Dozen Distinctive Destinations
Eureka Springs, AR
Year Listed: 2001
Eureka Springs, Arkansas (population 2,000) is an appealingly unconventional Victorian village tucked in the hills of Northwest Arkansas, surrounded by miles of lakes and rivers. In the 1850s, its early visitors were attracted to the magical waters of its miraculous "Great Healing Spring." Today, tourists come to enjoy its downtown Historic District, thriving community of artists and writers, and independent Ozark Mountain spirit. The ancient legends of several Native American tribes spoke of the Great Healing Spring in what became Eureka Springs, where the numbers of afflicted seeking cures transformed a wilderness area into a flourishing city in 1879. The Eureka Springs Improvement Company brought a railroad to the city in 1882, securing its reputation as one of the top resorts of the Victorian era. Most of the thousands of residences and commercial structures built at that time still exist, restored as homes, galleries, shops, hotels, and other commercial space. Today, the town's commercial district includes more than 100 restored Victorian shops full of arts and crafts, historic bed and breakfast inns, museums, and the palatial Crescent Hotel. Built in 1886 of Arkansas limestone, the Crescent Hotel is known as the "Grand Old Lady of the Ozarks" and is a designated Historic Hotel of America. The town's popular Historic Loop is a two-mile tour of the business district, Victorian homes, and other residential areas. Outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy Eureka Springs' horseback rides in the Ozark Mountains, tubing and canoeing on the White River, flying tours of the Ozarks, mountain hiking trails, and fishing for trophy stripers on Beaver Lake or trout and bass on the White River. The city's dozens of year-round special events range from a quilt show and arts festivals to a UFO conference and a Diversity Weekend Celebration. Cultural performances include a Blues Festival and productions of nationally renowned plays by the Eureka Theater Company. The Great Healing Spring, now called the Basin Spring, is one of the town's 63 springs, most of which are identified on the Historic Loop. Local residents claim that 54 miles of the town's original rock retaining walls, built in the 1880s, remain in place. The entire town of Eureka Springs is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
