500 Section Takes a Gamble

 

We ordered up a perfect, cloudless summer day to head to beautiful southern Indiana to see the rejuvenated West Baden Springs Hotel. The hotel was built in 1902 to take advantage of natural spring water in the area that was purported to provide health benefits, and the hotel featured a huge, awe-inspiring, and magnificent central dome that was billed as the “8th Wonder of the World”. The hotel originally closed in 1934, a victim of the Depression, and was variously a school and a Jesuit monastery before nearly imploding in disrepair in the 80s. Thanks to Bill Cook, a multimillionaire from Bloomington, the hotel was purchased, completely refurbished, and re-opened for business in June. We were eager to tour the hotel and grounds since we had taken previous tours when only the dome had been restored. We were not disappointed!

 

Seventeen architecture-loving souls joined us as we enjoyed a 2 hour drive from Indianapolis to French Lick/West Baden. We all envied the Shankels who had the top down on their gorgeous yellow SLK for the trip. We arrived a bit late at the French Lick Springs Hotel for the tasty buffet lunch and then we took the shuttle bus a short distance to the West Baden Hotel. We intently listened to our Tour Guide as he explained the history of the hotel and showed us the dome and grounds surrounding the hotel. Those of us who stayed were rewarded with a visit to one of the guest rooms that have been tastefully restored and decorated. A

 

fterward, we were free to do as we pleased before returning home. The gamblers in the group headed for the French Lick casino which was conveniently located between the two hotels. We returned home tired but gratified that a true piece of Indiana history had been preserved for another century.

 

- Steven Rae

 

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Scenic Tour to French Lick 7/21/2007

Photographer - Ken Salter