City of Siloam Springs
With a historic downtown, a diverse population, and a host of exciting outdoor adventures, charming Siloam Springs is the perfect place to experience life in Northwest Arkansas. Located a few minutes west of Fayetteville and Bentonville, Siloam Springs is the small town setting where visitors get to live like a local. As the home to John Brown University, Siloam Springs is also a vibrant college town buzzing with energy.
It’s the mix of painstakingly preserved buildings from the turn of the 20th Century that earned downtown Siloam Springs a spot on the National Register of Historic Places. The downtown historic district includes the Classic Revival, Beaux Arts and Art Deco-style buildings, making it a treasure for lovers of history, architecture, and design alike. A wide variety of architectural styles are found in the downtown historic district and surrounding residential district, creating a treasure trove for lovers of history, architecture, and design alike. Downtown also houses the Siloam Springs Museum, where you can be transported back in time as you witness Siloam’s evolution.
Downtown’s vibrant food and art scene means there are plenty of places to tempt your taste buds and discover fantastic music. The diversity of Siloam Springs’ local chefs means diners have their choice of classic American dishes, Italian, German, Southeast Asian, and – with a population that’s 25% Spanish speaking – some of the most authentic Hispanic food you’ll find anywhere.
As a college town, Siloam Springs abounds with places to hang out with a book, a baked good, and a beverage, whether that’s a steaming cafe latte or an iced americano. Bookworms will find plenty to peruse and music buffs can flip through classic vinyl records hunting for that must-have. Fashionistas can find that perfect vintage piece or unique handmade necklace at shops downtown. Two craft breweries give beer lovers an almost infinite variety of handcrafted ales, lagers, and stouts to wet every whistle. They also offer cream sodas and other non-alcoholic options making it a favorite destination for families and groups of friends on sunny days.
Visitors to Siloam Springs can work up an appetite by spending some time in the city’s amazing outdoor venues. A great place to start is along Sager Creek, which meanders through downtown and includes some of the city’s nicest outdoor spaces. Sitting in the shadow of the Siloam Springs Public Library, Memorial Park is the gateway to downtown and the home through the year to festivals, yearly Christmas light displays and weekend farmers markets. The park’s Chautauqua Amphitheater takes center stage for concerts by regional and national acts, outdoor movies, festivals, Shakespeare in the Park – even Zumba classes!
The five-mile Sager Creek Mountain Bike Trail runs along the creek and through the campus of John Brown University, offering riders a challenging mix of terrain. The trail is also popular with walkers and runners and has easier, kid-friendly sections for beginning riders. Families and mountain bikers alike will find plenty to love at City Lake Park just north of downtown, where riders can take on the obstacles at the pump park or ride miles of challenging, interconnected trails. The park also features a disc golf course and a blind for birdwatching. Water lovers can kayak the lake while other fish from the ADA-accessible pier.
The star attraction of Siloam Springs’ outdoor experience is the Siloam Spring Kayak Park, located a few minutes south of downtown. The family-friendly park features a section of the Illinois River specially engineered to provide kayakers, canoeists, and paddle boarders a thrilling whitewater experience on Class I and II rapids. The park is free and open seven days a week. It’s recommended that visitors wear helmets, life jackets and closed-toe shoes.
From the buzz of its college town energy to the thrill of its natural setting, Siloam Springs lives up to its motto: “Small town charm, great outdoor adventure!”
For more information on Siloam Springs, visit discoversiloam.com.