​Visiting Hot Springs? Here are some fascinating facts about the beautiful town.

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 Alligator Farm in Hot Springs was the first of its kind in the country when it opened back in 1902. It is the oldest tourist attraction in Arkansas.

At one time, Hot Springs had the largest illegal gambling operation in the country.  All gambling activities, the illegal ones that is, ended in the city in 1967. These days, you can enjoy Vegas-style action at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort, which also holds title as Arkansas’s only Thoroughbred horse 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 signed the first law in history to preserve land for recreational purposes. That land was the area 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!