THE 1905 BASIN PARK HOTEL EARLY HISTORY

The choice location for the Basin Park Hotel was on the north side of Basin Circle Park, on Spring Street, in the downtown building district. It was built on the site of the Perry House, a four story hotel built in 1881.

Captain Joseph Perry built the hotel after moving to Eureka Springs because of poor health. He had several hotels, in different locations in the United States, prior to his arrival here.

The Perry House, which was lost in the fire of 1890, was considered a fine hotel. It was started in 1904 and completed in 1905, opening May 5th. A Grand Opening was held on July 1, 1905. William M. Duncan and his associates built The Perry House. They owned The Syndicate Company that owned and operated many businesses in town. The building, including furnishing, cost more than $50,000.

Like the Crescent Hotel and many other buildings in town, the limestone quarry near the town of Beaver provided the rock exterior of the hotel. There are several horizontal rows of red dolomite around this building.

Although very evident when built, it is quite easy to miss seeing the red dolomite now. In it original state, the Basin Park Hotel had 100 rooms, a cage elevator, electric lights, steam heat, and telephones in the rooms. It also had complete fire protection.

On the top floor of The Basin Park hotel sits a ballroom with a hardwood floor that was often referred to as "The Roof Garden." Dances with live bands were a regular event at the hotel. In 1948 the first “Barefoot Ball” was held there and became an annual event.

The inaugural ball was inspired by Ralph Edwards’ "Truth or Consequences" radio show. On June 6 of that year, newlyweds Mr. and Mrs. Howard Forehans of Santa Ana, California, were on the show. For their consequence they were awarded a two-week stay at the Basin Park Hotel… but, they were to be barefoot from the time they left California until they returned.

They were picked up in Siloam Springs by Joe Parkhill and brought to the Bridal Suite on the second floor of the hotel. These game show-winning good sports could be seen trekking barefoot up and down the streets of Eureka Springs sans shoes or socks so Mr. Parkhill decided to have a ball in their honor. The first ball was on June 26,1948, with a radio hook-up to the live radio show. The Forehans were also given the keys to the city… and hopefully a foot massage at the end of their visit.

The area from the lobby to the park, which is now a gift shop, was a very good restaurant for many years called the Basin Park Coffee Shop. The restaurant was moved back upstairs onto the second floor in the old "Ozark Room" when the hotel was sold and remodeled in the mid-1980's.

The Basin Park became a tour hotel and the restaurant did quite well with bus tours through a succession of owners and managers. The first year the restaurant opened simply for "a slice of pie" and shortly went to buffets for in-house tours only.

The restaurant was called "The Coach and Four" for four years, then it became "Ripley's."

The hotel was sold again in 1992 and the restaurant was renamed "The Balcony Bar & Restaurant" as it stands today offering a full bar, American cuisine food, live music and the best venue to overlook the hub of historic downtown Eureka Springs.

One thing that intrigues hotel guests is the fact that every floor of the Basin Park is “ground level.” This fact caught the attention of The Ripley Foundation causing it to grant the hotel “Believe It Or Not” status.

This “seven story, all ground level” condition is possible because the rear of the Basin Park Hotel is built right into the adjoining mountain. In addition to this being a fire safety feature, early guests enjoyed the bonus of going out through the rear doors on the different floors and explore the paths along the mountainside.

Eureka springs is a unique and quaint Victorian town of only 2,200 citizens nestled in the Ozark Mountains, just 45-minutes southwest of Branson, Missouri.