Arkansas Archives - ...and Blue Sky

Eureka Springs Historical Museum – The Crazy History of a Small Town

January 26, 2023 Crystal Comments 0 Comment

It’s hard to walk around the Eureka Springs Historic District without wondering about the town’s past. Almost every building in downtown Eureka Springs dates back to around 1900, give or take a few years, and it seems like each one has a story. If you’re a curious person like I am, you’ll be so happy the Eureka Springs Historical Museum exists!

Within this three-story historic building, which dates back to 1889 itself, you can learn all about the town’s past, from some of its infamous residents (including Carrie Nation) to the fires that wiped out the entire downtown area a few times to the springs themselves.

I love that you can see the Crescent Hotel up on the hill! It was practically still new when this was taken in 1888.

Admission to the Eureka Springs Historical Museum is just $5 and there’s parking right next to the building (a rarity in this town!). They’re open from 9:30-4 pm, but they’re closed Sundays & Wednesdays. (A lot of businesses here close Tues or Weds.)

Here’s my suggestion if you’re visiting Eureka Springs for the first time: Take an hour or two to wander around downtown and get a feel for it, THEN visit the museum. It’s going to be more fun if you’re a little familiar with the town, but then you can go back and look at everything again with a whole new depth of knowledge! (I also suggest the Downtown n’ Underground tour of the Eureka Springs Historic District – click the link for my post about it!)

As a huge hotel nerd, I loved all of the displays on historic Eureka Springs hotels!

Like pretty much every museum, you are going to get out of this place as much as you’re willing to put into it. If you just do a quick walk-through, you probably won’t be all that impressed but if you stop to read signs and really look at the exhibits and chat with the super knowledgeable staff, you’ll really enjoy it. Eureka Springs AR history is pretty crazy – you’re sure to leave with at least a few fun facts that blew your mind!

Pearl is one of my favorite iconic Eureka Springs residents. You can actually rent her house as an AirBnB now!

I get to write about crazy old-fashioned medicines for the museum I do social media for, so I loved the exhibit with things like these definitely healthy belladonna cigarettes for your asthma. 😳

It should be noted that the museum is two stories and since this is a classic Victorian home, there’s no elevator. (Not being super well designed for visitors with mobility disabilities is one of the very few negative things about Eureka Springs.) There’s still plenty to see on the first floor if you can’t do stairs (I probably spent 3/4 of my time there downstairs).

Side note – I just googled that “Wizard Oil” next to the cigarettes and apparently it was advertised to cure everything from sunburn to toothache to cancer (yikes.. although if you want some crazy stories about fake cancer treatments, don’t miss the Crescent Hotel Ghost Tour just a few minutes away!) but it contained things like turpentine (imagine putting that on your skin!!), chloroform, and ammonia. Maybe all those fumes just made you think you felt better??

A note for book lovers: The museum gift shop has a GREAT selection of books on local history and culture! (This is only like half of what they have)

While I would absolutely support buying these at the museum or from another small local business if at all possible, I also found a few of them on Amazon if you’re interested in the area but don’t have access to other buying options. Here are the ones I was able to hunt down:

🕮 Eureka Springs: City of Healing Waters There are about a dozen pages of this one that you can read for free if you click “Look Inside” on the Amazon page. A great way to see if you’re interested in buying!

🕮 An Ozark Culinary History: Northwest Arkansas Traditions from Corn Dodgers to Squirrel Meatloaf This one is currently only $3 on Kindle! And again there are about a dozen pages you can read on the “Look Inside”

🕮 A Fame Not Easily Forgotten This one is mostly available used, but used paperbacks are like $7.

🕮 Classic Eateries of the Ozarks

🕮 Stair Step Town This was written back in 1952 and I’m so curious about it! It’s only available used on Amazon but the ones in the museum look new.

Overall, while the Eureka Springs Historical Museum isn’t huge, it’s a great way to learn more about the town, see some cool antiques, and catch the rotating temporary exhibits, which are always cool. Plus it’s only $5 and right at the bottom of Main Street – super easy to get to! If you happen to be visiting in October, they do an annual event called “Voices from the Silent City” where actors share the stories of notable residents over in the cemetery.

One more tip: I’d recommend visiting at a less busy time like a weekday morning if you can. I’ve never seen the museum very crowded, but like most of the town, parking is very limited to a handful of spaces and fairly tight. There is $5 parking a few doors down at the Cathouse, metered parking about a five-minute walk away behind the auditorium, or free parking at the trolley station if you don’t mind a 10-ish minute walk straight uphill.

I’m working on a whole series of posts about fun things to do in Eureka Springs, so be sure to check back! And let me know if you wind up visiting the Eureka Springs Historical Museum – I’d love to hear what you think! You can find more photos and reviews of the museum on TripAdvisor.

Looking for a cozy place to stay within walking distance of the museum? Check out my post about the Mary Margaret Guest House!

The Mary Margaret in Eureka Springs, Arkansas

July 25, 2022 Crystal Comments 0 Comment

If you’re a regular visitor to this site, you might know that I LOVE visiting Eureka Springs, Arkansas. It’s only about an hour away from me but feels like it’s worlds away. Downtown Eureka Springs lodging is so much fun – it’s mostly either Victorian-era homes or historic hotels built in the early 1900s. When I started my search for a Eureka Springs Airbnb I came across one called the Mary Margaret guest house, which totally delighted me because that’s my mom’s name! And then by total coincidence, I was chatting with the PR manager for the Crescent Hotel and she said, “You should check out my coworker’s place, it’s called the Mary Margaret.” Seems like I was meant to stay here!

One of the biggest selling points of the Mary Margaret is that it’s within walking distance of downtown! A two-minute walk downhill will bring you to The Grand Central Hotel & Spa and Eureka Live on Main Street, while about four minutes along a side street and down several flights of stairs will bring you to public parking area between the Eureka Springs Coffee House and Mud Street Cafe. (Can you tell coffee is my priority?) Both trips are a little longer coming back uphill – I’m in decent shape but there’s a reason Eureka Springs is known as “The Alps of the Ozarks”!

You also get A PARKING SPACE!

Eureka Springs is one of those towns where finding parking can be a challenge and pretty much all of the public parking downtown is paid. Even some of the most popular Eureka Springs historic hotels have parking that’s either a bit of a walk from the building or that you take a shuttle to and from. Being able to park for free just a few steps from the room and just leave my car there for most of my stay was SO NICE! If you’re visiting during a special event or on a weekend during the busier months (pretty much everything except winter), I highly suggest finding a place like this that includes a good parking spot!

The outdoor areas are the second best part of the Mary Margaret.

The Fox Den and the Guest Suite each have an outdoor space but if you go down the stairs, you’ll find a fun little outdoor area with a great woods view, pictured above. It also has swings! And you know I tested them out.

I stayed in The Fox Den which is a separate building from the main house – they think was originally a carriage house. It’s a cozy studio-style room with everything you need for a comfortable stay.

It rained for an entire day when I was in town, so I really appreciated that the little walkway between the main house and Fox Den is covered!

Entrance to the Fox Den

Personally, I *love* having a door code instead of a key when I’m staying in a vacation rental. I worked front desk in hotels for almost a decade, and people coming down to request a new key because they left theirs in the room was probably in the top 3 things that kept us busy. Locking yourself out of your room when you’re in a hotel with a 24-hour front desk is one thing, but I’m always SO paranoid that I’ll lose or forget the key when I’m staying at an Airbnb or VRBO!

The Fox Den’s loft is perfect if you have a child big enough to climb up and down the ladder but small enough to be comfortable with the lower ceiling and small mattress.

While being from the late 1800s is definitely part of this property’s charm, it does mean the Fox Den is not soundproof. There’s very little traffic on the street outside, but if a motorcycle or a loud truck goes by, you hear it. You also hear the rain and the birds, which is really nice, especially if you’re falling asleep on a rainy night. But you also hear the screen doors of the main house and anyone who might be outside. If you’re a light sleeper, you might want earplugs or a headband with built-in headphones designed for sleep like this one that I use, but if you’re a heavier sleeper or used to more sounds than I am, you’re probably fine.

Having a microwave, Keurig, and mini-fridge is obviously super convenient but I loved that there were also thoughtful little extras like a little selection of books, a bottle opener, and a snack box perfect for those late-night cravings!

Some of the dresser drawers had little extras like binoculars and a board game. There are also plenty of electric outlets, including USB outlets built into the lights over the bed for easy charging. The only thing I missed having was a bedside table.

A few of the fun decor details inside the Fox Den:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Crystal Ward (@andblueskyblog)

And a very quick video tour of the room!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Crystal Ward (@andblueskyblog)

The Fox Den has its own little balcony with a nice woods view:

I also had the opportunity to peek into The Guest Suite at the Mary Margaret. It’s a bit smaller than the Fox Den, but the bathroom is larger and it has a closet!

Overall, the Mary Margaret is a great choice if you are looking for a vacation rental close to downtown Eureka Springs. Being able to walk to town and have an assigned parking spot felt almost priceless, and having peaceful outdoor areas to hang out in was a huge bonus!

You can find the Mary Margaret Eureka Springs guest house on Instagram or check prices and availability on VRBO for the Fox Den and Guest Suite! Feel free to drop any questions in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer.

Is This the Cutest Cottage in Eureka Springs? A Review of the Mountain Chalet Treehouse at Oak Crest Cottages

March 13, 2022 Crystal Comments 0 Comment

After my recent stay at Oak Crest Cottages in Eureka Springs, I couldn’t wait to share this place with you all! I’m pretty sure that I found the absolute cutest cottage in Eureka Springs, but I might have to try a few more just to be sure!

From treehouses to rock cottages to really reasonably priced studio suites, there’s something for everyone. Looking for a romantic Eureka Springs cottage with a fireplace and a Jacuzzi tub? They have three.

I stayed in the Mountain Chalet, a cozy studio-style cabin. When I show you how cute this cottage is, you might assume it was expensive, but it was seriously only about $40 more than staying at one of the budget chain hotels. (You can check current prices and availability here!)
…

Relaxing at New Moon Spa at the 1886 Crescent Hotel

October 2, 2017 Crystal Comments 2 comments

New Moon Spa Crescent Hotel Eureka Springs

New Moon Spa is located on the garden level of the 1886 Crescent Hotel, perched atop a hill in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Eureka Springs has become one of my favorite places for a day trip; it’s about an hour away from where I live but it feels like such a different place. The Crescent Hotel has such a long and crazy history (check out my post about their ghost tour!) that it’s fascinating to wander around, just thinking about how long it’s all been there and how much those walls have seen. On one of my most recent trips, I got to check out the hotel’s spa. Eureka Springs is almost entirely steep hills, so given that I’d walked several miles on my historic downtown tour the day before, my body was SO ready for a little TLC!

I was really surprised by how large and modern New Moon Spa is. Given the historic vibe of the rest of the hotel, I wasn’t expecting the bright, spacious lobby that I stepped into. However, historic details are there if you know where to look! Take a close look at the floor in the salon in this pic:

This space was once a bowling alley, back when the Crescent as a school for girls around the turn of the 20th century!

Crescent Hotel 1900 bowling team

When the Crescent was renovated, they preserved two of the original bowling lanes. Later, during further restoration, they found a couple of the bowling pins from around 1901 inside the walls!

bowling pin from 18th century crescent hotel eureka

The salon boasts pretty incredible views. Here’s the view from the pedicure chairs:

The Crescent Hotel is a popular destination for Eureka Springs weddings, and the spa features a room perfect for the bridal party to relax in while getting ready for the ceremony.

In the spa lobby, you can shop a whole array of bath and beauty products. It’s like a mini Sephora in there! They sent me home with some of their awesome signature spa products:

Grapefruit is my go-to hand soap scent, so I was excited about the citrusy scent of these!

After my tour of the spa and salon, it was time for my massage! Lockers are available if you’d like a place to stash your stuff while you’re off relaxing.

I was offered a beverage and given a quick info form to fill out, which included a diagram where I could circle any areas on my body that needed attention and X out any places I wanted to avoid having worked on.

Fluffy robes and slippers await!

The spa offers an array of massage styles, but don’t feel restricted to what’s listed on the menu. They’re happy to customize something that you’l love. I requested something blending the two listed below, since I couldn’t really choose.

I wish I could get massages on a weekly basis. I never realize how crazy tense my body is until someone starts hitting all the knots. I was pretty zoned out for most of this massage, but I do remember the massage therapist hitting a spot near the back of my head that almost made me jump. I asked her to go back and spend a little time on that area, and I’m pretty sure that doing so saved me from an impending tension headache that otherwise probably would have ruined my day in the near future. How does an hour go by so slowly at work, but so quickly when you’re getting a massage?

The spa’s hot tub and infrared sauna are included with any treatment, so even though I had a full day ahead I couldn’t resist slipping into my swimsuit to enjoy just a little more relaxation out in the garden hot tub. I wanted to make it to Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge before a predicted rainstorm hit later that afternoon, so I skipped the sauna this time. Honestly, if I hadn’t had another place to be that day, they probably would have had to drag me out of the hot tub. Such a perfect way to follow up a massage!

(Apparently this is what my dopey “I just had an hour massage and now I’m chilling in a hot tub” face looks like.)

I couldn’t resist making “ghostly mist” jokes about the steam rising from the hot tub, given the Crescent’s lore!

It’s crazy to just be hanging out in the hot tub, just relaxing, and then glance up and see a building that’s been there since 1886.

One of the spa receptionists even offered to bring me a beverage to enjoy while relaxing. Sipping cold water definitely made it more enjoyable, even though that’s such a simple thing. (I believe they also have coffee and tea, but I was craving water!)

Eureka Springs became famous in the late 1800’s after its “healing waters” were discovered. Chilling in a hot tub in a garden after a long massage probably wasn’t quite what those early settlers hand in mind, but I was definitely into it!

Check out New Moon Spa’s website for their full menu of spa and salon services, and be sure to check out their specials if you’re planning to stay at the Crescent Hotel – they offer some great perks for hotel guests who book spa services! You can also find them on Facebook. I’d definitely love to return here in the future – there are entire menus of body treatments and facials that I haven’t explored yet!

Thanks to New Moon Spa and the Eureka Springs City Advertising & Promotion Commission for treating me to such a relaxing morning in exchange for sharing my experience!

Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge in Eureka Springs – A Sanctuary for Lions and Tigers and Bears! (Oh My!)

September 25, 2017 Crystal Comments 2 comments

You guys know I’m 100% a cat lady, so when I was offered the opportunity to visit a big cat sanctuary, I was all over it! Bring me all the kitties, please!

Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge in Eureka Springs is different from most attractions in that they wish they didn’t have to exist. This animal sanctuary takes in big cats whose owners pass away or realize they’re not equipped to care for them, or from other exhibits that close down. Unlike the animals in some attractions, these cats aren’t being taken away from their natural habitats or being bred for exhibition, they’re being rescued from unsafe situations and being given a forever home.

Every animal’s story is different, and their enclosures are equipped with signs that fill you in on their background.

Although Turpentine Creek focuses on big cats, to quote one of the tour guides, “We’ve recently branched out into bears.” (No idea why, but that phrase tickled me.)

They’re working on new enclosures for the black bears that will have trees in the center that they can climb so that they can get their climbing fix without being able to get over the fences. The grizzly bear already has a pretty fancy place to live, complete with his own pool and waterfall to cool off in, since grizzlies are not built for warmer temperatures!

Um, can I live here?

Thinkin’ about Bear Stuff

Speaking of the enclosures, I want to mention up front that I didn’t manage to capture how nicely designed they were in my photos. (Let’s be honest, I was mostly thinking, “Ooooh, kitty!”) Each area is well thought out with plenty of space to roam around, and features that mimic what they’d play with or relax on in a natural habitat. Due to how much it costs to build a new enclosure, they do sometimes wind up needing to do a switch-out process where, to use an apartment metaphor example, two male tigers get the big fancy penthouse-style space today, then tomorrow they go into a smaller studio-style area and the two females get the big space. Given that just before my visit they’d taken in 30+ animals from an animal attraction in Colorado that had been shut down, it seemed like a pretty solid way to accommodate the new arrivals until resources are available to give everyone their own fancy place. They avoid mixing animals that didn’t grow up together to avoid scary hierarchy fights, so they won’t just add a new cat to a pair that already lives together.

I took a Google Maps screenshot that hopefully provides a better idea of how much space the big cats get to run around in. There are a few cars at the top of the pic for scale, and you can see the grey fence outlines throughout.

Aerial view of Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge in Eureka Springs

(I come from a Disney World background, where we build entire African-style savannas as animal environments, so my standards are pretty high. These guys obviously aren’t working with Disney’s budget, but they do a great job of providing happy, comfortable homes for the animals they rescue.)

Also, I did my best to minimize the fencing in photos, but it’s worth noting that there are two pretty serious fences between guests and animals. It creates a nice “in-betweeen” zone that ensures nobody can throw something into their environment, or anything else along the “well, that was really dumb” line of guest behaviors.

As a cat lady, this place is totally up my alley. (alley cat?) For instance, I finally got to learn…

Ohhhhh.

Every time I watch big cats, (especially tigers) I’m struck by how similar their behavior is to my little guys. These two young tigers giving each other baths is 100% like what happens at my house on the daily:

Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge White Tiger Siblings

Let’s backtrack a little bit to give you a better idea of how a visit to Turpentine Creek Wildlife Sanctuary goes!

The sanctuary is a short drive outside of historic downtown Eureka Springs, about 15 minutes. There’s plenty of parking (big difference from downtown!). Tickets are regularly $25 for adults, $20 for teens, $15 for kids, seniors and veterans and under 3 is free, but you can sometimes find discounts on sites like Groupon.

Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge tickets include a guided tour that lasts around 45 minutes, plus the freedom to wander around part of the sanctuary (see below) as much as you’d like. They offer a trolley tour for an extra $5 if you’d prefer not to walk, but the trolley option is complimentary for guests with mobility disabilities. There is a lot of stopping to listen to the guide speak on the walking tour, so as long as you’re comfortable walking about half a mile very slowly, you’re likely to be ok. (I always try to include info that will help people determine if they can handle the physical aspects of an attraction, but if you have specific questions, feel free to ask!)

This map is from Turpentine Creek’s site, which has a page where you can check out their brochures and maps! It’s a great resource if you’re considering visiting.

After purchasing your tickets, you’re given a time and place to meet for the guided tour. Until then, you’re free to wander the area marked with a black line above. I think I had around 20 minutes before my tour time, which felt like plenty of time to explore that area. It’s worth noting that the exhibits you see along the red line on the map are only accessible while on the tour. (I’m guessing this is for safety reasons? It would probably take a lot of resources to monitor guests and ensure safety if you were free to explore the whole sanctuary on your own. It’s big!)

I spent a lot of my pre-tour time watching this guy take a bath. 😍

black leopard Turpentine Creek

I didn’t get a very good pic of this kitty, but I loved him because he’s basically a slightly larger version of my Bear.

A better pic from the Turpentine Creek website:

And my own Bear, whose vet has said that he looks just like a panther he used to treat.

Very fierce, much terrifying.

My tour guide patiently put up with all of my crazy cat lady questions (“Hey, do tigers get hairballs?”), and gave us a ton of info about the animals. I think the tigers were my favorite because like the wild creatures they are, when we would divert our attention from them to listen to the tour guide talk, they’d take our distraction as the opportunity to stalk us.

Turpentine Creek tiger

Kitty invites you to (be) dinner.

Tiger at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge in Eureka Springs

One of the white tigers spent several minutes sloooowly creeping up on us, which was super fun to watch. It started way up the hill and gradually made its way down. Our tour guide did what’s lovingly known as a “butt dance” – apparently tigers look for animals that are distracted by eating or drinking water, aka a head down position, to sneak up on. That went a little like this:

A post shared by And Blue Sky (@straightontillmorningblog) on May 27, 2017 at 8:16pm PDT

Well… that worked!

Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge offers an option where you can stay in lodges, bungalows, or tents at the sanctuary. The lodges are styled to look like a safari lodge you’d stay in while visiting Africa, which I dig since I’m a sucker for pretty much any kind of theme suite. What’s really cool about these rooms, though, is that you’re able to hear the cats roaring at night! Definitely on my list of places I’d like to stay on a future Eureka Springs visit.

I’d definitely recommend adding Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge to your trip plans if you’ll be visiting Eureka Springs or Northwest Arkansas in general! You can learn more about them on their website, or follow on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. I mean, be honest… your life needs more cat videos in it.

I’m also happy to answer any questions you might have about planning a trip or anything else about my visit that I didn’t cover!

I received complimentary admission to Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge in exchange for sharing my experience. No other compensation was received, and everything above is my honest opinion.

…and Blue Sky

Browsed by
Tag: Arkansas