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All the United States Arkansas

The Atlas Obscura Guide To Arkansas

81 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Arkansas

Updated March 26, 2025

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Cities

Top Cities
Eureka Springs
Hot Springs
Wall of Big Mouth Billy Bass
Little Rock
Prospectors dig for diamonds
Murfreesboro
Inside Mammoth Spring Frisco Depot
Mammoth Spring
Daisy Airgun Museum
Rogers
All Cities
  1. Earle
  2. Eureka Springs
  3. Gurdon
  4. Hot Springs
  5. Little Rock
  6. Mammoth Spring
  7. Murfreesboro
  8. Rogers
  9. Walnut Ridge
Attractions
Food & Drink
Map
Leaderboards
Stories

Unusual Attractions in Arkansas

Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Thorncrown Chapel

This futuristically sylvan church is a glass-enclosed marvel of modern architecture.
Prospectors dig for diamonds

Murfreesboro, Arkansas

Crater of Diamonds State Park

The only diamond mine in the world where you can keep what you find.

Gurdon, Arkansas

The Gurdon Light

A mysterious light floating in the trees of Arkansas may be a piezoelectric effect.
Rush Ghost Town

Yellville, Arkansas

Rush Ghost Town

The final remnant of the Arkansas zinc industry is this historically protected ghost town.
Room at the Crescent Hotel

Eureka Springs, Arkansas

The 1886 Crescent Hotel and Spa

This haunted hotel built on natural springs once served as a hospital for a quack doctor promising a cure for cancer.
Jones’ Bar-B-Q Diner

Marianna, Arkansas

Jones Bar-B-Q Diner

One of the most acclaimed eateries in Arkansas is a two-table diner on the ground floor of a family home.

Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Quigley's Castle

The Ozarks' strangest dwelling.
9-25-20. Pretty neat place. $6 for adults

Eureka Springs, Arkansas

Pivot Rock Park

This century-old roadside attraction is full of bizarre rock formations.
See All 81 Things To Do in Arkansas

Cool Places to Eat & Drink in Arkansas

Jones’ Bar-B-Q Diner

Marianna, Arkansas

Jones Bar-B-Q Diner

One of the most acclaimed eateries in Arkansas is a two-table diner on the ground floor of a family home.
Little Rock’s legendary White Water Tavern.

Little Rock, Arkansas

White Water Tavern

This Little Rock legend has survived decades of rowdy crowds, three fires, and a zombie wedding.
A live, natural spring is the centerpiece of the restaurant’s dining room.

Eureka Springs, Arkansas

The Grotto Wood-Fire Grill

This restaurant serves wood-fired fare served in a natural cave with a live spring.

Hot Springs, Arkansas

Hot Springs Beer

This Arkansas town is known for its gangster history, its healing waters, and now its brews.
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Unforgettable Experiences Nearby

Atlas Obscura Itineraries

Black Apples and 6 Other Southern Specialties Thriving in Arkansas

Climate, globalization, trends, employment rates, lobbying—it all influences what we eat. As time marches ever-onward, recipes are forgotten, traditions fade into quiet obscurity, and institutions are abandoned. But some entities that seem slated for cultural demolition are kept alive in Arkansas. From brewing beer using the spring water of a once-infamous bathhouse to serving historic Appalachian home-cooking hot off of diner skillets, these seven Arkansan spots savor and celebrate relics of regional heritage.

View Itinerary

Explore Arkansas

History 9
Natural Wonders 8
Geology 7
History & Culture 7
Hiking 6
Museums 6
Spring 5
Water 5
Rocks 4
Bridges 4
Statues 4
Music 4
Places To Stay 4
Unique Restaurants & Bars 2

Arkansas Leaderboard

Places Added

  1. showmestateofmind
    11
  2. nbj914
    9
  3. jusTodd
    9
  4. seh256
    3
  5. Virginia Brown
    3
Join the Ranks!
Add an unusual place to Arkansas.

Places Edited

  1. Collector of Experiences
    16
  2. nbj914
    10
  3. SemiruralYeti
    10
  4. showmestateofmind
    9
  5. Jason Michael Walker
    8

Places Visited

  1. melobregon
    47
  2. Erik
    42
  3. hubbjm
    37
  4. S3th
    35
  5. sidneytownsendsr
    34

Recent Arkansas Activity

  • lauragorecki1

    has been to Thermal Spring Cascades

  • kaylenestewart

    wants to go to Avant Mining at Fisher Mountain

  • kaylenestewart

    wants to go to Coleman Mine

  • kaylenestewart

    wants to go to Thermal Spring Cascades

  • kaylenestewart

    wants to go to Crater of Diamonds State Park

Stories About Arkansas

Atlas Obscura’s Ecliptic Festival experienced good luck in the form of phenomenal, clear skies.

A Perfect Eclipse Takes Center Stage at Atlas Obscura’s Ecliptic Festival

Our Hot Springs eclipse hub transformed into a magical celebration of music, art, science, and the cosmos. See for yourself.
by Danielle Hallock
April 10, 2024
Wonder is coming (return engagement) on April 8, 2024.

Embrace the Looming Shadow of Atlas Obscura's Ecliptic Festival

Learning more about the upcoming April astronomical extravaganza with organizer Megan Roberts.
by Atlas Obscura
January 16, 2024
4 Days of Music, Science, Art, and Wonder

Initial Lineup Announced for Atlas Obscura's Ecliptic Festival!

Join us for 4 days of music, science, art, and wonder in celebration of the 2024 eclipse at Valley of the Vapors!
by Atlas Obscura
December 13, 2023
Tastee Freeze in Trumann Hightower.

The All-American Dairy Bar Still Thrives in Arkansas

The inspiration for Dairy Queen lives on in mom-and-pops across the state.
by Diana Hubbell
March 24, 2022
A “sea devil” from Icones animalium (1553).

Where to Find the World's Best Hometown Monsters

Here are 25 places to see yetis, sea monsters, Sasquatch, and other cryptids.
by Molly McBride Jacobson
February 24, 2017

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