Over 8,000 pieces of stained glass, and not a single one is being subtle. At this Arkansas landmark, Neptune’s daughter floats among sea creatures on a ceiling that could give an art museum some serious competition.
Look below, and there’s a statue of an explorer receiving water from a Native American maiden.
Head upstairs, and you’ll find a grand piano in a room once reserved for spa guests. Because even bath time needed a soundtrack.
Opened in 1915, this grand bathhouse closed in 1962 and spent over two decades empty before getting its second act.
Today, all three floors and the basement are free to explore.
Eight thousand pieces of stained glass overhead, and the admission price? A very satisfying zero.
The Fanciest Bathhouse On The Row Opened Its Doors In 1915
Back in 1915, spa day meant serious business. The Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center And Museum first opened on March 1 of that year.
Owner Samuel Fordyce was a businessman and railroad tycoon. He believed the thermal waters helped heal an injury he got during the Civil War.
His son, John Fordyce, supervised the construction. Little Rock architects Mann and Stern drew up the plans in the Beaux-Arts style.
The final bill to build, equip, and furnish it topped $212,000. That was a huge sum for the time, and it shows in every room.
The Fordyce was considered the most opulent bathhouse on Bathhouse Row. It’s also the largest, with about 28,000 square feet of space.
That space stretches across three main floors, a basement, and two courtyards. You’ll want comfortable shoes, because there’s a lot of ground to cover.
The building now represents what historians call the Golden Age of Bathing in America. Back then, soaking in hot water was treated like real medicine.
Walking these halls today gives you a clear look at that era. It’s a time capsule, only with better plumbing than most.
Look Up, Because That Ceiling Holds Over 8,000 Pieces Of Glass
Neck strain is a real risk inside the Men’s Bath Hall. The skylight overhead is made from more than 8,000 pieces of stained glass.
It shows Neptune’s daughter surrounded by marine life. Picking out every fish could easily become your new favorite hobby.
Below it sits the De Soto fountain. A statue shows Hernando de Soto receiving water from a Native American maiden.
The glass doesn’t stop in one room, though. The lobby has stained glass transoms over its doorways.
The Men’s Bath Hall also has its own stained glass ceiling. Up on the third floor, the Music Room gets one too.
Even the Ladies’ Pack Room has stained glass windows. Someone clearly decided that every corner deserved a little color.
Here’s a handy tip for your camera roll. Stand back from the fountain to fit both the statue and the skylight in one shot.
Then move in close to study the tiny details in the glass. Each angle tells a slightly different story about how fancy this place was meant to feel.
Few visitor centers anywhere can top this ceiling. It’s the kind of view that makes you forget you came for park maps.
Marble Everywhere Makes Every Step Feel A Little Fancy
Polished stone greets you right from the start. The lobby of the Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center And Museum is a showcase of marble.
Head into the bath halls, and the marble keeps going. Bathing areas are divided by marble partitions that gave guests privacy.
Marble benches also show up around the building. They were built for resting, and they still look ready for a long soak break.
Tile deserves some attention here, too. Ornate and varied tilework appears throughout the building, so watch the floors as well as the walls.
Each room seems to use its own pattern or style. It’s a little like a design catalog from 1915 laid out under your feet.
This level of detail tells you who the Fordyce hoped to attract. Bathers expected comfort, beauty, and a sense of luxury with their treatment.
The bath halls on the first floor kept their historic features during recent updates. That means you’re seeing them much like they once looked.
Take a slow lap and notice the shine. Fancy spas today still chase this look, and the Fordyce had it more than a century ago.
The Third Floor Hides A Piano, A Gym, And Plenty Of Surprises
A grand piano at a bathhouse sounds like a joke. On the third floor, it’s real, and it’s a Knabe grand sitting in the Music Room.
The room also has a patterned tile floor and a stained-glass ceiling. Guests could unwind here after their treatments, which beats scrolling on a phone.
Next door, things get more active. The Gymnasium was an early version of today’s health clubs.
On the second floor, you’ll see a display of Zander machines. These were an early type of exercise equipment, and they look wonderfully odd.
Comparing them to modern gym gear is a fun game. Some look like they’d stretch you, while others look like they’d simply confuse you.
The third floor also includes the State Rooms. During the 2023 exhibit work, this entire floor was preserved without changes.
Here’s another fun fact. The Fordyce was the only bathhouse on the Row to originally feature a bowling alley.
That detail says a lot about its big ambitions. This place wanted to be a full day out, not just a quick dip.
Vintage Spa Rooms Show How Wellness Worked A Century Ago
Modern spas have nothing on this lineup of rooms. The Fordyce preserves spaces that show every step of a classic bath routine.
You’ll find recreated dressing rooms, massage areas, and pack rooms. There’s also a steam room, cooling rooms, and a hydrotherapy room.
Each space played a part in the full bathing experience. Guests moved from one treatment to the next, almost like a wellness assembly line.
The pack rooms were used for hot packs after bathing. The cooling rooms gave bathers a place to relax before heading back out.
Hydrotherapy used water in different ways to treat the body. The equipment you see here looks part medical, part mysterious, and fully fascinating.
Dressing rooms on the second floor stayed unchanged during the 2023 exhibit update. Their historic features remain in place for visitors to explore.
Some of the gear looks strange by today’s standards. That’s half the fun of looking closely and guessing what each device did.
Read the signs as you go to solve those mysteries. You’ll leave with a new respect for how serious people were about their soaking schedules.
New Exhibits Explain The Science Behind The Steam
Hot water from the ground is the whole reason this town exists. The exhibits inside the Fordyce explain how that water works and why it mattered.
In early 2023, the building closed for about a month for new interpretive exhibits. The lobby stayed open while crews installed the updates.
The new displays use interactive models, archival photographs, and artifacts. They cover the park’s thermal water system and how Bathhouse Row grew over time.
You’ll also learn about public health and the medical use of thermal water. It’s a neat look at how people once treated bathing as a cure.
The area became a national reserve in 1832. It officially turned into Hot Springs National Park in 1921.
Interpretive films add another layer to the story. They’re a good way to rest your feet while still learning something.
The museum also covers the decline of the bathhouse business. The Fordyce became the first on the Row to close, on June 30, 1962.
After more than two decades empty, it was restored. It reopened in 1989 as the park’s visitor center and museum.
Free Admission Means You Can Explore At Your Own Pace
Good news for your wallet arrives first. There’s no entrance fee to visit and tour the Fordyce Bathhouse Visitor Center And Museum.
The tour is self-guided, so you set the speed. You can cover all three floors and the basement without anyone rushing you along.
Park rangers and volunteers work on site. They can answer questions and share information about programs and the rest of the park.
The building is the official visitor center for Hot Springs National Park. That makes it a smart first stop before exploring anything else nearby.
Hours run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week. It closes on Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day.
Plan your day with those hours in mind. Starting early gives you time to enjoy the museum before heading out to the springs and trails.
Kids can also ask about Junior Ranger activities here. It’s an easy way to keep younger visitors busy and curious.
A free museum this beautiful almost feels like a clerical error. Lucky for everyone, it’s simply how the park service does things.
Grab A Rocking Chair And Soak Up Bathhouse Row
After all that exploring, the front porch is waiting. Rocking chairs line it, ready for anyone who needs a breather.
From here, you get a view of historic Bathhouse Row. It’s a relaxing way to end your visit without leaving the building’s charm behind.
You’ll find the museum at 369 Central Ave, Hot Springs, AR 71901. It sits right on Bathhouse Row, in the heart of downtown.
Its neighbors are the Maurice Bathhouse on one side and the Quapaw Bathhouse on the other. That makes it easy to spot as you stroll the avenue.
Since the Fordyce is the park’s visitor center, it’s a natural home base. Stop here first, then branch out to other sights along the Row.
Arkansas has plenty of scenic stops, but few mix history and beauty this well. This one pairs both with a free ticket and a comfy seat.
Take a moment in one of those rockers before you go. It’s the closest you’ll get to a 1915 spa day without booking a single treatment.