Whether you’re a nature lover, a history buff, a baseball fanatic, or just a lover of stamps, Hot Springs is your ultimate destination to level up your stamp collection! We’ve got five spots where you can snag stamps for your Arkansas State Parks, Historic Baseball Attractions, and National Park passport books during your visit.
Arkansas State Parks Passport
To start your stamping journey, pick up an Arkansas State Parks Passport at a state park Visitor Center, available for free! Also known as Club 52, the Arkansas State Parks Passport encourages visitors to explore the natural beauty of all 52 Arkansas State Parks. Start stamping and you can collect Club 52 rewards, from stickers to playing cards, and even a t-shirt if you visit every park!
To redeem rewards, passports can be presented at a park visitor center during business hours. Stickers and playing cards are available on the spot, while T-shirts are ordered and mailed.
While visiting Hot Springs you can check two state parks off your passport list for stamps, just a short drive from downtown Hot Springs - Lake Catherine State Park and Lake Ouachita State Park!
Lake Catherine State Park
Take a short, scenic drive from downtown Hot Springs and you'll find Lake Catherine State Park. Visit their Visitor Center, located at 1200 Catherine Park Road, to pick up their cancellation stamp for your Arkansas State Parks Passport book. Here you can find a cancellation ink stamp featuring the park's name and when they were established in 1935. Take a swim at their day use area, or hike the nearby Falls Branch Trail to see the Falls Creek Falls waterfall. Lake Catherine offers lakeside campsites as well as cabins overlooking the water for those looking to stay awhile after collecting stamps.
Lake Ouachita State Park
Lake Ouachita State Park boasts one of the cleanest and clearest lakes in the country! Stop by the Lake Ouachita State Park Visitor Center, located at 5451 Mountain Pine Road, to pick up more ink stamps for your Arkansas State Parks Passport book. Lake Ouachita offers a cancellation ink stamp featuring the park name and established in 1954. Stick around after stamping and explore the Caddo Bend or Dogwood Trails, book a cabin or campsite, or cast a line in beautiful, crystal clear Lake Ouachita.
Fordyce Bathhouse & Hot Springs National Park Visitor Center
The Fordyce Bathhouse, a preserved bathhouse turned museum on Bathhouse Row, serves as the visitor center for Hot Springs National Park. In addition the the Junior Ranger Program, and the BARK Ranger Program, the Fordyce also offers several stamps for your passport. You can find their passport station on the front porch of the Fordyce or directly inside next to the front desk. The Fordyce offers a cancellation stamp featuring the park name and date, a Fordyce stamp featuring a bathtub, and a stamp depicting the Fordyce Bathhouse and it's beautiful architecture. The Fordyce is open daily from 9AM - 5PM. Find more information here.
Lamar Bathhouse
Once an operaitng bathhouse, the Lamar Bathouse is now your go to spot for all things Hot Springs National Park souvenirs. Not only can you shop at the Lamar, you can also add several stamps to your National Park Passport! The Lamar offers a different set of stamps from those found at the Fordyce Bathhouse for your cancellation books, including the park and date stamp, the bath tub stamp, and the America 250 stamp. You can also find the sticker for your passport book (like this one here) in the Lamar's gift shop. The Lamar is open daily from 9AM - 5PM.
Hot Springs Visitor Center
For those looking for the Hot Springs stamp as well as the Baseball Attractions Passport Stamp, stop by the Hot Springs Visitor Center! Located at 629 Central Avenue in downtown Hot Springs, the Visitor Center offers two versions of the Hot Springs stamp as well as the Baseball Attractions Stamp to honor Hot Springs' history as the Birthplace of Major League Spring Training. Need a Baseball Attractions Passport? Find them here!
Start your stamp collecting adventure today! Plan your visit to Hot Springs, Arkansas to visit these 5 Stamp Spots.
