play. You can use the link above and simply change the location. The cost is $27 per hour per bay for a morning slot, $37 for noon – 5:00 and $47 for 5:00 until close. Prices are slightly higher Friday – Sunday and may vary at different locations. And many Topgolf venues offer a half price day on Tuesdays.

Upon arrival, check in with the front desk staff, who escorts you to your bay. Grab a drink, order food, pick your game and create profiles for each player. Each bay includes golf clubs, a table and chairs and a HDTV. Friendly and helpful staff members stop by frequently to make sure you are having fun and to take your food and drink orders.

Family Fun at TopGolf Joey
Family Fun at Topgolf – Joey tees up
Family Fun at TopGolf Megan
Family Fun at Topgolf – Megan hits her first shot

Rogers Topgolf Facility

The Rogers Topgolf facility is open Monday through Thursday, 10:00 am until midnight, and 10:00 am until 1:00 am Friday and Saturday. Check website on holidays, for special hours or closures.

The address is 3919 S JB Hunt Drive, Rogers, Arkansas.

This location features 2 floors with 70+ all weather bays, a full bar and restaurant, rooftop terrace with fire pits, 200+ HDTVs, free wi-fi and private event spaces.

Click HERE for promotions and events happening at the Rogers Topgolf.

Family Fun at TopGolf Nate
Family Fun at Topgolf – Nate’s turn to tee up
Family Fun at TopGolf Greg
Greg enjoyed playing at Topgolf

Family Fun at Topgolf

We enjoyed a fun evening together, on the second floor of the Rogers Topgolf. Megan reserved two hours for us all, online, and since they’ve played at this location before, she knew how to set up the player profiles. The information is stored so she called up each player in her family and quickly added Greg.

We ordered soft drinks and tall glasses of ice water, along with unsweet tea for me, plus appetizers and meals. Topgolf offers veggie and vegan options. Greg and I got the veggie burgers with a side of fries and they were good! Portions are large.

Our wait staff stopped by often and provided excellent service. Joey received a special birthday dessert to share with his family. And the staff gathered to sing “happy birthday” to him.

The energy at Topgolf is amazing and on our night there, it ramped up with added excitement over the impending arrival of the Backstreet Boys! The group arrived in town for their concert scheduled the next evening at the Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion, also called the AMP, located next to Topgolf. Apparently they decided to reserve a bay at the Rogers Topgolf for some play and downtime.

The grandkids got a quick lesson on Backstreet Boys and their music. Unfortunately, we had to leave before the band arrived, but it was fun knowing they were playing Topgolf the same evening, just down from where we played.

Family Fun at TopGolf birthday
Joey’s birthday dessert, injectable donut holes with different flavored icings.

Visit Topgolf

What a wonderful place for family fun, date nights, hanging out with the guys or golf practice, in a unique setting.

We will visit again, soon. I loved the atmosphere, the friendliness of the staff and spending time with my family, watching them have fun.

And…we ALMOST saw the Backstreet Boys! The kids will remember that experience and so will we.

Have you visited a Topgolf location? Tell me about it in the comments below!

Family Fun at TopGolf silouhette
Family shot at Topgolf.

More places to explore in Arkansas:

Exploring Eureka Springs

Tanyard Creek

The Veggie Table

Golf Finds from Amazon:

 


 

Cindy Goes Beyond is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This affiliate program provides a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, all at no extra cost to you.

 

 

 

 

Ghost Stories from Eureka Springs

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my Disclosure Policy for details.

For the last post in the 2021 October Ghost Stories Series, we head south of Joplin, to the pretty town of Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Tucked into the Ozark Mountains, this small community offers Victorian charm, an artsy attitude and incredibly interesting energy!

Although I typically offer five haunted locations from the cities I write about, I’m only featuring two in this post. Both of these spots have such a density of hauntings that I could write multiple posts documenting them.

Grab a cup of tea and curl up under a cozy blanket and read ghost stories from Eureka Springs.

Ghost Stories from Eureka Springs title meme

Eureka Springs Arkansas

Located in northwest Arkansas, Eureka Springs is home to about 2,300 people. The town clings to the mountains…in Arkansas, these are more like big rocky hills…earning it the nickname of Little Switzerland.

Native American legends told of the Great Healing Springs in the area. Indigenous peoples long visited the springs and considered them sacred. When European settlers arrived, they found the springs restorative as well.

Eureka Springs incorporated as a city in 1880 and by 1881 became the fourth largest town in Arkansas. Within a few years, the city attracted thousands of people who built Victorian style homes and established commercial enterprises.

The city continues as a tourist town, offering unique shops, cafes, arts and crafts. It’s a mecca for artists, writers and those who appreciate a creative, diverse lifestyle. Check out more of the town’s history HERE.

Perhaps because of all the springs…at least 62 of them…and the limestone in the area, it presents strong, unusual energy. Additionally, Eureka Springs lays claim to the most haunted hotels in the US.

Ghost Stories from Eureka Springs downtown
Ghost Stories from Eureka Springs – historic downtown

The Basin Park Hotel

Located next to Basin Park, in historic downtown Eureka Springs, this hotel was constructed in 1905, on the site of the former Perry House. That first structure burned to the ground in 1890.

The current lodging contains 100 rooms and a top floor ball room. It is considered the second most haunted hotel in Eureka Springs! Ghost tours are offered daily in the hotel, beginning at 10:30 PM.

Some of the spirits that checked into the hotel…and never checked out.

A six foot tall cowboy occupies room 309. Guests report waking up and seeing him at the foot of the bed, dressed in boots, spurs and a long duster.

Guests in room 321 report sharing that space with a man wearing a brown suit. He’s known to enter the room…but not through the door!

A young girl with pigtails, wearing a yellow dress, skips through the lobby. Visitors also encounter a blonde-haired woman, in turn of the century clothing, drifting along on the third floor. Although smiling, the translucent spirit stares at those who see her with penetrating icy blue eyes, leaving them feeling unsettled.

Another ghostly woman, with curly red hair, frequently drinks milk and eats cookies in the coffeehouse. Or you might encounter the woman in white wandering the hallways.

And wait…there are more ghosts!

A tall thin man sporting a long brown beard, tan suit and hat appears in two places, the upstairs ballroom and room 519. And a friendlier spirit pops into room 408.

Other Paranormal Activity in the Basin Park Hotel

Besides apparitions, staff and visitors report orbs floating by, footsteps that follow you, disembodied voices, doors that slam close on their own and the sensation of being watched.

Guests also experience objects moving about in their rooms. Or items falling off tables, shelves and counters. And perhaps because of the fire in 1890 that destroyed the former hotel, people sometimes capture what looks like flames in photos.

Shadow figures lurk in the ballroom and faces appear in windows…on the top floor. Staff and guests pass through inexplicable cold spots. And one paranormal investigator claims invisible hands chocked him while in the ballroom.

The hotel maintains a log of spooky experiences and encourages guests to report any paranormal encounters.

Ghost Stories from Eureka Springs basin park hotel
Ghost Stories from Eureka Springs – Basin Park Hotel, as seen from the other side of the park.

The Crescent Hotel

History

This building carries the distinction of being one of the most haunted hotels in the US. Built in 1886, the Crescent opened as a luxurious resort. It sits majestically on West Mountain, overlooking the town below.

Due to slow business during the winter months, Crescent College opened in the building, providing education to young women until 1934. In 1937 Norman Baker bought the former hotel and college, remodeling it into the Baker Cancer Clinic.

This charlatan claimed to have a cure for cancer. His spurious treatments and practices did not heal patients. Rather, they suffered, worsened and died. In the morgue set up in the basement, bodies were hidden away and eventually secretly removed from the “hospital”. At least 44 people died in the Crescent, during the 20 months that Baker ran his clinic. However, according to a tour guide, 300 patients who checked into the hospital were never accounted for afterward. Baker was arrested on mail fraud charges in 1939, for defrauding his victims out of nearly 4 million dollars.

In the years following, the Crescent changed hands frequently, until a couple bought it and the Basin Park Hotel in 1997 and restored them.

This hotel also conducts nightly ghost tours. Check out info HERE.

The Crescent Hotel Ghosts

Numerous spirits roam the Crescent. Some of the most frequently spotted ghosts include the following.

During construction of the hotel, an Irish stone mason fell to his death, landing in what is now room 218. This is the most paranormally active location in the hotel. Guests report hands poking out of the bathroom mirror, a man’s cries coming from the ceiling, orbs and distortions in the room and a door that opens and slams shut on its own. The staff refer to the entity as Michael.

In the hotel dining room, staff and guests report spirits in Victorian dress. Objects move around in this space, typically overnight while the dining room is closed. A Victorian couple, looking at each other as if in a wedding, appear and disappear. Others see a man sitting by the window, waiting for someone, while others come across ghosts dancing around the room, in the wee hours of the night.

As might be expected, several ghosts from Norman Baker’s time in the building haunt the Crescent, including the fake “doctor” himself. He appears in the hotel lobby wearing his favorite lavender shirt. A nurse pushing a gurney rattles down the hallways and former cancer patient Theodora haunts room 419. In the basement where the morgue once existed, washers and dryers sometimes turn on by themselves…all of them at once.

There’s the ghost of the college student, who jumped to her death from a balcony. And another spirit of a young girl lingers around the stairs. She fell to her death from the fourth floor railing soon after the hotel opened.

Other Paranormal Activity in the Crescent Hotel

In the kitchen pots and pans fly off shelves. And a little ghost boy wearing glasses plays in that room.

The smell of pipe smoke emanates from room 212, once the office of the legit on-site hotel physician, who loved to smoke cherry tobacco in his pipe.

Staff and guests report cold spots, orbs and misty shapes captured in photos. People feel touches from invisible hands. Cameras and recording devices lose their battery charges in the former basement morgue. And some feel nauseated in that space.

Others, while on the nightly ghost tour, faint at the same location on the third floor. That exact spot is where an annex was added, when the hotel served as Baker’s hospital.

There’s even a cat ghost, Morris, who likes to lay in a chair in the lobby.

Ghost Stories from Eureka Springs crescent hotel
Ghost Stories from Eureka Springs – The Crescent Hotel

My Experiences in Eureka Springs

I tell you truthfully, that as much as I love exploring this beautiful little town, I cannot spend the night within the city limits. The energy there is that strong for me. When I stay overnight, I choose lodging outside of town.

I’ve been in the Basin Park Hotel lobby, without difficulty. I hoped to attempt an overnight in the hotel this month and experience their ghost tour. A minor accident prevented me from carrying out my plans, due to pain and swelling in my left foot. Staying in the Basin is a future adventure.

I pick up on pools of tragedy in Eureka Springs, and no where as intensely as the Crescent. When I’m within a mile of that hotel, I feel it as discomfort across my back and scalp. At the Crescent, my chest feels heavy and I eventually get a headache and feel ill.

After attending a wedding there, I returned to my hotel room outside of town, unable to sleep due to hearing screams and cries in my head all night long. It was after that experience 12 years ago that I looked up the history of the hotel and learned it served as a hospital for cancer patients under Norman Baker. I feel despair there, and the hopelessness of those who suffered.

Ghost Stories from Eureka Springs crescent at night
Look at that orb of light over the hotel.

Crescent Hotel Ghost Tour

In 2010, my family gathered in Eureka Springs, to scatter my father’s ashes. He loved riding his motorcycle in this hilly town. While family members all stayed at lodging outside of town, my sisters and I, and our children visited the Crescent one evening, for the ghost tour.

What an incredible experience we had. We saw orbs and caught images in digital photos. And in the famous room 218, haunted by the Irishman Michael, I felt so dizzy and disoriented. I caught bizarre light distortions in that room with my camera.

Heading downward, into the morgue area, we all checked our phones and cameras, to make sure batteries remained fully charged. Within minutes of entering that dark space, all batteries were drained. I felt like I couldn’t breathe down in the basement. It was past time for me to leave the building.

Sadly, all the photos I took at the Crescent disappeared forever when the computer they were stored on crashed a couple of years later. However, I have one left from that night, emailed to me from my niece Ashley who captured something in the dark. It’s posted below, an enlargement of the orb in the photo above

Do you want to see what a ghost looks like? There it is, hovering above the hotel.

While I intend to attempt an overnight in the Basin next year, I do not think I can ever spend the night at the Crescent.

Could you? Would you?

Ghost Stories from Eureka Springs ghost
Is that a ghost above the Crescent?

The Rest of the 2021 Ghost Stories from Posts

The end of October means the end of the ghost stories, for this year! Thank you for reading along. Are you a believer yet? Have you had paranormal experiences of your own? Share them with me in the comments below.

And if you missed any of the earlier post from this month, they are listed below:

Charleston

Glasgow

Carthage

Rome

Peace, Love and Eureka Springs Arkansas tee. Click picture to order.

 

 

Cindy Goes Beyond is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This affiliate program provides a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, all at no extra cost to you.

 

 

 

Exploring Eureka Springs

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my Disclosure Policy for details.

I recently enjoyed a road trip to Arkansas and an afternoon exploring Eureka Springs. I’ve visited this intriguing little town many times, however, with my desire to see with a fresh perspective, I learned several new things.

Tucked into the Ozark Mountains, Eureka Springs, Arkansas offers Victorian charm, an artsy attitude and interesting energy! It’s called the Little Switzerland of Arkansas…although it bears other nicknames as well.

Come with me on a tour of Eureka Springs.

Exploring Eureka Springs title meme

Exploring Eureka Springs History

Located in northwest Arkansas, Eureka Springs is a small community of about 2,300 people. The town clings to the mountains…in Arkansas, these are more like big rocky hills…earning it the name of Little Switzerland.

Native American legends told of the Great Healing Springs in the area. Indigenous peoples long visited the springs and considered them sacred. When European settlers arrived, they found the springs restorative as well.

Dr. Alvah Jackson is credited with locating Basin Spring in 1856. He claimed the waters healed an eye condition. In 1879 Judge JB Saunders declared himself healed from a crippling disease, by the springs, and promoted Eureka Springs. In a year the community became a flourishing city, spa and tourist destination.

Eureka Springs incorporated as a city in 1880 and by 1881 became the fourth largest town in Arkansas. Within a few years, the city attracted thousands of people who built Victorian style homes and established commercial enterprises.

The city continues as a tourist town, offering unique shops, cafes, arts and crafts. It’s a mecca for artists, writers and those who appreciate a creative, diverse lifestyle.

Exploring Eureka Springs bath house
Exploring Eureka Springs – the bath house, now an artsy retail building.

Fun Facts About Eureka Springs

There is so much more to Eureka Springs, beyond its establishment. Perhaps because of all the springs…at least 62 of them…and the limestone in the area, it presents strong, unusual energy. The word “eureka” comes from the Greek mathematician Archimedes…and it means “I found it”. I can imagine the excitement the discovery of the springs brought. Check out these interesting finds as well.

Underground Eureka Springs

The first street in Eureka, appropriately named Main Street, stretched down a gulch that connected to Basin Spring. Because of its low elevation and a spring fed creek nearby, Main Street continually flooded, earning it the nickname of Mud Street. The buildings built along Main…or Mud…Street often flooded as well.

In 1890 major street improvements raised the level of Main Street to the second story level of the buildings lining the street. The ground floors then became underground basements connected by narrow limestone passageways. Beneath most of these basements lies another basement level through which runs a stream of water.

I never knew this about the town! On Main Street and Spring Street you can peer down into grates in the sidewalk and see the old storefronts below. Greg and I ate lunch at Mud Street Cafe on Main Street, which is located underground down a flight of steps. It’s a unique place to eat a wonderful meal. They have several vegan options.

Take a tour of the Eureka Springs Underground. Tickets available HERE.

Exploring Eureka Springs Mud Street Cafe
Exploring Eureka Springs – Mud Street Cafe building.
Exploring Eureka Springs underground
Exploring Eureka Springs – the underground cafe with fake windows at the front where the original doors and windows were.

Dr. Jackson Creates a Cave Hospital

Before the town officially incorporated, settlers’ shacks sprang up around the springs. Dr. Jackson began marketing the spring water as “Dr. Jackson’s Eye Water”.

During the Civil War, Dr. Jackson established a hospital in a local cave. He treated wounded soldiers with spring water and other natural remedies that he learned from the Native Americans.

Fires Destroyed the Community Multiple Times

The original structures in town were made of wood. The houses, fifty hotels and boarding houses, and commercial buildings were susceptible to fire. Major fires struck Eureka Springs in 1883, 1888, 1890 and 1893. Eventually stone structures replaced wooden ones, lessening the fire risk.

Many of the buildings downtown stand on the footprints of previous buildings.

Basin Park Luxury Lodgings occupies the spot where The Southern Hotel once stood. Built in 1880, the hotel suffered damage in the fire of 1890. The repaired and enlarged hotel boasted 100 rooms and an elevator. It burned to the ground in a “spectacular blaze” in 1932.

On the other side of the park, The Perry House was the other grand hotel in town. This four story hotel, built in 1881, burned down in the fire of 1890 as well. On that site now rests the Basin Park Hotel, built in 1905. The current lodging contains 100 rooms and a top floor ball room. It is considered the second most haunted hotel in Eureka Springs! More about this hotel in my upcoming “Ghost Stories” series in October.

Exploring Eureka Springs lodging
The Basin Park Luxury Lodgings occupies the spot where the Southern Hotel stood.
Basin Park Hotel
Basin Park Hotel occupies the same footprint as The Perry House.

 Basin Spring Park

The spring first utilized by Native Americans is located in the park at the center of town. The first health seekers camped here in 1879. And the first town survey platted with lots, blocks and streets extending in all directions surrounds this central point.

The spring now lies beneath the park. There’s a grate to peer into, to view the original spring.

Basin Spring Park offers the perfect spot to rest while shopping and exploring the city. Live music often flows from the band shell and stage, erected in 1921. There’s a short…and steep…hiking trail that rises above the park, providing great views.

Exploring Eureka Springs Basin Spring Park
Exploring Eureka Springs – Basin Spring Park

National Register of Historic Places

The whole city is on the National Register of Historic Places, as the Eureka Springs Historic District. The town is also one of America’s Distinctive Destinations, as selected by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Besides the nickname Little Switzerland, Eureka Springs is also called The Stairstep Town, due to the mountainous terrain and winding streets and sidewalks. And it’s called Halloween City during October, due to the many paranormal experiences people have here. It claims to “deliver more thrills and chills per square mile than any other town in America.”

One of the Most Photographed Buildings in Arkansas

In the central downtown area, sandwiched between Spring and Center Streets, stands one of the most unusual buildings in town…and the state. Affectionately called the Flatiron Building, the triangular shaped structure, which houses a hotel and shops, is one of the most photographed structures in the state.

Built in 1987, the developer, Lawrence Smith, took great care to make the building look old. Two previous buildings on the site…you guessed it…burned down.

The Flatiron Building often serves as the iconic symbol for Eureka Springs.

Exploring Eureka Springs
One of the most photographed buildings in Arkansas, the Flatiron Building.

Most Haunted Hotel in Town…and the US

The 1886 Crescent Hotel and Spa has a rich…and spooky…history. I’ll save the ghost stories for the October post. For now I’ll only add that it earns its nickname as America’s Most Haunted Hotel. Far from disturbed by this, the hotel happily caters to ghost hunters and paranormal seekers, offering ghost tours on site.

Originally constructed as a luxury hotel in 1886, the structure is made from locally sourced limestone and features a variety of styles including French Renaissance and Richardsonian Romanesque. The hotel towers over the town below, from its perch on West Mountain.

During its long history, the building served as a luxury hotel, a women’s college a cancer hospital and eventually was renovated back into a hotel and spa. It’s a popular destination for weddings and special events.

Exploring Eureka Springs Crescent Hotel
The Crescent Hotel, the most haunted hotel in the US

Exploring Eureka Springs

A few things to remember, exploring Eureka Springs.

The streets are very narrow and wind up and down hills. There are no traffic lights, and parking downtown is limited. However, Eureka Springs is made to explore on foot. There are shuttles that carry in visitors from outlying parking lots, for a small fee.

The sidewalks also wind up and down hills and are sometimes uneven. Use care when walking and watch your step.

Eureka Springs is a tourist town and most of it closes down between November and March. Check online before arriving there, to see what’s open during those months.

Besides the historic downtown district, there are many other attractions in the Eureka Springs area. These include Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, Beaver Lake, The Great Passion Play and Christ of the Ozarks, Vintage Train Ride on the Eureka Springs & North Arkansas Railway, Lake Leatherwood City Park and Eureka Springs Brewery. I’ll feature some of these places in upcoming posts!

And watch for the Ghost Stories from Eureka Springs, coming in October, for a hair raising peek into the city’s scary side.

Have you visited this uniquely beautiful town in Arkansas?

Exploring Eureka Springs fountain
Exploring Eureka Springs – fountain in Basin Spring Park

Eureka Springs Finds from Amazon:


Cindy Goes Beyond is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This affiliate program provides a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com, all at no extra cost to you.