Quick FactsOverview
About Buckhorn Hot Mineral Wells
Buckhorn Hot Mineral Wells, Arizona is a historic geothermal mineral spring site located at 5900 East Main Street in Mesa, seven miles east of downtown Mesa in Maricopa County. The spring was discovered in 1939 when Ted and Alice Sliger, who were operating a roadside trading post on the property, drilled a well seeking drinking water and struck mineral-rich water rising at 112 degrees Fahrenheit. They built a bathhouse around the find and eventually developed the site into one of the most notable roadside resort destinations in the American Southwest.
At its peak, Buckhorn drew visitors who sought balneotherapy, a practice of using mineral water soaking for therapeutic purposes, a tradition with deep roots in the history of the American West. The resort offered 27 private stone soaking tubs, a wildlife museum with over 400 taxidermy specimens collected by Ted Sliger, motel cottages, a cafe, and a gift shop. The New York Giants baseball team, later the San Francisco Giants, used Buckhorn as their pre-spring training base for 25 consecutive years beginning in 1947, a period that contributed significantly to Mesa establishing itself as a Cactus League hub. The water was mineral-rich, containing potassium, silica, magnesium and iron, and was advertised historically as beneficial for arthritis, neuritis, and related conditions.
The bathhouse closed in 1999 when Alice Sliger, then 93, shut down operations after declining highway traffic caused by the rerouting of Route 60 in the mid-1990s. The motel continued briefly before closing in 2007. The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. As of the time of writing, the buildings remain unoccupied and the property is subject to ongoing preservation discussions. The mineral water continues to flow underground but is currently inaccessible to the public.
Location & Access
Visiting the Buckhorn Hot Mineral Wells Site
Buckhorn Hot Mineral Wells is located at 5900 East Main Street in Mesa, Arizona at the corner of East Main Street and North Recker Road, making it easy to reach by car from central Mesa or Phoenix without any hiking required. The property sits along the former alignment of US Route 60 and the Apache Trail, the historic east-west corridor through the Salt River Valley that once connected Phoenix with the Superstition Mountains and communities further east.
The site is on private property and the buildings are not open to the public. Visitors can view the exterior of the buildings and the property's distinctive mid-century neon sign from the public sidewalk along East Main Street. The neon sign, which reads Buckhorn Hot Mineral Baths Motel, remains one of the most recognizable roadside landmarks on this stretch of Mesa's commercial corridor. The grounds are not accessible for entry.
For those travelling from Phoenix, the property is approximately 15 miles east of downtown Phoenix via US-60. From Scottsdale, the drive is roughly 12 miles southeast. The nearest city with visitor services is Mesa, which has hotels, restaurants, and other amenities within a short drive. Those with an interest in hot springs near Mesa will find that Buckhorn is primarily a site of historical interest rather than an active soaking destination at this time. Any future reopening would depend on the outcome of the ongoing preservation and development process involving the current property owner and the City of Mesa.
Suitability & Accessibility
Suitability of Buckhorn Hot Mineral Wells
Buckhorn Hot Mineral Wells is currently suited to visitors with an interest in Arizona roadside history, mid-20th-century resort architecture, and the history of balneotherapy in the American Southwest, rather than those seeking an active soaking experience. The bathhouse and mineral baths are not operational and the site cannot be entered. There is no soaking available at this location as of the time of writing.
The site is easy to reach by car and the exterior can be viewed from the public street without any hiking or physical exertion. In that limited sense, the location is accessible for anyone who can travel to East Mesa by vehicle and walk briefly along a public sidewalk. However, the absence of open facilities means there is no accessible soaking infrastructure to speak of.
For visitors specifically seeking natural hot springs in Arizona as active soaking destinations, Buckhorn does not currently serve that purpose. Its value is historical and architectural. The Pueblo Revival style buildings, the surviving neon sign, and the documented history connecting the site to Major League Baseball spring training and Arizona's mid-century tourism era make it a meaningful stop for history-focused visitors. The Mesa Historical Museum, a short drive west on Main Street, has featured exhibits on the Buckhorn Baths that provide additional context for those wishing to understand the site's significance before or after viewing the exterior.
Safety & Etiquette
Safety and Access at Buckhorn Hot Mineral Wells
Buckhorn Hot Mineral Wells requires visitors to be mindful of the fact that it is privately owned, fenced, and not open for public entry. Attempting to enter the property or buildings without permission would constitute trespassing on private land and should not be attempted. The buildings are in a state of disrepair and would present structural hazards to anyone who entered without authorization.
There is no active mineral water soaking available at the site, which means the health and safety considerations that typically apply to hot spring visits, such as water temperature, submersion risks, and hydration, do not apply here in a practical sense. The area along East Main Street is a public road with normal urban traffic, so standard road safety awareness applies when parking and walking along the sidewalk to view the exterior.
For visitors drawn by the history of mineral water therapy in Arizona, the site serves as a reminder of how widely balneotherapy was practiced and promoted across the region in the mid-20th century. If restoration plans for Buckhorn Baths proceed as discussed by the current property owner, the site may eventually reopen in some form. Checking with the City of Mesa or the Mesa Preservation Foundation for updates on the project status is the most reliable way to get current information before planning a visit specifically for access to the mineral water or the historic interior.
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