India, Feb. 3 -- Tucked into northwest Arkansas' Ozark Mountains, Eureka Springs is a place where contradictions don't just coexist, they define the destination. It's a Victorian-era spa town and a paranormal hotspot, a biker mecca and a proudly LGBTQ+ enclave nicknamed "the gayest small town in America." In the Ozarks, "the place where misfits fit," Eureka Springs wears that identity especially well, drawing artists, nature lovers, and free spirits of all kinds for over a century.

Eureka Springs has been named among the best small towns in the U.S. But its appeal long predates the national accolades. "There's something to the fact that this town has attracted people every year since the 1800s," says Jackie Wolven, executive director of ...