The Crescent Hotel & Spa, Eureka Springs

The Crescent Hotel & Spa stands on a bluff at 75 Prospect Avenue in Eureka Springs, a Victorian resort town in the Ozark Mountains of northwest Arkansas. Built in 1886 by Missouri and North Arkansas Railroad investors, it operated as a premier resort before passing through several phases — including a controversial period in the 1930s when Norman Baker converted the building into a fraudulent cancer hospital. That history, thoroughly documented in the hotel's on-site museum, feeds a thriving paranormal reputation: the Crescent is regularly cited among the most extensively documented haunted hotels in the United States.

The property's Queen Anne-style exterior and period public spaces are preserved with care. Guest rooms span Classic and Deluxe configurations, Suites, and a Governor's Suite, each decorated to reference the building's Victorian origins while providing contemporary comfort. Views from upper floors and the wraparound veranda take in the wooded Ozark ridgeline.

Crystal Dining Room serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a high-ceilinged historic setting; the New Moon Spa offers massages, facials, and body treatments. An outdoor pool is open in warm months. The hotel runs nightly ghost tours — the most popular organized activity on the property — as well as afternoon tea and historic walking tours.

Eureka Springs' car-free historic downtown and Basin Park are a short drive downhill; the extensive carriage trail network begins near the property. The Crescent draws a broad mix: honeymooners, paranormal enthusiasts, history travelers, and spa visitors. The town's concentration of Victorian architecture, independent galleries, and live music venues makes multi-day stays practical.