Everything Worth Doing Within an Hour
Top-rated restaurants, zipline adventures, the Passion Play, ghost tours, world-class golf, Silver Dollar City, and Branson shows — all within easy reach.
Dining in Eureka Springs, AR
Eureka Springs punches far above its size when it comes to food. Chefs from across the country have settled in this quirky Victorian mountain town, making it one of the best dining destinations in the entire South. These are the spots consistently at the top of every list.
Grotto Wood-Fired Grill & Wine Cave
Set inside a historic building with a genuine cave spring running through it, the Grotto is the most celebrated dinner in the Ozarks. Chef Slane’s wood-fired steaks, cedar plank salmon, and honeysuckle crème brûlée earn rave reviews consistently. Make a reservation — it books up fast, especially on weekends.
Ermilio’s Italian Home Cooking
A beloved Eureka Springs institution on White Street. Handmade pasta, slow-built sauces, and daily specials that actually change. The dining room is first-come, first-served — arrive early. Casual, warm, and deeply satisfying.
Local Flavor Café
Top-rated on Yelp and a consistent local favorite. The eclectic menu pulls from Southwest, French, Italian, and American traditions — all fresh ingredients, art-filled space, and a relaxed pace perfect for a long group lunch before exploring downtown.
Mud Street Café
Tucked into an exposed-brick basement space on Main Street, Mud Street is the definitive Eureka Springs breakfast stop. Regulars swear by the Bloody Marys. Creative menu, generous portions, and often live acoustic music on weekend mornings.
Stone House Wine Bar
One of the finest evening spots in Eureka Springs — excellent wine list, intimate historic stone setting, and consistently top-rated for a nice dinner. Perfect starting point before a night exploring downtown or the ghost tour circuit.
McGarity’s Restaurant & Irish Pub
A lively, welcoming pub in the heart of downtown with live music, solid food, and a genuinely fun bar scene. A great choice if your group wants a casual evening with drinks and entertainment all in one place.
Le Stick Nouveau
Eureka Springs’ most refined dining experience. A chef-driven, multi-course tasting menu that changes seasonally. Open Friday through Sunday evenings only — limited seats, so book far ahead. Worth every dollar for a memorable group dinner.
Chelsea’s Corner Café & Bar
A beloved Eureka Springs gathering spot with vibrant live music, creative American dishes, and an outdoor patio that’s one of the best people-watching perches in historic downtown. Great for a casual group dinner before exploring the evening scene.
💡 Tip: Two excellent wineries sit just minutes from downtown — Keels Creek Winery and Railroad Winery — both worth an afternoon tasting stop.
Ghost Tours & Live Drama in Eureka Springs
Eureka Springs has two experiences that exist nowhere else within hours of here — both of them genuinely unforgettable. One is the most haunted hotel in America. The other is the most-attended outdoor drama in the entire country.
1886 Crescent Hotel Ghost Tour
Perched high above Eureka Springs on Crescent Mountain, the 1886 Crescent Hotel has earned the title of America’s Most Haunted Hotel — and the nightly ghost tour is one of the most talked-about experiences in the entire Ozarks region. The hotel’s dark chapter came in the late 1930s when Norman Baker, a charlatan from Iowa, operated it as a fraudulent cancer hospital. Guests paid for supposed cures that never existed, and the hotel became a place of suffering and death.
The ghost tour takes you through the historic halls, the infamous morgue (complete with the original autopsy table), and the walk-in cooler where Baker stored cadavers — all open for public viewing. Guests report footsteps, shadows, and voices in the most active rooms — 202, 218, and 419. Whether you’re a true believer or a cheerful skeptic, the history alone is extraordinary. Book tickets in advance — tours fill up fast, especially on weekends.
The Great Passion Play
According to the Institute of Outdoor Drama, The Great Passion Play is the number one attended outdoor drama in all of America — and it’s been performing since 1968 right here in Eureka Springs. The play reenacts the last week of Jesus Christ’s life on a 550-foot-wide, multilevel outdoor stage seating 4,000 guests, with a cast of 150 Biblical-costumed actors, live animals, camels, a chariot caravan, immersive surround sound, and spectacular lighting effects.
Performances run from Good Friday through early November on select nights. The same grounds include the Christ of the Ozarks statue (67 feet tall, free to visit), a Holy Land walking tour, a Bible Museum, the Sacred Arts Museum, and Noah’s Ark Park petting zoo. Even if the show doesn’t align with your visit dates, the grounds are worth exploring on their own. A truly unique experience — there’s nothing else like it in the region.
💡 Tip: Pair the Passion Play with a sunset dinner at Grotto or Stone House for a perfect Eureka Springs evening. The Crescent Hotel ghost tour runs nightly — no need to plan around a specific show schedule.
Eureka Springs Zipline
For a true bird’s-eye view of the Ozark Mountains, the Eureka Springs Zipline delivers an experience that’s hard to match anywhere in the region — and the Sky Deck alone is worth the drive even before you clip in.
Eureka Springs Zipline
Claiming to be the largest zipline in the Midwest with 11 cables, Eureka Springs Zipline launches guests from a stunning 1,600 sq ft Sky Deck — 30 feet in the air above a 40-acre scenic gorge, with views across the Ozark Mountains that guests consistently call one of the most beautiful spots in all of Arkansas.
The Premium Course takes you through all 11 cables ranging from 400 to 2,000 feet long and up to 250 feet high. Two highly trained certified guides lead every tour from start to finish. Beer, wine, and snacks are available on the Sky Deck — which is open to all guests and spectators whether they’re zipping or not, making it a perfect sunset stop even for those in the group who prefer to stay grounded.
Groups of 10 or more receive a 10% discount. The Ultimate Course (3 cables) is a great introduction for first-timers or younger guests. Located off Highway 23, just minutes from downtown Eureka Springs.
💡 Tip: The Sky Deck is one of the best sunset viewing spots in Eureka Springs — you don’t have to zipline to enjoy it. Book the zipline tour in the late afternoon and time it to catch the sunset from the deck afterward.
Silver Dollar City
One of America’s most acclaimed theme parks — world-class roller coasters, a National Natural Landmark cave, live bluegrass festivals, and 1880s frontier charm all in one setting perched above Table Rock Lake.
Time Traveler, Outlaw Run & Thunderation
Time Traveler is the world’s fastest, tallest, and longest spinning roller coaster. Outlaw Run is a nationally acclaimed record-breaking wooden coaster. And 2026 is the final year to ride Thunderation — a legendary mine train that has carried over 27 million riders since 1993. It retires January 2027, making this your last chance.
Bluegrass & BBQ Festival
Running May 7 through May 25 on select days — named Event of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association. Multiple stages fill with nationally recognized bluegrass acts including Rhonda Vincent & The Rage. All included with regular park admission.
Marvel Cave
The cave that started it all — Silver Dollar City was built above Marvel Cave, known to the Osage Indians in the 16th century. The Cathedral Room alone, 200 feet tall, is breathtaking. Guided tours descend into spectacular chambers and are included with every park admission.
💡 Tip: Silver Dollar City is closed January and February. Buy tickets online in advance to skip the gate lines. Spring and fall are significantly less crowded than peak summer.
Golf Courses — Close & World-Class
You have two excellent local courses within 20 minutes for a quick, affordable round — and some of the most acclaimed golf in the entire Midwest about an hour away in Branson, designed by Jack Nicklaus, Tom Fazio, Tiger Woods, and more.
Cassville Golf Club
The closest full-size course to the lakehouse and a genuine hidden gem. The 18-hole, par-72 layout plays 6,604 yards from the tips with a course rating of 71.3 and slope of 118 on Bermuda fairways and Bent grass greens. The course has a loyal local following of 200 members and draws 17,000 annual rounds — a testament to how playable and enjoyable it is.
Sharp doglegs, mature trees, water, and sand traps mean you’ll use every club in the bag. Signature hole is #11, a 125-yard par 3 to a peninsula green. Full driving range, putting green, rental clubs, and snack bar on site. The most affordable and convenient round near the lakehouse.
Holiday Island Country Club
Sitting on the crest of the Ozark Mountains just five miles from Eureka Springs and right on the Arkansas-Missouri border, Holiday Island Country Club has been named to Golf Advisor’s list of Top Courses in Arkansas. The 18-hole championship course rides the ridgeline with narrow, tree-lined fairways and panoramic views that are genuinely stunning — some of the best scenery you’ll find on any course in the region.
Laid out in 1970 by John Allen, the course plays 5,083 to 6,059 yards across three sets of tees. A unique feature: the driving range sits partway down the mountain — you hit balls from matted platforms with the shots arcing majestically downhill before landing on the hillside below. The 9-hole executive course (par 30, 1,832 yards) sits right on the lake with bluff views and is perfect for a quick round or beginners. Clubhouse Grill & Lounge serves food and drinks after your round.
Top of the Rock Golf Course
Perched above Table Rock Lake at Big Cedar Lodge — the only par-3 course ever used by the PGA Tour for a championship event. Nine spectacular holes carved into limestone ridges. Also features an Arnold Palmer practice facility and Tom Watson’s “Himalayas” putting complex. A bucket-list round.
Buffalo Ridge Springs Course
Rated the #1 Public Course in Missouri by Golf Magazine. Tom Fazio’s redesign features free-ranging North American bison, dramatic elevation changes, native grasses, and stunning rock formations. Home of the PGA Champions Tour Big Cedar Lodge Legends of Golf Tournament.
Payne’s Valley Golf Course
The first public-access golf course designed by Tiger Woods, honoring Ozarks-native Payne Stewart. Carved through 300-million-year-old limestone formations revealed by painstaking excavation. One of the most dramatic and unique rounds you’ll ever play.
Branson Hills Golf Club
Voted #1 in Missouri by GolfWeek multiple years running. Designed by Chuck Smith with Bobby Clampett, this 18-hole public course has five tee positions from 3,300 to 7,400 yards. Natural rock outcroppings, creeks, and waterfalls make every hole memorable. Full-service clubhouse with restaurant.
💡 Tip: Holiday Island Country Club is an especially smart choice for a casual round before or after a day in Eureka Springs — it’s right on the way. Cassville Golf Club is the easiest local option when you just want to get out for 18 without the drive.
Outdoor Parks & Natural Attractions
This part of the Ozarks is stacked with state parks, nature preserves, caves, canyons, wildlife refuges, and scenic trails. These are the ones that generate the most repeat visits.
Dogwood Canyon Nature Park
One of the Ozarks’ most spectacular nature preserves — waterfalls, crystal-clear trout streams, forested canyon trails, and a 2-hour guided tram tour that takes you through wildlife and scenery you’ll find nowhere else. Catch-and-release trout fishing in Little Indian Creek is a highlight. A full-day destination.
Roaring River State Park
One of Missouri’s most treasured state parks, just 15 minutes from the lakehouse. A natural spring feeds Roaring River, creating one of the best trout fishing environments in the Midwest. Walk-through hatchery, stunning trails, and a cave spring make this a full-day destination.
Top of the Rock Lost Canyon Cave
A 2.5-mile golf cart journey through four-story-tall caves, past waterfalls, and across bridges with sweeping Table Rock Lake views. A completely unique experience — memorable even for people who don’t play golf. The Osage Restaurant at the summit is spectacular.
Thorncrown Chapel
One of the most beautiful pieces of architecture in America — a stunning glass-and-wood chapel hidden in the forest near Eureka Springs, designed by E. Fay Jones and recognized by the American Institute of Architects as the fourth greatest building of the 20th century. Free to visit and unlike anything else in the region.
Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge
A highly regarded big cat rescue near Eureka Springs — lions, tigers, leopards, cougars, and bears rescued from difficult situations. Guided tours get you surprisingly close to these animals in a setting focused entirely on their wellbeing. One of the most moving and memorable wildlife experiences in the region.
Table Rock State Park
Marina with kayak, WaveRunner, and fishing boat rentals. The 2-mile Lakeshore Trail runs along the water’s edge through dogwood blooms in spring and fall color in October. Swim areas, picnic shelters, and six premium yurts available. The park gateway to all of Table Rock Lake’s public water access.
Branson Shows & Live Entertainment
Branson has been the live entertainment capital of the Ozarks for decades. From big dinner productions with 32 horses and pyrotechnics to dinner cruises on Table Rock Lake, there’s something for every group.
Dolly Parton’s Stampede
32 magnificent horses, trick riders, aerial acrobatics, pyrotechnics, and a four-course Southern feast all in one massive arena. New for 2026: the “Butterfly Dreams” showcase with winged horses and aerial acrobatics. Pre-show bluegrass in the Saloon. Consistently one of the most popular shows in all of Branson for families and groups.
Showboat Branson Belle
A classic paddlewheel showboat serving lunch and dinner cruises on Table Rock Lake with live variety entertainment onboard. The views of the lake from the water are completely different from the shore — spectacular from any angle. Combo tickets with Dolly Parton’s Stampede save money.
Sight & Sound Theatre Branson
One of the most technically sophisticated live theatres in the country — lavish biblical productions with live animals, massive sets, and extraordinary performances. Shows change by season. Consistently praised as one of the most memorable theatrical experiences in Branson regardless of background.
💡 Tip: Plan at least two evenings in Branson to make the most of what’s available. The 76 Country Blvd strip has dozens of theaters, restaurants, and attractions all within walking distance of each other.
On the Water at Table Rock Lake
Table Rock Lake is 43,100 acres with 779 miles of shoreline — and from the Eagles Landing deck, you have front-row access to all of it. The Eagles Landing host personally recommends Eric’s Elite Guide Service, who can meet your group directly at the Eagle Rock Marina dock just minutes away.
Bass Fishing on Table Rock Lake
Table Rock Lake is rated one of the top 10 bass fishing lakes in the United States — and the numbers back it up. All four species of bass call these waters home: largemouth, smallmouth, spotted, and the rare meanmouth. The lake record sits north of 22 lbs. The lake never freezes, making it a true year-round destination, and during the summer months 30 to 50-fish days are genuinely not uncommon. Crappie, catfish, bluegill, walleye, rainbow trout, and hybrid striped bass round out the incredible variety.
Eric’s Elite Guide Service
Captain Eric Olliverson is a full-time professional fishing guide who has lived and fished Table Rock Lake since he was three years old — over 25 years of guided experience on the water. He has competed nationally, won major tournaments, and now spends more than 300 days a year on the lake with clients from every U.S. state, Canada, and as far away as Japan. His grandfather was a White River fishing guide for 50 years, and that passion runs deep.
What makes Eric especially convenient for Eagles Landing guests: he can meet your group directly at the Eagle Rock Marina dock — no long drives, no unfamiliar launch points. Just show up and fish. Eric provides all rods and reels, all tackle and bait, boat gas, ice, and bottled water. All you need to bring is your fishing license and your enthusiasm.
Eric guides trips for bass (largemouth, smallmouth, spotted), crappie, trout on Lake Taneycomo, and even bowfishing for carp and gar. Whether your group is made up of seasoned anglers who want to target a specific species or first-timers who just want a great day on the water, Eric tailors every trip to the group. The Eagles Landing host has personally used Eric’s services and can speak to the quality firsthand — he does an outstanding job.
Table Rock State Park Marina
Rent kayaks, paddleboards, WaveRunners, and fishing boats to explore the coves and inlets of Table Rock Lake beyond the view from the deck. The 2-mile Lakeshore Trail connects the marina to the Dewey Short Visitor Center along the water’s edge — flat, shaded, and great for all ages.
Scuba Diving Table Rock Lake
Table Rock’s spring-fed clarity makes it one of the best freshwater diving destinations in the Midwest. Dive sites include the former town of Oasis and the Enchanted Forest. Indian Point Dive Center and White River Dive Company offer rentals, gear, and guided dives for certified divers.
Ready to Start Exploring?
Eagles Landing puts you at the center of all of it — 20 minutes from Eureka Springs restaurants, ghost tours, the Passion Play, and ziplines. Roaring River State Park is 15 minutes away. Branson and Silver Dollar City are about an hour. And Table Rock Lake is right outside your door.
Check Availability & Book Direct