West Baden's Forgotten Palace: The Eighth Wonder of the World

West Baden Springs, Indiana. When it was built in 1902, with the biggest free-span dome in the world, the West Baden Springs Hotel in southern Indiana was known as the eighth wonder of the world. About a month ago, in February of 2023, the travel site TripAdvisor named it one of the top five hotels in America.

TIMELINE
1901: To house all of this traffic and to meet the expectations of so many wealthy guests, both resorts were built around 1901 and are still thriving today.
1902: When it was built in 1902, with the biggest free-span dome in the world, the West Baden Springs Hotel in southern Indiana was known as the eighth wonder of the world.
1971: Actually, 1971 was the last year Pluto water was bottled because the chemists in the laboratories at the Pluto bottling plant were traces of lithium in the water.
1983: From 1983 to 1996, this property was basically vacant.
2023: About a month ago, in February of 2023, the travel site TripAdvisor named it one of the top five hotels in America.

WHY THIS MATTERS
The story of West Baden Springs is a reminder that the events that shaped America didn't always happen in the biggest cities. What unfolded here left marks on the community that are still visible today. The full story is more complicated, and more human, than the version most people know.

Episode 112 | Hometown History | Hosted by Shane Waters

If you liked this: Episode 180 (Hagerstown, Indiana)

Hometown History explores forgotten stories from small-town America. The overlooked events, hidden triumphs, and buried tragedies that shaped the country we live in. New episodes every Tuesday. Find every episode at mythsandmalice.com/hometown-history

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