Eureka Springs Walking Tour: Exploring Historic Underground Systems
4.8
149 Ratings
Eureka Springs
Discover the hidden history of Downtown Eureka Springs on a walking tour that explores the fascinating underground systems. Uncover the secrets of caves, cliffs, and the creek that runs beneath the town, and visit an exclusive underground storefront. Perfect for all ages!
Duration: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Eureka Springs Historical Downtown - Discover the Behind the Scenes Secrets of Eureka Springs! Our underground Eureka Springs Tour will deliver a unique and entertaining view into the history and folklore of the most fascinating city in Arkansas. Dig deep into the origins of the magic healing waters and the sacred Indian springs. Learn about constructing the unique civil engineering miracle and the boomtown that defined us towards the end of the 19th Century.

You will learn about many of the colorful characters that passed through Eureka Springs, including the famous temperance campaigner Carrie Nation, good and bad doctors like Alva Jackson and Norman Baker, the Starr gang bank robbers, and so on much more.

Wear good walking shoes as you travel up and down through history, exploring all the quirky and creative nooks that make Eureka Springs so charming. This is your chance to see Eureka Springs in a way that even local residents haven’t noticed and your only opportunity to explore underground at the famous bathhouse.

What's Included
  • A researched historical tour focusing on Downtown’s cultural and geographical heritage
What's Not Included
  • Bottled water
  • Sunscreen & Hat for Sun Protection
  • Good walking shoes
  • Gratuities for Local guide
Additional Information

The excursion provides an opportunity to discover the past of Downtown Eureka Springs - beginning prior to the establishment of the city, the individuals who contributed to its historical significance, and the exceptional topography of three subterranean structures - caverns and cliffs, the reconstruction of Mud Street, and the stream that flows beneath it all.

Strolling through the amusement and retail zone, you can experience the aura of the past, appreciate the present art district, and uncover hidden gems dispersed all around. Narrated in anecdotes and small scenes throughout the journey, the trip is a delight for people of all age groups.

You’ll also explore a preserved underground shop that was enclosed during the creation of the Underground. This unique site is exclusively accessible to participants of our tour. While this is not an adventurous exploration trip, the tour provides a detailed understanding of the underground structures, although only the subterranean shop is part of the actual visit.

Location
Basin Spring Park
Spring Street
Meet at the base of the stairs by the Pretzel Shop in Basin Spring Park.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.8
(149 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
N9989hqvictoriam
May 14, 2024
We love Linda !!!! - I absolutely recommend going on this tour if you’re visiting Eureka! Especially if you can have Linda as your guide! She was so informative and clearly passionate about the area. Learning that she wasn’t from the area at all and just ended up in Eureka makes so much sense to me after visiting this special town! I only wish we had gone on this tour earlier on in our stay because Linda pointed out so many places down town we wished we had more time to check out!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Goplaces13859418384
May 10, 2024
Kudos for Megan, Eurekas Springs' "guide extraordinaire"! - Megan was our extraordinary guide for Downtown Eureka Springs and did an excellent job! I was not looking forward to the tour that was arranged by my hostess. I don't like guided tours, downtowns, and especially not towns in the mountains. Boy, would I have ever missed out had I not gone! Megan made it informative and entertaining. She has a great sense of humor, comedic timing, and seemed genuinely affectionate about and interested in her town and her entourage. Kudos!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sylvia_c
May 9, 2024
Don’t miss it! - All the stories! Linda was very knowledgeable and delightful! Gave us a whole new appreciation of the town
Review provided by Viator
Scottierae
May 3, 2024
Wow! We learned so much - We had such great experiences with our Guide Linda. We learned so much about the town and are amazed at the history here. This tour was so worth it and gave us a whole new perspective of this quaint town.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
394shanal
Apr 19, 2024
Worth it! - My husband and I went on the Downtown N Underground tour in Eureka Springs on a whim while staying ina nearby town. The tour gave us a much better understanding of the town in a way we wouldn't have gotten had we just walked around. There were 2 events happening over the weekend as well so there were a lot more people in town than usual. The tour gave us an opportunity to find out more about some local stores and restaurants that we visited afterwards.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
883juliennee
Apr 19, 2024
Linda is great! - Linda was a lot of fun and had great stories. Answered all of our questions and let me go for a bathroom break. The tour is rather hilly so for people with difficulty walking may want to avoid this. Eureka Springs is a very cute and interesting town with a rich history.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stephaniemf8643fs
Apr 19, 2024
A fun tour - My husband and I had a great time on this tour. Linda was our guide and she was great. We learned some cool details about ES’s history.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Arieanab2024
Apr 12, 2024
It was awesome!!! - Linda was my tour guide! She was an amazing tour guide was very sweet/funny. And just a lot of fun! Such an amazing experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Francine_b
Apr 10, 2024
Interesting, insightful, and invigorating! - What a wonderful tour! Megan was a wonderful guide and gave us a really rich history of the town and a great sense of the mood of Eureka Springs. We really developed a deep appreciation for the community and decided to stay an extra day.
Review provided by Viator
Sarah
Mar 19, 2024
A Lovely Spring Stroll🌷 - We enjoyed learning about some of the history of Eureka Springs. Spring is in the air this time of year, so it was nice to see flowering trees and tulips in full bloom. The pace was perfect, and between this tour and our hike at Lake Leatherwood, we walked about five miles in a day, which is good because we’ve also been enjoying lots of tasty treats from local restaurants.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Select Date and Tickets
up to 10 guests
1 Adult
June 2024
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Today