Hot Springs National Park in Garland County, Arkansas — The American South (West South Central)

Imperial Bathhouse

Hot Springs National Park

— National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior —

Imperial Bathhouse Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by James Hulse, September 29, 2023

1. Imperial Bathhouse Marker

Inscription. The luxurious Imperial Bathhouse was built on this location in 1893, offering wealthy bathers deluxe amenities almost two decades before the opulent Maurice and Fordyce bathhouses would dominate Bathhouse Row. The red brick building was constructed by local banker and businessman Charles N. Rix and was of Moorish architectural style.

It featured keyhole windows and domed turrets that reflected the exotic Middle Eastern and Asian design influences preferred in the late Victorian Era. Extensively remodeled and expanded in 1912, the Imperial was the first bathhouse to offer patrons a gymnasium and private dressing rooms. Interior spaces were finished in tile and marble, with almost no exposed wood, and all furniture was made of white enameled steel, all to improve cleanliness and sanitation. Although financially successful, the building was torn down in 1937 to make way for the southern terminus of the Grand Promenade.

Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1893.

Location. 34° 30.717′ N,

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93° 3.189′ W. Marker is in Hot Springs, Arkansas, in Garland County. It is in Hot Springs National Park. It is on Reserve Street 0.1 miles east of Central Avenue. The marker is located at the south end of the Grand Promenade near the Noble Fountain. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 423 Reserve Street, Hot Springs National Park AR 71901, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Arkansas’ Ouachita Mountains.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Upper South.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

the Louisiana Purchase,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Buck Ewing (within shouting distance of this marker); Lamar Bathhouse (within shouting distance of this marker); U.S. Park Ranger James Alexander Cary (within shouting distance of this marker); Buckstaff Bathhouse

The Imperial Bathhouse Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by James Hulse, September 29, 2023

2. The Imperial Bathhouse Marker

(within shouting distance of this marker); An American Spa (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Lamar Bathhouse (within shouting distance of this marker); Bathhouse Row (within shouting distance of this marker); The Eastman Hotel (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hot Springs.

The Grand Promenade and the Imperial Bathhouse Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by James Hulse, September 29, 2023

3. The Grand Promenade and the Imperial Bathhouse Marker

Looking north along the Grand Promenade image. Click for full size.

Photographed by James Hulse, September 29, 2023

4. Looking north along the Grand Promenade

Credits. This page was last revised on December 20, 2023. It was originally submitted on October 13, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 666 times since then and 100 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 14, 2023, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.