DeSoto Rock & Gift Shop

History

The DeSoto Rock & Gift Shop opened it's doors in July of 2012. We started out on the ground floor of the old DeSoto Howe Hotel. In the beginning, we had the front half of the space with a few displays of merchandise. We then acquired the building, put in sprinklers and expanded to fill most of the ground floor to include an indoor water sluice for all weather gem mining! Rain or shine, you can find something pretty. The DeSoto was a luxury Hotel built in 1926. The town was a bustle with notables such as Errol Flynn and Charlie Chaplin, Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio and the ever illustrious Al Capone and Bugsy Siegal! We even have our very own escape tunnel connected to the Arlington, so when Al needed a fast getaway he came out our building. Some people have sworn they have seen his ghostly shadow in our lobby! Hot Springs history is wild and woolly! Come on in and tell us if you see any notable figures from the past. We are excited at the endless possibilities for continual expansion.