The Fordyce Bathhouse opened in 1915. And it was actually the first bathhouse to close in the 1960s, after advances in modern medicine caused the bathhouse business to decline. The Fordyce was built by railroad tycoon Samuel Fordyce, who moved his family to Hot Springs in 1876. He was an early and influential investor in the town, helping to build hotels, an opera house, infrastructure, and utilities.

Between the Fordyce and Maurice Bathhouses, you can find the Grand Staircase of the Hot Springs Grand Promenade. And at the base of the stairs, you can find the Stevens Balustrade Shell Fountain. The water's hot, because it comes from the Maurice thermal spring. And to the left of the shell fountain, behind the Maurice Bathhouse, is the Display Spring. There, you can sit and watch the water bubble right out of the mountain.

Between the Maurice and Hale Bathhouses, you can find the Maurice Historical Display Springs. Set into the natural tufa rock is the Dripping Spring. Up the stairs to the left of the Dripping Spring, you can find the Tunnel Spring. These were the first two display springs in the National Park. All of this stonework, designed to display the springs to visitors, was completed in 1903.

The Arlington Lawn Hot Water Cascade is the largest spring visible in the park. Hot water emanates from the hill side near the Grand Promenade and flows under the path, down a steep cliff into two pools. And even though the hot springs water comes outta the ground hot enough to scald you, it's cooled down enough to touch by the time it reaches these pools.

The South Entrance of the Grand Promenade features benches, tables and chairs for playing chess, a great view of the former Army Navy Hosptal, and the Noble Fountain. The fountain was installed in 1896 but it originally sat much closer to Central Avenue, at the southern end of the Magnolia Promenade. As vehicle traffic on Central Avenue got busier, the fountain was moved in front of the NPS admin building. Finally, when the Grand Promenade was built, they moved it here.

The Hot Springs Observation Tower, a 216-foot tall structure, opened to the public in 1983, and is actually the third observation tower in that location. Not only are the views of Hot Springs and the Zig-Zag mountains incredible from the top of the tower, but this is also an excellent place to learn a lot of fun facts and trivia about Hot Springs! Y'see, there are actually two levels at the tower's peak. The lower level is fully enclosed, and there are signs and displays all about the city's fascinating history. From there, you can move up a level for some outdoor, and depending on the weather, some very windy views of the surrounding area. There's a small per-person fee to ride the elevator to the top. And the ground floor has a decent little gift shop if you wanna do some souvenir shopping.

The Happy Hollow Jug Fountain is one of the few cool water springs in the park. From the late 1800s, until the 1940s, the Happy Hollow spring was actually part of McLeod's Amusement Park. At its height, it included a photography studio, shooting gallery, zoo, and souvenir shop. Today, all that's left of Happy Hollow is the jug fountain. Back then, it was called the Magnesia Spring, and a pitcher of water cost a nickel. Today, you're welcome to fill your water bottles for free with cool, refreshing spring water.

The 2nd of two cold water fountains in the National Park, the Whittington Park fountain is located near the entrance to the West Mountain Scenic Drive. Just like at Happy Hollow, you're welcome to fill your water bottles for free.

At the Loop Overlook, you can see over the southwestern part of Hot Springs, out toward the Ouachita River Valley. And just behind the Loop Overlook, there's a large outcropping of Arkansas Novaculite where you can see just how fractured and angled the rock is that makes up the mountain. These fractures, and the steep angle of the rock layers, are due to all the tectonic activity that created these mountains. And they're also what allow water to seep down into the mountain, so that it can come out later as spring water. The Loop Overlook is also where you'll find the Trailhead for the longest trail in the park. The Sunset Trail is 10 miles long, one-way. But just half a mile up the trail, you can reach the forested peak of West Mountain.