Family Fun
Magic Springs/Crystal Falls
Magic Springs/Crystal Falls is really two parks in one. Magic Springs is an amusement park with some great thrill rides including The Gauntlet, Plummet Summit, Arkansas Twister, Big Bad John, Dr. Dean's Rocket Machine, Wild Thang and The Hawk. Crystal Falls is a water park with attractions like Rapid Falls Raceway, Crystal Cove Wave Pool, High Sierra Slide Tower and Kodiak Canyon Adventure River.
Magic Springs also has a summer concert series that includes some great performers. Concerts are included in the daily admission price.
In 2008, Magic Springs is open weekends only April 5th through May 23, and August 18th through September 26th. Crystal Falls is open weekends only May 3rd through May 23rd and August 18th through Spetember 26th. Both parks are open daily May 24th through August 17th.
Daily admission tickets are $45.99 for adults and $35.99 for kids under 52" tall and seniors. Kids under two are free. Parking is $9.00.
Season Passes are $49.99 plus tax for a regular pass that includes admission to both parks and all the 2008 concerts. $79.99 plus tax includes admission to both parks and all the 2008 concerts plus free parking and a coupon book.
www.magicsprings.com
501-381-5370
Funtrackers/Volcano Falls
Funtrackers Family Park, located at 2614 Albert Pike, boasts Hot Spring's largest and fastest pro-style go-kart track. They also feature Wet & Wild Bumper Boats, complete with squirt-guns, and an arcade/game room. Next door is Volcano Falls Mini Golf, an 18 hole miniature golf course with giant waterfalls and a volcano with a 25 foot erupting fireball. Funtrackert/Volcano Falls is open 11am to 10pm daily Memorial Day to Labor Day with seasonal hours in the spring and fall. Prices range from $5 for go-karts only to $22 for a four-activity armband.
www.funtrackersfamilypark.com
501-767-8140.
Pirate's Cove Adventure Golf
Players test their skill on two challenging 18-hole courses as they putt their way through mountain caves, over footbridges and under waterfalls. Located at 4612 Central Ave, they are open 9am to 11pm daily during summer, seasonal hours in spring and fall. One 18-hole course is $7.50 adults and $6.95 children. Both courses (36 holes in all) is $12.50 adults and $11.95 children.
www.piratescove.net/location/2
501- 525-9311
Arkansas Alligator Farm and Petting Zoo
The Arkansas Alligator Farm, founded in 1902, is Hot Springs's oldest attraction. They have over 200 alligators ranging in size from six-inch babies to ten-footers. They will even let you pet one.
The petting zoo features deer, pigmy goats, llamas, lambs and ostriches. They also have a unique museum that features the "Mer-Man" from Ripley's Believe It Or Not.
Don't miss the alligator feed show. They happen every Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at noon, May through October.
Admission is $6.50 for adults, $5.50 for 12 and under. They are located at 847 Whittington Avenue.
www.arkansasalligatorfarm.com
501-623-6172
Hot Springs Mountain Tower
Located on Tower Mountain, the Hot Springs Mountain Tower stands 1,256 feet above sea level, and you can see over 140 miles from the top. The tower is open 9am-9pm in the summer, 9am-6pm spring and fall, and 9am-5pm in the winter. Admission is $6 adults, $5 seniors and $3 children.
www.hotspringsar.com/info/tower/tower
501-623-6035
Mid America Science Museum
Mid America Museum is Arkansas' largest hands-on science center. See-Touch-Do exhibits include Caged Ligntning, with the world's most powerful conical Tesla Coil and the Van De Graaff Generator; Underground Arkansas, a gigantic indoor cave complete with chambers, bridges, tunnels and slides; Energy Island; Gravity Tower; Sir Roland Emmett's wondrous whimsical creations from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; The Nature Trail, Aquarium, Laser Show, Simulator Ride and more.
The museum is open 9:30am-6pm daily in the summer and 10am-5pm Tuesday-Sunday the rest of the year. Admission to the museum is $8 adults, $7 seniors, military and youth. The Laser Show is $2 per person and the Simulator Ride is $3 per person. Combined admission for all three is $11 per person.
The museum also offers several membership options including $40 individual, $65 family and a special Smithsonian Level Membership for $100.
www.midamericamuseum.org
501-
767-3461
Garvan Woodland Gardens
Garvan Gardens is Arkansas' premier botanical garden. Located on a 210-acre peninsula on Lake Hamilton, the gardens feature a Welcome Center, Gift Shop, a 4-acre Asian rock and stream garden, the Garvan Pavilion designed by E. Fay Jones, the 20 foot Canopy Bridge, waterfalls, springs, cascading streams, Japanese Maple Hill, Old Rose Border, ADA accessible paved trails and hundreds of thousands of plantings.
The gardens are open year round except January, 9am-8pm April through Sept. and 10am-5pm Feb, Mar, and Oct-Thanksgiving. They have an elaborate holiday lights display each Christmas season, and are open until 9pm Thanksgiving through Dec. to allow visitors to enjoy the lights. Admission is $7 adults, $6 seniors and $3 children.
www.garvangardens.org
501-262-9300
Picasso's Cupboard
This paint-your-own pottery studio offers over 100 different pieces of bisqueware (unfinished ceramice) for painting. They provide the paint, brushes, stencils, stamps and references, You paint your piece, then they glaze and fire it for you. They specialize in parties and events. Call for hours and pricing.
www.picassoscupboard.com
501-625-3333
Maxwell Blade's Lantern Theater
Maxwell Blade's Magic Show realocated in 2008 from the Malco Theater to the Lantern Theater at 121 Central Ave. downtown.
www.maxwellblade.com/Welcome.html.
501-623-6200
The Witness
The Witness is a musical passion play that tells the life story of Jesus as witnessed by the apostle Peter. It is presented as a live, outdoor performance each Friday and Saturday evening, summer through early fall, at Panther Valley Ranch, three miles down Mill Creek Road, near Hot Springs. The 2008 season runs from June 6 through Aug 8 and Sept 5 through Oct 25. Admission is $13.77 adults, $12.75 seniors and $7.14 children. Shows begin at dusk.
www.witnessproductions.com
501-623-9781
The Bath House Show
The Bath House Show is a family entertainment variety, music and comedy show located in downtown Hot Springs at 710 Central Ave. Shows are at 8:00pm. Tickets are $12.50 for adults, $6.50 for children and $11.50 for groups of 15 or more.
501-623-1415