French Lick Resort Casino
Encyclopedia
38.553321°N 86.620991°W
French Lick Resort is a resort
complex located in the towns of West Baden and French Lick, Indiana
. The 3000 acres (12.1 km²) complex includes two historic resort spa hotels, stables, a casino and three golf courses, all part of a $500 million restoration and development project.
was transferred to French Lick. Honoring state law allowing only water-based gaming, it was originally designed as a riverboat and surrounded by a small pond (commonly nicknamed the Boat in the Moat). In 2008 the moat was filled in and the casino boat was converted into the state's first land-based casino.
The casino features more than 1,300 slot machine
s, and table games including blackjack
, craps
, roulette
, and poker
.
springs
. The first hotel was opened in 1845 by William A. Bowles
and was an immediate success. The original hotel burned in 1897, but the resort was rebuilt on an even grander scale by new owner Thomas Taggart
, mayor of Indianapolis
and chairman of the Democratic National Committee
.
in the adjacent town a mile away is also part of the Casino Resort complex. The hotel was built in 1902 and held the title of the largest free-spanning dome in the world. It remained the largest dome in the United States until the completerion of the Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina
in 1955. The hotel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1974, became a National Historic Landmark
in 1987 and is an Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. In 2008 the West Baden Springs Hotel was cited by Condé Nast Traveler
readers as one of the best mainland U.S. resorts.
won by Walter Hagen
and also has hosted the 1959 and 1960 LPGA Championship
and was the home of the Midwest Amateur from the 1930s through the 1950s. In 2006-07, the course was restored to its original specifications in cooperation with the Donald Ross Society. The PGA returned to French Lick in June 2010 for the PGA Professional National Championship
.
Pete Dye
is a renowned golf course designer who has built exceptional courses for over 50 years. The Pete Dye Golf Course at French Lick opened in June, 2009. Mount Airie, Thomas Taggart
's 1928 Colonial-style home, was purchased and transformed into a clubhouse and pro shop which overlooks much of the course.
The Valley Links adjacent to the hotel and casino was originally designed as an 18-hole course by Tom Bendelow
and has been altered to become a 9-hole course as a result of the casino construction.
French Lick Resort is a resort
Resort
A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....
complex located in the towns of West Baden and French Lick, Indiana
French Lick, Indiana
French Lick is a town in French Lick Township, Orange County, Indiana, United States. The population was 1,807 at the 2010 census. In early 2006 the French Lick Resort Casino, the state's tenth casino in the modern legalized era, opened drawing national attention to the small town.- History :French...
. The 3000 acres (12.1 km²) complex includes two historic resort spa hotels, stables, a casino and three golf courses, all part of a $500 million restoration and development project.
Casino
The casino opened for business on November 3, 2006 after a gaming license originally intended for Patoka LakePatoka Lake
Patoka Lake is the second largest reservoir in Indiana and is spread across Dubois, Crawford, and Orange counties in southern Indiana.Created as a joint effort between the US Army Corps of Engineers and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources the lake is one of eight such reservoirs built in...
was transferred to French Lick. Honoring state law allowing only water-based gaming, it was originally designed as a riverboat and surrounded by a small pond (commonly nicknamed the Boat in the Moat). In 2008 the moat was filled in and the casino boat was converted into the state's first land-based casino.
The casino features more than 1,300 slot machine
Slot machine
A slot machine , informally fruit machine , the slots , poker machine or "pokies" or simply slot is a casino gambling machine with three or more reels which spin when a button is pushed...
s, and table games including blackjack
Blackjack
Blackjack, also known as Twenty-one or Vingt-et-un , is the most widely played casino banking game in the world...
, craps
Craps
Craps is a dice game in which players place wagers on the outcome of the roll, or a series of rolls, of a pair of dice. Players may wager money against each other or a bank...
, roulette
Roulette
Roulette is a casino game named after a French diminutive for little wheel. In the game, players may choose to place bets on either a single number or a range of numbers, the colors red or black, or whether the number is odd or even....
, and poker
Poker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
.
French Lick Springs Hotel
The location was originally known as the French Lick Springs Hotel, a grand resort that catered to those who came to partake of the advertised healing properties of the town's sulfurSulfur
Sulfur or sulphur is the chemical element with atomic number 16. In the periodic table it is represented by the symbol S. It is an abundant, multivalent non-metal. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with chemical formula S8. Elemental sulfur is a bright yellow...
springs
Spring (hydrosphere)
A spring—also known as a rising or resurgence—is a component of the hydrosphere. Specifically, it is any natural situation where water flows to the surface of the earth from underground...
. The first hotel was opened in 1845 by William A. Bowles
William A. Bowles
William A. Bowles was a doctor who led the Knights of the Golden Circle in Indiana in the early 1860s. Earlier he founded the town of French Lick, Indiana and began a resort at an area, which lasts to this day.-Pre-war:...
and was an immediate success. The original hotel burned in 1897, but the resort was rebuilt on an even grander scale by new owner Thomas Taggart
Thomas Taggart
Thomas Taggart was a U.S. political figure, serving as mayor of Indianapolis and influential in state and national politics.-Early life and family:...
, mayor of Indianapolis
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
and chairman of the Democratic National Committee
Democratic National Committee
The Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...
.
West Baden Springs Hotel
The historic 243-room luxury West Baden Springs HotelWest Baden Springs Hotel
The West Baden Springs Hotel is a historic landmark hotel in the town of West Baden Springs in Orange County, Indiana, United States, known for its vast domed atrium. It is currently part of the French Lick Resort...
in the adjacent town a mile away is also part of the Casino Resort complex. The hotel was built in 1902 and held the title of the largest free-spanning dome in the world. It remained the largest dome in the United States until the completerion of the Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
in 1955. The hotel was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1974, became a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1987 and is an Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. In 2008 the West Baden Springs Hotel was cited by Condé Nast Traveler
Condé Nast Traveler
Condé Nast Traveler is a US magazine published by Condé Nast. It has its origins in a mailing sent out by the Diners Club club beginning in 1953, listing locations that would take the card. It began taking advertising in 1955. In order to attract more advertisers, it became a full-fledged magazine,...
readers as one of the best mainland U.S. resorts.
Golf courses
A golf course known as the Hill Course was added in 1917 and was designed by Donald Ross. It hosted the 1924 PGA ChampionshipPGA Championship
The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship...
won by Walter Hagen
Walter Hagen
Walter Charles Hagen was a major figure in golf in the first half of the 20th century. His tally of eleven professional majors is third behind Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods . He won the U.S. Open twice, and in 1922 he became the first native-born American to win the British Open, which he went on...
and also has hosted the 1959 and 1960 LPGA Championship
LPGA Championship
The LPGA Championship, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Wegmans LPGA Championship, is the second-longest running tournament in the history of the Ladies Professional Golf Association surpassed only by the U.S. Women's Open. It is one of four majors on the LPGA tour...
and was the home of the Midwest Amateur from the 1930s through the 1950s. In 2006-07, the course was restored to its original specifications in cooperation with the Donald Ross Society. The PGA returned to French Lick in June 2010 for the PGA Professional National Championship
PGA Professional National Championship
The PGA Professional National Championship is a golf tournament for golf club professionals and teachers who are members of the Professional Golfers' Association of America...
.
Pete Dye
Pete Dye
Paul B. "Pete" Dye is a world-renowned golf course designer and a member of a famous family of course designers. He is married to fellow designer and former amateur champion Alice Dye.-Early life:Pete Dye was born in Urbana, Ohio...
is a renowned golf course designer who has built exceptional courses for over 50 years. The Pete Dye Golf Course at French Lick opened in June, 2009. Mount Airie, Thomas Taggart
Thomas Taggart
Thomas Taggart was a U.S. political figure, serving as mayor of Indianapolis and influential in state and national politics.-Early life and family:...
's 1928 Colonial-style home, was purchased and transformed into a clubhouse and pro shop which overlooks much of the course.
The Valley Links adjacent to the hotel and casino was originally designed as an 18-hole course by Tom Bendelow
Tom Bendelow
Tom Bendelow , nicknamed "The Johnny Appleseed of American Golf", was a prolific Scottish American golf course architect during the first half of the twentieth century. He is credited with having designed some 600 courses in a 35-year span....
and has been altered to become a 9-hole course as a result of the casino construction.