Hot Springs in Indiana | Are There Hot Springs

Are there hot springs in Indiana?

No. There are no natural hot springs anywhere in Indiana. Its famous springs, at French Lick and West Baden in Orange County, are mineral springs; their water was drunk, bottled and heated for baths, and the two hotels still offer Pluto and Sprudel mineral baths.

The nearest water that comes out hot is in Hot Springs, North Carolina, about 320 miles from Indianapolis, and Bath County, Virginia, about 360 miles away, both in a straight line.

The nearest hot springs to Indianapolis and Fort Wayne

From Indianapolis the North Carolina town is slightly closer; from Fort Wayne, Virginia's Bath County wins.

From	Nearest hot springs (straight line)	Next nearest
Indianapolis	Hot Springs, North Carolina320 miles	Bath County, Virginia, 360 milesHot Springs, Arkansas, 520 miles
Fort Wayne	Bath County, Virginia350 miles	Hot Springs, North Carolina, 380 milesHot Springs, Arkansas, 630 miles

Both are mountain trips of a day or more. For a soak closer to home, French Lick is about 90 miles south of Indianapolis.

Indiana's spring towns and Pluto Water

From the late 1800s to the mid-1900s, French Lick, West Baden, Martinsville and Kramer were known for mineral spring spas that claimed to relieve rheumatism and digestive problems. Smaller spas operated at White Sulphur Springs in Montezuma, at Trinity Springs and at Dillsboro, and a 1901 state geology report studied the mineral waters in detail.

French Lick's best-known product was Pluto Water, bottled and sold nationwide. Its sodium and magnesium sulfates made it a fast laxative, and it also contained lithium salts; sales ended in 1971, when lithium became a controlled substance. West Baden sold Sprudel Water. At Martinsville and Kramer, sanitariums treated rheumatism with mineral baths and hot mud.

West Baden Springs Hotel was rebuilt in 1901 and 1902 after a fire, around a dome that was then the largest free-standing dome in the world and earned the hotel the nickname "Eighth Wonder of the World." It struggled in the Depression, became a seminary and later a college, and stood empty until a restoration reopened it in 2007.

Indiana: the essentials

Indiana's spa towns ran on cool mineral water, sold as a cure, and both hotels still offer baths using it.

Between the hotels: Free trolley, around the clock
We list: 2 places
Nearest hot springs: Hot Springs, North Carolina, about 320 miles from Indianapolis
Mineral baths: Pluto (French Lick), Sprudel (West Baden)
Natural hot springs: None
West Baden's dome: Built 1901-02, then the largest free-standing dome

Spas in Indiana

Two historic spa hotels a mile apart in Orange County, each with its own mineral bath.

Mineral baths
The Spa at French Lick Springs Hotel
French Lick
Historic Pluto mineral baths, using the spring water that made French Lick famous.
Mineral baths
The Spa at West Baden Springs Hotel
West Baden Springs
Sprudel mineral baths and a 28,000 sq ft, two-level indoor pool hall.

Indiana spas on a map

Where each of the 2 places in Indiana is. Pin shapes show the type; open the larger map for more detail.

Spring site Spa hotel Indoor pool

How to visit

When to visit

Both hotel spas run all year. Weekends and the holiday season are busiest at both hotels.

Costs

Mineral baths are spa services priced per treatment. Hotel guests can use both resorts' facilities, linked by a free trolley.

Getting around

French Lick and West Baden Springs are in the hills of southern Indiana, about 90 miles south of Indianapolis and 50 miles west of Louisville.

Before you soak in Indiana

Mineral baths are gentle, but a few rules help.

Don't drink the bath waterPluto Water was sold as a strong laxative; the baths are for soaking only.
Book the bath with your staySpa times fill on weekends, so reserve the mineral bath when you book the room.
Use the trolleyIt runs between the two hotels around the clock, so you can try both spas without driving.

Questions about soaking in Indiana

Are there hot springs in French Lick?

No. French Lick's springs are mineral springs, not hot ones. The French Lick Springs Hotel heats the water for its Pluto mineral baths.

What was Pluto Water?

Mineral water bottled at French Lick and sold as a laxative. It contained sodium and magnesium sulfates and lithium salts, and sales ended in 1971.

Can you still take a mineral bath in Indiana?

Yes. The spa at French Lick Springs Hotel offers Pluto mineral baths, and the spa at West Baden Springs Hotel offers Sprudel mineral baths.

What are the closest hot springs to Indianapolis?

Hot Springs, North Carolina, about 320 miles away in a straight line, followed by Bath County, Virginia, about 360 miles away.

How warm are the French Lick and West Baden springs?

Not warm: they flow at ordinary groundwater temperature, and the hotels heat the water for baths.

Pictures of places to soak in Indiana

Photos of The Spa at French Lick Springs Hotel and The Spa at West Baden Springs Hotel, all places to soak in this guide. We only use photos whose license allows reuse and credit the photographer under each one. The full credits are on our photo credits page.