14 Fun Things To Do in Hot Springs with Kids

Are you looking to have a fun Hot Springs Arkansas family vacation? Aside from visiting Hot Springs National Park, kids will always want to do something fun! I remember when I was a kid, all those the touristy things that my parents took me to seemed so boring to me at the time. Remembering how I felt then, I always make sure to include something in our itinerary that’s just for the kids.

If you’re visiting Hot Springs, lucky for you, there are lots of fun things to do with kids! I’ve rounded up a list of the best fun things to do in Hot Springs with kids.

1. Garvan Woodland Gardens

Garvan Woodland Gardens is a 210-acre botanical garden with so many things to see. Your kids can start off with a scavenger hunt that gives them a fun way to start exploring the garden. They can feel a sense of accomplishment by putting a sticker on everything they spot.

Scavenger Hung at Garvan Gardens

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George the Peacock

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Maybe you’ll get lucky and see George the peacock! He was casually walking by us when we first arrived. We were lucky to get this capture.

Inside Garvan Woodland Gardens, there’s a Children’s Adventure Garden. This is where the Bob & Sunny Evans Tree House is located.

Bob & Sunny Evans Tree House

Constructed in July 2018, The Bob and Sunny Evans Tree House is located within the Evans Children’s Adventure Garden. It’s a beautiful place for children to be more engaged with nature. My kids ran off ahead of me exploring before I could even catch up!

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Evans Children’s Adventure Garden

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Other parts of the Evans Children’s Adventure Garden to explore. Kids can walk across the Cedar Bridge, climb rocks, and even see a mini waterfall and cave.

Koi Pond

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If you want to feed the koi, be sure to buy koi food at the gift shop before heading to the koi pond. The kids had so much fun feeding the fish!

Anthony Chapel

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After hiking around the gardens, head over to the Anthony Chapel before you leave. The Anthony Chapel is a beautiful spot for weddings and events, and you can see why! The architecture is stunning to see nestled in between lots of trees. The chapel is closed if there is an event going on, which is what happened to us, but we were still able to take some photos.

2. Mid-America Science Museum

^{Photos: Mid America Science Museum}

The Mid-America Science Museum is a fun place to visit for families when in Hot Springs. We didn’t have enough time to stop by here on our trip to Hot Springs, but hope to make it here on our next trip.

The Mid-America Science Museum is located about 5 miles outside of Hot Springs, with many exhibits to keep you entertained with both indoor and outdoor activities. There’s an outdoor DinoTrek where you can see dinosaur installations outside, different exhibits to explore, and science shows you can watch. You can see the DinoTrek map and a map of the exhibits here.

3. Magic Springs Theme & Water Park

^{Photos: Arkansas Tourism | Arkansas Living Magazine}

Magic Springs Theme and Water Park is an amusement park and water park to spend a day of fun during your trip to Hot Springs, Arkansas. There’s a theme park with rides and roller coasters, and a water park to cool off. You can see a map of all the attractions.

During summer break (from late May through mid August), the park is open daily. Hours are typically from 11am – 6pm during the week and 11am-7pm on weekends. In October, the park is open only on weekends from noon – 6pm. Check their calendar here.

The admission price includes all the rides and attractions in both parks for the entire day. Prices range from $50-$60 for adults, and $40-$50 for kids. See the current prices here.

Magic Springs Theme and Water Park
1701 E Grand Ave (map)
Hot Springs, AR 71901
(501) 624-0100

4. T-Rex Fun Spot

If you’re looking for some fun kid activities, head over to T-Rex fun spot where you can do so many different activities – everything from Jurassic blacklight mini golf, high ropes, arcade, laser tag, go karts, gyroscope, and so much more. Our kids had so much fun there.

5. Adventureworks Ziplines

Looking for some fun outdoor adventure while in Hot Springs? Go on an aerial zipline adventure and a ropes course at Adventureworks!

Prices range from $35-$80 per adventure. A full list of prices can be found here.

6. Pirate’s Cove Adventure Golf

Go on a fun family outing playing mini golf outside with choices from two different 18-hole golf courses, the Captain’s Course or the Blackbeard’s Challenge. Or do both and complete an 36-hole course!

7. Arkansas Alligator Farm & Petting Zoo

If you want to see an alligator, you can visit the Arkansas Alligator Farm. Not only will you see alligators that you can hold, there is a petting zoo where you can pet other animals such as goats, sheep, and even emu! You might even be able to feed alligators meat on a stick during feeding season, or feed parakeets.

8. Funtracker’s Family Fun Park

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Have some fun at Family Fun Park on a single or double go-kart, bumper cars, ropes course, kiddie ropes course, VR ride and giant climbing beanstalk.

9. Go Horseback Riding

Interested in taking your family on a horse back ride in the woods? There are a couple of places to go horseback riding fairly close to Hot Springs.

Arkansas Riding Stables

Go on a horseback ride through a shaded trail in the woods! Horses are calm and great with kids too. It’s best to call before you go.

Bar Fifty Guest Ranch

Bar Fifty Guest Ranch offers short and long horseback rides through scenic trails at foothills of the Ouachita Mountains. Trails are wide and 90% shaded and rides are about an hour and 15 minutes long, or you can ask for a custom duration. Call to make an appointment.

10. Tiny Town

Tiny Town is a miniature train town that was created by a man and woman, Frank and Louise Moshinski, over 50 years. He started creating this tiny train when he was just 13 years old. It is now run by his sons and daughter-in-law. This tiny town was created mostly from scraps and household items. It’s amazing to see what one man’s creativity can create.

11. Try an Escape Room

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Ever wanted to try an escape room? You can do one at Escape Hot Springs or A Narrow Escape. Spend an hour or two to solve puzzles and plan your escape. This activity is great for families. Kids must be ages 6 and up. You’ll just be using your brain and feel the accomplishment of escaping the room!

Prices range from $20-$25 per person for different escape room adventures. There are 2-4 minimum number of people required depending on the case.

12. Galaxy Connection

Are you Star Wars fan? If so, this is the place for you to visit! The Galaxy Connection is a small museum of all things Star Wars and a gift shop. Take your Star Wars fan here.

13. National Park Aquarium

National Park Aquarium is a small aquarium located in downtown Hot Springs, just north of Arlington Hotel. You can stop by to see fish, frongs, turtles, lizards, and more. There’s also a gift shop inside.

14. Central Bowling Lanes

Go bowling at Central Bowling Lanes, which has been recently upgraded with new lanes and mini kid lanes. They also serve food and drinks.

Check out our Arkansas weekend getaway to Hot Springs and read about digging for diamonds at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas.

If you’re looking for more things to do in Hot Springs, check out our full list of things to do in Hot Springs.

For a visitor’s guide on Hot Springs and Diamond Lakes, visit diamondlakes.org.

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