Magic Springs

Magic Springs Theme and Water Park, located at 1701 East Grand Avenue off Highway 70 in the northeastern portion of Hot Springs (Garland County) about three miles from downtown, features a variety of attractions for both adults and children, including roller coasters, bumper cars, a log flume, splash pools, a wave simulator, children’s play areas, and a classic carousel. Annual attendance generally totals several hundred thousand visitors, including those who come for the park’s summer evening concert series in its Timberwood Amphitheater.

Magic Springs originally opened in 1978 as Magic Springs Family Fun Park by a group called Leisure and Recreation Concepts (LARC) in Dallas. Due to mounting debt, the park was sold in the mid-1980s to another business group, Nygem Company, with a controlling interest by Melvyn Bell of Little Rock (Pulaski County). Under continuing financial difficulties, Magic Springs closed in 1995 but was purchased at a foreclosure auction later that same year by Fitraco, a company based in Belgium. Fitraco, in turn, approached Themeparks LLC based in Kentucky. After remaining closed for several years Magic Springs was managed by Themeparks from 2000 to 2008.

Attendance at Magic Springs grew after the additions of Crystal Falls Water Park and the Timberwood Amphitheater. In 2008, Themeparks LLC sold Magic Springs and Crystal Falls to PARC Management based in Jacksonville, Florida. PARC managed Magic Springs until 2016, when it became the property of EPR Properties of Kansas City, Missouri. Under the banner of Premier Parks, LLC, Magic Springs is one of several dozen attractions nationwide.

Magic Springs is the only major combination amusement/water park in Arkansas. Rides for adults at Magic Springs include the Gauntlet, a suspended looping roller coaster that features a drop of more than one hundred feet. Passengers on the X-Coaster experience a vertical lift and inversion. Sky Shark is a 115-foot-tall roller coaster, the Diamond Mine Run is a smaller coaster, and Big Bad John is a mine-train ride.

Also for adults, the Hawk is a boom that rotates both clockwise and counter-clockwise as well as spinning riders more than seventy feet in the air. Brain Drain is a thirteen-story drop tower, and Plummet Summit involves a fifty-foot drop into a splashdown.

The Arkansas Twister, a wooden roller coaster, had been built in 1978 and was retired in 2025. After almost fifty years, park officials felt that it had reached the end of its serviceable life. Visitors are still able to see the previously popular attraction, however, and there is a placard placed near the entrance of the former ride stating: “The Arkansas Twister has been retired prior to the 2025 season. The coaster will remain in the park for the foreseeable future with no plans for removal, but it will be non-operational.”

Family attractions where children can ride with adults include the Rum Runner Pirate Ship, in which a pendulum in the style of a pirate ship swings back and forth, going higher with each swing. Old No. 2 Logging Company is a log flume that runs through rapids before dropping into a splash pool. Ozark Mountain Taxi Company is a track car ride, and the Razorback Roundup Bumper Cars feature is the park’s classic bumper cars attraction.

For small children, there is the Fearless Flyers ride, in which miniature airplanes can be controlled by riders to go up and down as the ride spins. Looney Ballooney involves hot air balloons that rise while the ride whirls, and the Bugga Booga Wheel is a miniature Ferris wheel. Kit ’n Kaboodle Express is a child-sized train ride, Krazy Kars is a junior teacups ride, Clown Around moves riders in a circle with up-and-down motions, and Li’l Leapin’ Lizards is a gentle freefall tower.

The Crystal Falls portion of Magic Springs is a water park that is included in general admission. Among its attractions are the Bear Cub Bend children’s play zone, Crystal Cove Wave Pool, and Crystal Lagoon, which consists of four tube slides, three body slides and an activity pool. The Grizzly Creek Splash Zone has a suspended bridge and three smaller water slides. High Sierra Slide Tower has four tube slides, and Rapid Falls Raceway boasts seven side-by-side racing slides. Kodiak Canyon Adventure River, Splash Island, and Boogie Blast, a wave simulator, are also part of Crystal Falls. Seven Falls Slide Tower features three body speed slides and four tube slides, including two tubing bowls that spin riders before ending in a splash pool.

On Saturday evenings during the summer at Magic Springs, entertainment is offered at the Timberwood Amphitheater. This concert venue can seat several thousand people, combining both reserved bench seats near the stage and a lawn seating area where guests can bring their own blankets and chairs. Concert-only tickets can be purchased online, granting entry to the park on performance days after 5:00 p.m.

For visitors planning a full day at Magic Springs, there are shaded cabanas for rent on a first-come basis. Group visits to Magic Springs are also available in discount admission packages for fifteen or more people. In addition, there are annual events at Magic Springs such as Education In Motion for school groups in which park activities are linked to classroom lesson plans. At Magic Screams in October, the park is transformed into a Halloween-themed setting.

Casual dining is available at Magic Springs, along with a full-service Mexican restaurant. Adults can relax in a beer garden.

The hours at Magic Springs vary according to the season and day of the week. The park is open daily in June and July. During April, May, August, September, and October, guests are welcome on weekends. Magic Springs is closed from November through March. The park is generally open from 10:00 a.m. on weekends and from 11:00 a.m. during the week, closing most days at 6:00 p.m. but may stay open on summer weekends until 8:00 p.m.

For additional information:
Magic Springs Theme and Water Park. https://magicsprings.com/ (accessed September 23, 2026).

“Magic Springs Theme and Water Park: #13 in Best Things To Do in Hot Springs, AR.” U.S. News & World Report. https://travel.usnews.com/Hot_Springs_AR/Things_To_Do/Magic_Springs_Theme_and_Water_Park_64685/ (accessed September 23, 2026).

“Your Guide to Magic Springs Theme & Water Park | Hot Springs, Arkansas.” Hot Springs National Park, July 2, 2025. https://hotsprings.org/blog/your-guide-to-magic-springs-theme-water-park/ (accessed September 23, 2026).

Nancy Hendricks
Garland County Historical Society