Interesting Facts about Hot Springs

​Visiting Hot Springs? Here are some fascinating tidbits about the beautiful town care of Visit Hot Springs. 

During the late 1800s and 1900s Hot Springs was the off season capitol of Major League Baseball. Teams like the Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Boston Red Sox all held spring training in town and famous players like Babe Ruth and Cy Young trained here. You can learn more about this history at the Hot Springs Baseball Trail.

The Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo in Hot Springs opened back in 1902 and is one of the oldest tourist attractions in Arkansas.

 Oaklawn, Hot Springs is Arkansas’ only Thoroughbred racing venue. 

Hot Springs was a neutral territory for gangsters from cities like Chicago and New York who would come down to enjoy the baths and racing found in the city. Al Capone even maintained a suite, Suite 443, in the Arlington Hotel. You can learn more about this era of the city's history at the Gangster Museum of America.
 

In 1832 President Andrew Jackson established the nation's first federal reservation. That area is now known as Hot Springs National Park.

Each St. Patrickʼs Day Hot Springs plays host to the World's Shortest St. Patrickʼs Day Parade. The parade is held on Bridge Street, which is 98 feet long!