Get in the Halloween spirit by exploring the ghost towns of Peppersauce, Mountain Village 1890, and Rush. Established in the late 1800s, Peppersauce is the only ghost town in the United States that exists inside the city limits of a functioning city. More than 20 different buildings and structures exist in various forms of decay. Mountain Village 1890 was created as a tourist attraction for Bulls Shoals Caverns. The original owner traveled the country to find, purchase, and relocate 10 abandoned buildings to the site. Except for one building, the buildings and furnishings are all kept to the 1890 time period. One of the most prosperous cities in the state during World War I, Rush Historic District was officially declared a ghost town in 1972. It still contains the original buildings, mines, and other structures.

Itinerary

Stop 1: Peppersauce Ghost Town. In the late 1800s, the area was a trading post for French traders and trappers traveling the White River. Numerous taverns catered to the traders, serving the local moonshine called “Peppersauce.” As a result, this part of town began to be known for its drunken brawls and thieves.

In 1903, the railroad was laid and the cotton, timber, and zinc industry flourised. However, by the 1960s, those industries slowed down as they were replaced and the train no longer stopped in Calico Rock. East Calico Rock became deserted as residents and businesses expanded to the west and north.

Considered part of Calico Rock Historic District, Peppersauce is the only ghost town in America that exists inside the city limits of a functioning city. More than 20 different buildings and structures exist in various forms of decay.

Stop 2: Mountain Village 1890. Owner of Bull Shoals Caverns, Roy Danuser, decided to he needed to add an attraction where visitors could seek shelter and be entertained while waiting to tour the caverns. So, he enlisted the help of a couple friends to purchase and relocate 10 abandoned buildings to the site to create the town of Mountain Village in 1960.

He chose 1890 as the time period because he thought it was a “happy time” and a year when the buildings and some of its visitors had lived through, making it a pivotal period in Ozark history. Danuser believed that the “advent of the automobile unlocked the isolation of the hill folks forever.”

Danuser was adament on keeping to the 1890s and even had a national paint manufacturer provide him with period paint. The 1904 deopt is the only building built after 1890, which was abandoned by the Missouri-Pacific Railroad.

For years, Mountain Village 1890 operated as a real living history museum with animals and period dressed actors. In 1984, the family sold Mountain Village. Today, the town’s buildings are mostly the same as in 1960. The school house was destroyed in a fire in 2004.

Stop 3: Lunch

Stop 4: Rush Historic District. Located in the Buffalo River National River Park, Rush was the center of the zinc mining industry in Arkansas. It was one of the most prosperous cities in the state during World War I. With the conclusion of the war, zinc prices declined and the city became desolate. In 1972, Rush was officially declared a ghost town and became a part of the Buffalo National River Park system.

Just 16 miles south of Yellville is the Rush Historic District. It still contains the original buildings, mines, and other structures. A trail will take you to more remote areas of the town center and mines. However, entrance to the mines are strictly prohibited for safety purposes.

Dates & Pricing

Thursday, October 23, 2025

$75pp

Due by September 8, 2025

*nonrefundable

Includes/Excludes

Includes:

• transportation from Batesville

• lunch

Excludes:

• any additional purchases