Eureka Springs, Arkansas
In Eureka Springs, Arkansas, nothing is flat, including its downtown, which is lined with historic stone buildings and elegant Victorian homes stair-stepping up hillsides and steep streets. Motorcoaches aren’t allowed on downtown’s hilly, hairpin roads, but a tram can easily shuttle groups from a nearby parking area to the downtown district.
“Our whole downtown area is on the historic register,” said Gina Rambo, publicist with the Eureka Springs Advertising and Promotions Commission. “The town was founded in 1879, so a lot of these building have been there since the late 1800s.”
The Eureka Springs Tram Tour showcases that history, including the historic downtown business district that is dotted with natural springs and the adjacent neighborhood, where many of the ornate homes are now bed-and-breakfasts, Rambo said.
During a Downtown Underground Tour, groups can see what used to be street level of downtown Eureka Springs; it went underground when the city raised Main Street, also known as Mud Street because it flooded so often — an entire story. The Mud Street Café is housed in the original first level of an 1888 building, which means it’s now in the basement. There’s a window in the floor that shows the spring beneath the building that caused the flooding.
Downtown is almost free of chain stores and restaurants, and is instead packed with chef-owned eateries, independent boutiques and art galleries where visitors can find works by local artists.
Every May for the past 30 years, the monthlong May Festival of the Arts is packed with art exhibits and demonstrations, live performances and music in the park. It kicks off with the ArtRageous Parade through downtown and peaks with the annual White Street Studio Walk, a street party thrown by the artists themselves.
Eureka Springs has 64 natural springs within city limits.
