EAT
The restaurants in this mountain town offer an eclectic menu of options. For a strong cup of coffee and stuffed French toast, head to Eureka Springs Coffee House, a family-owned coffee shop located in an electric-blue house that rents upstairs rooms on Airbnb. Local Flavor Café is a popular brunch spot and a great place for dinner. The restaurant also offers an innovative drink list, with several whiskeys from Japan. For fine dining, Rogue’s Manor at Sweet Spring has an extensive menu of oysters, steaks, and pastas. And for craft beer, flatbread pizza, and live music, The Gravel Bar is the place to go.
Photography by Whit Slemmons
PLAY
In a town with no stoplights and just over 2,000 residents, it may be surprising that there’s so much to do. The historic downtown is lined with Victorian buildings and stores selling everything from hats and kaleidoscopes to kites and herbs. Be sure to check out Granny’s Place, Eureka Vintage & Outdoor, Magpie, and The Ladybug Emporium. There are 300 working artists living in Eureka Springs and no shortage of art galleries. You can pick up a map of the galleries from the Eureka Springs Chamber of Commerce. The town’s narrow, steep streets can make parking a bit difficult, so wear your walking shoes. As the town’s name implies, there's an abundance of natural springs in the area and numerous day spas, including New Moon Spa & Salon and Spa1905. Thorncrown Chapel, nestled in the heart of the Ozark Mountains, brings the outdoors indoors with 425 windows and 6,000 square feet of glass. The chapel opened in 1980, is on the National Register of Historic Places, and received the Institute of Architect’s Design of the Year Award in 1981. It’s often regarded as one of the top buildings of the 20th century and a must-see when visiting Eureka Springs.
Flickr, Marcus O
Crescent Hotel - Eureka Springs, AR
America's most haunted hotel - not experienced any ghosts, but the story of Norman Baker's Quack sanatorium is astonishing. What an absolute piece of garbage this man was.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_G._Bakerhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/charlatan-ozarks-still-looms-over-haunted-crescent-hotel-180973743/
STAY
When the Crescent Hotel was built in 1886, it was considered “the finest hotel west of the Mississippi.” The hotel fell into disrepair until Marty and Elise Roenigk purchased it in 1997. Today, 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa offers guests a one-of-a-kind experience, with 15 acres of manicured gardens, a gourmet pizzeria, a spa, and a pool. And if you like ghost tours, it’s said to be one of the most haunted hotels in the country. For something even more unexpected, check out Eureka Springs Treehouses, Caves, Castles & Hobbits. The Hobbit Caves come with their own jacuzzi, and there are many variations on the popular treehouse rooms. And if you’ve ever dreamed of sleeping in a Texaco gas station, you can—a former gas station has been rehabbed into a cottage that's a mere three blocks from downtown.
