Stevens Balustrade and Thermal Fountains

Stevens Balustrade is the formal stone staircase from Bathhouse Row to the Grand Promenade, a half-mile path behind the bathhouses. Its wall holds the Shell Fountain, a shell-shaped spout set inside a stone arch. The paired hexagonal Fordyce fountains stand nearby at the former grand entrance between Fordyce and Maurice, but they are separate fountains. This is a quick architectural stop and a direct way up to the Promenade if you’re comfortable with stairs.

The Shell Fountain is a public bottle-filling station. Hot Springs’ thermal spring water is free at the park’s jug fountains, and this spring averages 143°F at its source. The number gives you a sense of the heat behind the water people come here to see and use.

The balustrade honors Captain Robert R. Stevens, a U.S. Army engineer associated with park improvements in the 1890s. The Grand Promenade was planned as a quieter pedestrian link behind Bathhouse Row. It received Public Works Administration funding in 1933, and grading was finished in 1935 after debate over whether the space should carry traffic or remain a walkway.

The staircase is one of the Promenade’s entry points. A separate access ramp behind Fordyce is another way to reach the path. For a photo, frame the shell spout in its arch with the stair rail rising beside it; that shows both the fountain and the structure it belongs to. The Promenade continues as its own half-mile walk, so treat the balustrade as an entrance and a short stop rather than the whole route.