I would recommend the Gangster Museum if the history is interesting to you. It's a very…read more"tourist-y" place but it's also historically accurate and the staff is good at what they do. I have been 3 times total. Once as a tourist myself, and twice taking others after I moved here. Some loved it and found it very interesting and others were bored to tears, visibly yawning as we walked from room to room. I think it's terrific, but again, subjective. /Gangster

I cannot say this place is amazing but I will say they try very hard. It's amazing to me how much…read morehistory there is that ties the mob to Hot Springs and yet there's only this tiny little place capitalizing on it. So many cool stories that could be capitalized on. They don't have a ton of paraphernalia but the tour guide is very knowledgeable and the videos share a great deal of history and neat tidbits. If I was a millionaire, I'd be all over marketing this as the original vacation spot to the mob and bootleggers... so much that could be done. It's worth the hour here to check it out.

This recently renovated museum with huge new addition deserves a visit. The art collection is quite…read morevaried, and it is displayed more thematically than chronological. There is a handsome restaurant near the parking lot entrance. Free admission and free parking.

150 million dollars and yet none of the money was spent in training staff. the "guards" are rude…read moreand will follow you around as you view the art. Our group was told multiple times to stay 1-2 feet away from the art work and not in a professional tone. We gave up after the guards kept follow us around as if we're going to steal the art work. They come ruined the viewing experience, will not recommend to anyone.

This place is a total blast from the past! We took the VIP…read moretour which was informative, educational (not only for the young audience), and also helps children in need (you can hear more about it when you take the tour.) So many items, toys, games, it's hard to believe just one person collected them all. Take lots of pictures. It was fun!

This is a great place to go for a little nostalgia. If you grew up in the '70s, '80s, or '90s--or…read morejust love vintage toys--you have to check out the Retroverse Museum. The toy collection is insanely fun and super well-curated. I saw everything from original Star Wars figures to Matchbox cars and He-Man. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable about the collections. You can tell a lot of love went into this place. New pieces are added as they are found "in the wild" or donated by collectors and families of collectors that have passed. They even have some duplicate/overflow items available to purchase in a little gift shop area. Tickets are a little pricy, but proceeds are used to maintain the museum, as well as a variety of community events.

This museum is a must see if visiting Hot Springs! Our toddler absolutely loved all the fun things…read moreto play with and see. Especially the indoor water physics machine thing (not sure how to describe it but it was so fun for all of us)! Didn't see the shows offered but we were content seeing all the dinosaurs.

We had so much fun here! I have been here with my students on field trips before but it was our…read morefirst time coming as a family. We spent more than 2 hours here and it didn't even feel like it because every time we turned around we found something new to do!

In all of our many years of traveling, this museum perhaps is the greatest disappointment!! The…read moreinclusion of the word 'historic' in the museum name suggests that one would find a considerable number of artifacts representing the history of the state. Quite the contrary, what is found almost totally is a group of contemporary art works that have very little to do with the state and its history! Very importantly, the entire upper floor was closed during our visit (and has been closed for several months, according to other reviews). Just a few minutes spent in the display area was quite sufficient! Admittendly, there is an outdoor area with various buildings that can be toured for a fee, but this tour is of limited benefit and not of much interest on a summer afternoon. On a hot summer day, a museum provides respite from the heat and humidity, but there is very little in this museum to keep one's interest for long. Furthermore, the gift shop can be skipped, as it has almost nothing of value. Are there any professionals who work in this museum? It appears not! Is this museum ever evaluated by the leadership?? What a shame!! In reality, the real benefit of this museum is to provide a temperature-controlled place to wait for the free streetcar, which stops right across the street!!

It's rare for me to give less than 4 stars. But this was not what I was expecting. I really thought…read morethere was going to be history of the trail of tears which is why we came. Also the Heritage website is confusing so we went to the wrong place first. But the artwork was pretty and it is free to go through the museum so it wasn't a total loss. I do appreciate all the Arkansas made art. I'd still say to visit as long as you are aware what it is. To be fair, they did appear to have a section blocked off so I wonder if they were changing out the displays.

On top of Hot Sprigs Mountain this 216ft tower hs spectacular views of the surrounding mountains…read morecovered with dogwood, hickory, oak & pine. We winded up a single lane road passing Picnic areas and rest stops before we got to the top. There was a small parking lot with magnificent views. We walked to the gift shop & found the register. We have a parks pass & paid $12 pp to take the elevator to the top of the tower. We took in the view on the top and then went down a floor to see the history of Hot Springs starting in 1875. Photos and artifacts from the old hotels and bath houses were presented with a timeline.

My crew wasn't allowed up to the top of the Hot Springs Mountain Tower because we had our…read morenon-service dog with us. This place was still cool to check out. It was too damn hot for 3 out of 4 of us to hike up the mountain, so I drove up. Parking was free, but a bit crowded on July 20, 2025. If you don't find a spot, there is a loop to drive back around. Historical info of the tower is out front. TIP Shout out to Greg J. who on 7.9.2024 pointed out that going back down the mountain on the one-way road, folks will pass the Happy Hollow cold spring fountain. It's a free refill of any jug or bottle!

It was my daughter's first trip to Hot Springs so of course we had to stop here! We had a blast!…read moreFrom holding a baby gator, to feeding the gators "biscuits", to playing with the baby goats, to feeding the silly donkey that opened his mouth and leaned his head back for more, there wasn't a part we didn't enjoy!

This was our second visit, and it's a lot of fun! The staff is nice and the prices are very…read morereasonable, even with the extras for feeding some of the animals. They also have alligator feedings on certain days. The zoo has wolves, raccoons, alligators, peacocks, and a few other animals for guests to enjoy. For the petting zoo portion, there are goats, emus, birds, turtles, and rabbits you can feed. You can even hold and feed a baby alligator! Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo has been around for decades, and it shows in a few areas. There are a few enclosures that could use some updates. Other than that, I definitely recommend this place if you're in town.

Ah, what can you say?!?! Maxwell is a great guy. We actually are return visitors, first visit was…read moreyears ago at the old theater. If you go in with the expectation to have a good time, you will. Is Maxwell the best illusionist we have seen? no; however, his personality & love of the art is palpable. He does play some Elton John covers and tells a lot of stories, which I really find enjoyable. The people in charge of the sound could really help TONS by getting the kinks worked out. The music is so loud at times that it is miserable. The volume drowns out the pleasure of the intent. I would recommend, as long as you go in with an open mind and understand that it's a bit of a variety show....not a Vegas level production.

Went to see Johnathan Earlandso, loved the show. Very fun and entertaining the grandkids enjoyed it…read moretoo!! It was in a smaller theater so we really got to see the tricks up close. He was funny and interacted great with the audience. Would go again!!