Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Tucked into the winding hills of the Ozark Mountains is Eureka Springs, Arkansas. With steep streets, Victorian cottages, and natural springs, Eureka Springs is a storybook come to life.

Wandering the town feels like stepping between eras. One moment you’re sipping coffee in a cozy café perched over a limestone street, the next you’re submersed in the whispers of healing springs. Mix in quirky roadside eats, live music echoing from saloons, and a hotel so legendary it draws travelers from all over the world, and you find a town that moves to its own rhythm: whimsical, haunting, and utterly unforgettable.

Where Springs, Spirits & Steepled Streets Converge

Long before Eureka Springs became a Victorian resort town, Indigenous peoples revered its natural springs, believing it held healing powers. In the mid-1800s it drew settlers and visitors seeking relief and rest, and by 1879 the town was officially founded around the burgeoning spa community.

As resorts and railroads brought influxes of travelers, by the 1880s Eureka Springs blossomed into a destination of refined lodgings and ornate architecture. The result: a historic district that still holds the largest collection of well-preserved Victorian buildings in the central United States.

Then came the winding roads and steep terrain so distinct and charming, Eureka Springs earned the nickname “Little Switzerland of the Ozarks.” But the layers of history don’t stop at architecture and springs. They also include legends, hauntings, and whispered stories that wander through the hills.

That dichotomy of healing waters and ghostly shadows make the town feel like a living memory, a place where people still come searching for solace, adventure, or perhaps a hint of the macabre.

Signature Stops

• 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa – A Victorian hotel built in 1886 perched high above town, offering views across the hills and nightly ghost tours that draw thrill-seekers from all around the globe.
• Downtown-N-Underground- This immersive tour takes you through some of Eureka Springs’ lesser-known history and underground buildings!
• Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge– Lions and tigers and bears in Eureka? You bet! Turpentine is a non-profit that rescued over 500 animals from cases of abuse and neglect. Now you can support and visit these gorgeous animals in their new, happy home 20 minutes outside of Eureka Springs.
• Intrigue Theater- In the midst of Downtown Eureka Springs lies the home of intrigue and mystique. The Intrigue Theater lives up to its name, as guests are subjected to magic, voodoo, and paranormal spectacles all in an intimate environment.
• Nature and the surrounding Ozark Mountains- Experience the peaceful greenery of the beautiful nature that surrounds Eureka Springs. But don’t confuse beauty with boredom! You can rip through the mountains on a dirt bike, fly through the trees on a zipline, or glide through a lake on a paddleboard or canoe.
• Basin Spring Park– Built atop the “miracle” waters that founded the town, Basin Spring Park always has something going on whether it’s live music or a fun festival!

Bragging Rights

Eureka Springs holds the largest intact collection of Victorian-era buildings in the central United States, creating a living snapshot of 19th-century resort-town elegance.

The 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa, once a luxury retreat, later a women’s college and questionable “hospital,” now embraces its ghost stories and bills itself as “America’s Most Haunted Hotel.” Countless visitors come hoping to experience its paranormal legacy firsthand.

More than 60 natural springs once bubbled up around town. Their reputation for healing drew thousands seeking cures long before modern medicine. Now, you can enjoy the springs for their relaxing properties.

Every Season Has a Reason

Spring awakens the hills, making walks through the old streets and forested paths feel fresh and alive. The springs glimmer and early visitors return to dip their toes in the water.

Summer brings warm afternoons, live music, and the full buzz of tourists exploring the shops and alleys. Long days make for perfect nights out at a candlelit dinner.

Fall changes leaves, leaving a dreamy glow over the town as evening bonfires heat up.

Winter hushes the streets with soft mist or gentle snow. Smaller crowds make Eureka Springs a quiet escape, ideal for introspective walks and cozy fireside dinners.

Mark Your Calendars

• Ozark Mountain Music Festival: A four-day music festival that shows off the best roots, Americana, bluegrass, and modern folk from around the country. You can watch concerts, participate in music workshops, and enjoy the community of music lovers who come to jam with the pros.
• ARTrageous Parade: Every summer, Eureka Springs sees the weird and wonderful. The Eureka Springs School of the Arts hosts the ARTrageous Parade, bringing music, live performances, art, costumes, and a whole lot of the unexpected.
• Ozark Mountain UFO Conference: If you’re a believer of intergalactic visitors, you can get together with UFO professionals and other alien enthusiasts, in a weekend event like no other.
• Ghost tours and paranormal events at the Crescent Hotel: There’s nightly or seasonal offerings where guests may get a glimpse of the hotel’s former lives, from resort to college to hospital.
• The Great Passion Play: The grand re-telling of Christ’s final days on earth features over 150 actors and on original score that is sure to be a marvel.
• Spring & summer visits to natural springs and surrounding woods: Perfect for hikes, forest walks, dirt bikes, and rediscovering the natural surroundings of Eureka’s roots.

Meet the Locals

You meet small-town artisans selling handmade pottery, musicians whose fiddles and guitars echo through saloons, café owners brewing rich coffee, and guides at the Crescent ready to tell you about the souls who still roam the halls. There are folks who came for healing springs, some who never left, and many who found magic in the Ozarks and settled down. All of them keep the town alive (even the deceased!). Welcoming, eccentric, steeped in history, and always ready to share a story or a song over a plate of biscuits is what makes the people of Eureka Springs unforgettable.

The Last Word

Eureka Springs is a place rooted in myth and memory, where every crooked stair, every limestone wall, every creak of a floorboard might just be an echo from the past. It’s a town where you can roam timeless streets, feel the weight of history, and maybe- if you’re lucky- meet a local who’s a little too transparent. Once you’ve wandered its hills and heard its legends, you’ll know what it means to get LOST IN Eureka Springs.