The best arts & culture spots in Hot Springs

“Whether you grew up hearing Hot Springs rumors or just love a good backstory, Gangster Museum of America delivers seven audiovisual galleries, a museum historian who sets the scene, and an antique casino you can try. Bootlegging, gambling, Capone-era intrigue... line up your hometown refresher this week.”

From the Hot Springs newsletter, September 7, 2026

“Retroverse Museum runs a guided, laugh-filled stroll through Star Wars, Marvel and 80s toy glory, complete with arcade warmup, blockbuster-size photo ops and a retro Polaroid to take home. It’s a legit memory-lane detour that also supports local charity work, so you get the feels and do some good.”

From the Hot Springs newsletter, August 28, 2026

“History of Hot Springs Gambling Museum lets you pull the handle on restored antique slot machines, with a bit of museum-provided house money, while you wander past memorabilia from the Vapors, Southern Club, Oaklawn Park, and more. It is part arcade, part time capsule, totally Spa City lore.”

From the Hot Springs newsletter, September 2, 2026

“Need a break from the usual? Josephine Tussaud Wax Museum, a Hot Springs mainstay since 1967, has 100+ lifelike celebrities and movie characters to stroll past, plus a tucked-away gambling museum complete with an escape tunnel the gangsters used when police raided the casino...”

From the Hot Springs newsletter, September 14, 2026