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View of the hotel from the gardens.
West Baden Springs Hotel
Built in the early 20th century, the West Baden Springs Hotel in West Baden, Indiana, was a major feat of engineering. Until the construction of the Astrodome, it was the largest free-span dome in the world. The hotel went under during the Great Depression, and since then housed a Jesuit monastery and a culinary institute before finally slipping into dereliction. In the 1990s after one of its walls crumbled, CFC, a Bloomington-based firm, took over the job of restoring the building. It is now for sale. Until then, tours run daily throughout the year. I've gone twice with my parents. It's about a two-hour drive from Indianapolis. Walking around the grounds, you occasionally catch a whiff of sulfur. The resort was known for its sulfurous (but not hot) springs, which yielded "Pluto water" (after Pluto aka Hades) that people would drink and bathe in to cure various ailments. The neighboring French Lick (make up your own joke) resort still offers various spa treatments using the water.
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View of the hotel from the gardens.
Getting there:
From Indianapolis, take State Rd. 37 South to Paoli. At the courthouse square in Paoli, turn right on State Rd. 56. The hotel will be on your right after 15-20 minutes on 56. The whole drive is a little over 2 hours.
Costs:
Tours are $10 for adults, $5 for kids 6-12. Tour times vary seasonally--check the schedule on the sites below for more information.
Links:
West Baden Springs Hotel - a quasi-official site