Are There Tours of Underground Eureka Springs?
In short, no–not like there used to be. The tunnels beneath the city are no longer tour-worthy, but the Hidden Eureka Walking Tour keeps the underground alive with stories, and a few peeks into the city beneath the city. They tell stories of the early days of Eureka Springs, when the underground was full of debauchery, bars and outlaws.
How Did the Underground Come to Be?
In 1879, when news of healing spring water caused a town to quickly “spring up”, the original downtown was built 15 feet lower than the downtown we see today. Flooding and sewage issues prompted one of the town’s early engineers to devise a plan to raise the street level, where needed. Many shopkeepers abandoned their problematic shops to the underground and built up–on a much drier elevation of town.
Can Visitors Get Into the Underground?
Yes! There are a handful of businesses that are still operational (and dry!) down in the original underground level of town. The Hidden Eureka Tour points guests towards three underground locations where curious visitors can “sample some underground vibe”.
Mud Street Cafe. This brunchy cafe has two levels, the upper street level has a huge glass block in the floor that lets you peer into the underground. The groovy downstairs cafe sits in the original underground.
Missy’s White Rabbit Lounge. This moody, intimate lounge has a bit of exposed tunnel section down in their tavern–go have a bev and a look-see!
The Quarter. This underground speakeasy below the New Orleans Hotel is full of infamous history. The food is good, the late-night vibe is even better.
The Hidden Eureka tour guides are top-notch and will point you towards some groovy underground spots, but one of their favorite quotes is this:
“The best part of Eureka Springs is absolutely above ground!”
You can catch glimpses of the underground all along The Tour.