Follow the Rainbow

Eureka Springs has two sets of Rainbow Stairs, both connecting Main Street with the upper levels of Spring and Center Streets—and both proving that even a climb can become a celebration.

The first set of stairs, painted in 2017, is known locally as the UP Project. Eureka Springs High School Art Club students Kyla Boardman and Kennedy Cash created the mural, with the guidance of Eureka Springs artist Steve “Yip” Vorbeck and art conservationist Raven Dirge, local art teacher and artist Jessica Cummings, and muralist Doug Myerscough.

These may not be names you recognize, but they are all treasured members of Eureka Springs’ small but mighty community. Together, they turned the public stairway into a bright expression of the town itself: nature-loving, art-filled, healing-minded, and proudly inclusive. #FreeToBe

A second Rainbow Stairway leads from the New Delhi Café to the Balm of Life archway in Basin Park. Painted by Yip Vorbeck and friends shortly before his passing in 2022, it remains a colorful tribute to Eureka’s cherished creative spirits.

The Boardman-Cash stairs pass by Missy’s White Rabbit, another Eureka rabbit hole worth investigating for adult beverages and local live music.

You will find rainbow stairways in other cities, including Dallas and San Francisco, but Eureka’s feel distinctly local: part public art, part welcome sign, part joyful invitation to keep climbing. American artist and activist Gilbert Baker originally designed the rainbow flag in 1978. Red symbolizes life, orange represents healing, yellow stands for sunlight, green signifies nature, blue represents harmony, and violet symbolizes spirit. #RainbowStairs

Take a selfie, tag the moment, and join the weddings, reunions, road-trippers, and everyday wanderers who have made the Rainbow Stairs one of Eureka Springs’ favorite photo stops. #RainbowStairs #FreeToBe #EurekaConcierge