French Lick Resort returns to elegant past
In the 19th century and early 20th century, French Lick, Ind., was a destination for visitors from all across the United States and from Europe. They came to sample the sulfurous Pluto Water from the mineral springs and indulge in luxurious spa treatments at French Lick Resort, established in 1845.
While there, some — if not most — laid a wager or two, as well. Visitors included then-Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt, composer Irving Berlin, boxer Joe Louis and the nefarious gangster Al Capone.
The historic resort has now returned to its roots. Gambling, which continued, albeit illegally, until 1949, was reintroduced by the state of Indiana in 2006. Modern transportation means that now French Lick Resort is just a little more than an hour from downtown Louisville.
French Lick Resort is actually a complex of a 51,000-square-foot casino with 1,300 slot machines, 41 table games and a 9,500-square-foot separate non-smoking gaming area; the historic French Lick Springs Hotel; its sister hotel, the West Baden Springs Hotel (built in 1902 and a National Historic Landmark); two 18-hole golf courses, a horse stable, the boutiques at The Promenade Shoppes and several restaurants — including the Grand Colonnade Restaurant, the very place where Governor Roosevelt received the Democratic Party nod to run for president.
With its breezy verandas, gilt columns and ceilings and 443 luxurious rooms, French Lick Springs Hotel again provides the same elegance for which it was known in the 19th century. West Baden Springs Hotel's singular domed atrium, spanning 200 feet, proves a spectacular sight for guests. The hotel's 243 guest rooms and suites rise in six tiers around the restored dome, some with balconies that look out on the breath-taking atrium.
Taking a page from nearby Horseshoe Southern Indiana and Casino Aztar in Evanston, Ind., French Lick Resort also offers some big-name acts to draw the crowds. Recent performers include comedy legend Jerry Lewis, Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter Lee Ann Womack and country-western singer Clint Black. Check the Concerts webpage for dates and times or to buy tickets online.
There's also the 27,000-square-foot Spa at French Lick, a return to the beauty and health treatments that first put French Lick on the map. Since 1845, the Pluto Spring's mineral waters have drawn visitors to French Lick. Today, for just $40, you can still indulge in a historic Pluto Bath, bathing in one of the same old-fashioned clawfoot tubs used since the 1920s. The West Baden Springs Hotel boasts its own spa, this one with an indoor lap pool.
The French Lick Springs Hotel has facilities for business meetings, weddings and other events. Click here for details.
- by Ivonne Rovira, Louisville Reporter for HelloMetro
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