Hilltop Manor Bed and Breakfast in Hot Springs has an intriguing history. In the 1920s, 30s, and 40s, Hot Springs, AR headed one of the most prominent illegal gambling rackets in the country. The draw was a hot thermal bath, attractive, affordable ladies of the night, bootleg whiskey, and 103 gambling establishments along Central Avenue, Park Avenue and Lake Hamilton.
Hilltop Manor Bed and Breakfast is a historic craftsman manor perched on a hill outside Hot Springs, on the edge of Hot Springs National Park. Al Capone and his gangster friends found sanctuary and socialized at parties hosted by Mose Klyman, owner of the original craftsman home that later became known as Hilltop Manor Bed and Breakfast.
The five-acre Hilltop Manor estate, constructed in 1910 by Klyman, is two and a half miles from Bathhouse Row, delectable restaurants, charming antique shops, and my favorite place, the Famous Gangster Museum of America in Hot Springs.
Mose frequented many card games at the Arkansas Cigar Store gambling room in Hot Springs where he purchased a seat at the table for $6. He was a bachelor who designed Hilltop Manor as a gentlemen’s home, then later married Billie Leonard.
The couple purchased the chandelier and sconces in the dining room while on their extravagant honeymoon to Asia. The lighting was installed with gas and later converted to electricity in about 1926. Five working stone fireplaces kept the manor warm before the introduction of electricity.
While strolling the property, I found a historic stone spring house, antique farm tools, including a horse trough, pit, remnants of a retail shop, and stairs from the original farmhouse.
The barn may have been Jesse James and his gang’s hideout after their first stagecoach robbery near Hot Springs on January 15, 1874. Jesse sought healing at the mineral baths in Hot Springs for old Civil War wounds to his leg and chest. A gold watch from one of the stagecoach passengers was found in Jesse’s stash after he died.
The Magnolia Suite
Magnolia Suite at Hilltop Manor near Hot Springs, AR. Photo Credit Janie Pace
My main-level Magnolia Suite featured a comfy queen bed with fluffy pillows and luxurious linens. The walk-in shower with a rainfall head and a handheld wand offered a relaxing experience after an adventure-filled day in Hot Springs.
I loved the robe and convenient at-home amenities, including complimentary Wi-Fi, a large flat-screen TV, a DVD player and a radio/alarm clock with a CD player. This room is also handicap accessible.
Three Deluxe Suites Include a Relaxing Fireplace and Jacuzzi Tub
Hilltop Manor was restored entirely in 2005, keeping the original hardwood floors while adding continued improvements.
Three deluxe suites (Oak, Spruce, and Sycamore) include a relaxing fireplace, a two-person Jacuzzi tub, a mini-fridge and a microwave.
The romantic Rose suite is perfect for a birthday or anniversary celebration. Enjoy this brightly lit room with its many windows, white wicker furniture and individual Jacuzzi tub.
All rooms include a gourmet two-course breakfast served in your private suite, the historic dining room or the expansive front porch overlooking a rock waterfall and garden.
The mini-kitchen upstairs features water and snacks. I frequented the convenient gourmet coffee station and the water bottle refill on the main floor many times.
Things To Do in Hot Springs
Bathhouse Row in Downtown Hot Springs. Photo Credit Visit Hot Springs
Take a soak at one of eight bathhouses along Bathhouse Row, including historic ones dating back to the 1800s. Buckstaff Bathhouse is the only continuously operating bathhouse since 1912, featuring traditional thermal mineral baths, Swedish massages, tub soaks, hot packs, sitz baths, vapor cabinets and needle showers using therapeutic hot spring waters.
The Historic Spanish Colonial Revival Quapaw Baths and Spa features large-capacity public hot water pools, fountains and whirlpools, a steam cave, semi-private tub area and a day spa with massage and beauty treatments. A catering kitchen and reception room are available for private gatherings.
Fordyce Bathhouse is the Visitor Center for the National Park and houses a fascinating museum exhibit. After taking the self-guided tour, I watched the interesting orientation film and browsed the bookstore.
Tour the city’s fascinating criminal history at the Gangster Museum of America. Exhibits highlight the lives of famous villains like Al Capone, Frank Costello and Lucky Luciano, as well as offering displays about bootlegging and illegal gambling.
Hot Springs National Park, the smallest and oldest park in the National Park system, was established in 1832, 40 years before Yellowstone, as the first federally protected area in the nation. The park protects 47 naturally flowing thermal springs on Hot Springs Mountain.
Anthony Chapel, part of the 210-acre Garvan Woodland Gardens, features an open beam structure and grand pine columns, which gave me the impression of being nestled in a wooded landscape surrounded by giant oaks and pines. The floor-to-ceiling walls reveal the impressive gardens surrounding the chapel, perfect for weddings, memorials, concerts and other ceremonies.
The Mountain Valley Spring Water Visitor Center and Museum leads you to explore a modern bottling plant dating back to 1871, with a history closely tied to the area.
The Hot Springs Mountain Tower offers a majestic view of the town and surrounding area. The elevator is handy if you need it to get to the top.
Stroll the Hot Springs National Park Grand Promenade parallel to Bathhouse Row, where you can see Arlington Lawn, tufa cliffs and the hot springs fountain as it spills down from the mountain.
If you’re into it, you can see live thoroughbred horse racing and gaming at Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort.
The Diamond Lakes of Catherine, DeGray, Greeson, Hamilton and Ouachita offer outdoor activities such as fishing, camping, water sports, kayaking, horseback riding, hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, golf and digging for quartz crystals.
The newly renovated Arlington Resort Hotel & Spa will celebrate its 100th Anniversary in 2025. My husband and I stayed here during our first visit to Hot Springs years ago.
Where To Eat in Hot Springs
Pancake Shop Breakfast in Hot Springs, AR. Photo Credit Eva Simpson
Superior Bathhouse Brewery and Distillery is the only brewery in a U.S. National Park and the only one worldwide to use thermal spring water as its main ingredient. Order burgers, nachos, chicken tenders, and salads, and fill your growler with seasonal beer to-go.
J & S Italian Villa offers fine dining in a fun and trendy atmosphere. Its seasonal menus are crafted by two Michelin-starred chefs, Sascia Marchesi and Wil Wright.
Fourth-generation Scott McClard manages McClard’s BAR-B-Q, a true local favorite.
Origami Sake is a 22,000-square-foot brewery just outside town and one of the largest domestically owned sake breweries in the United States.
Collective Coffee + Tea offers 54 varieties of teas and a delicious menu of sandwiches, salads and soups.
The oldest bar in Arkansas, the Ohio Club, offers a massive charcuterie board with meats, cheeses and olives. Bugsy Segal, Al Capone and Lucky Luciano hung out here in the early 1900s. Sit with Al Capone outside the club for a selfie.
Fisherman’s Wharf Steak & Seafood is a locally owned family seafood restaurant on beautiful Lake Hamilton. It offers indoor and outdoor seating and vegetarian-friendly and gluten-free options.
SQZBX Brewery & Pizza houses the state’s only solar-powered radio station.
The Pancake Shop has been the most popular spot for breakfast since 1940. It features enormous plates of buttermilk or buckwheat pancakes with blueberries or without. The restaurant’s menu is a literal taste of Hot Springs history.
Valley of the Vapors
In a “Saturday Evening Post” from 1964, John Skow’s article said: “Civic virtue is not the first thing that leaps to mind at the mention of Hot Springs, Arkansas, a sedately sinful little resort town in the Ouachita Mountains.”
Gambling ended in America’s first resort in 1967 when Governor Winthrop Rockefeller ordered Arkansas State Police to crack down on the activity in the spa city.
This city in the Valley of the Vapors lives on as millions of tourists come each year to stroll Bathhouse Row and the Promenade. They walk in the footsteps of the notorious, rich and famous and take healing thermal baths in the therapeutic hot springs’ waters.
