Superior Bathhouse

Compared to its elaborate neighbors, the Superior Bathhouse had a modest appearance. Its owners emphasized a therapeutic program and interior rooms where marble and brass fostered a hygienic environment. Known for superior service to patrons, it far surpassed the experiences of travelers to early bathhouses, where in 1829 the Arkansas-Gazette reported, “The sweat house is rudely constructed with boards which but partially exclude the air; and the mouth of it is stopped by a blanket. The patient has to come into the open air to dry himself, hurry on his clothes and go home.” Superior Bathhouse had the longest continuous operation of all Hot Springs bathhouses before closing in 1983. In 1916, this building replaced the Victorian style Superior Bathhouse of the 1880s.

Hot Springs, Arkansas · United States