Al Capone gambled at the casinos in French Lick and West Baden, and used underground tunnels to move around undetected. Al Capone was part of a shootout at West Baden Springs Hotel that left bullet holes in the side of the building. Al Capone had a “French Lick girlfriend” whom he’d always see when he was here. Al Capone got married in a barn a few miles outside French Lick, and he also owned a whiskey still out there for bootlegging. Folks from this area grew up hearing the stories from their parents and grandparents. Maybe you’ve even heard the tales during your visit to one of our hotels. There’s so many anecdotes about Al Capone using this area as a hideout spot that it has to be true. Or is it? Nobody has 100 percent, smoking-gun proof to solve the Capone riddle either way. But that just feeds even more into the juicy intrigue of this history mystery. So we’re dedicating a series of blogs in the next few weeks to try and shed some light on the debate: D...

"Carlsbad of America": What's the Story Behind It?

Some good news: The main entrance to West Baden Springs Hotel reopened today, following a construction project to make bridge upgrades on the brick road that leads to the hotel. That means you’re now free to enter under the double-arch entranceway that reads “West Baden Springs • Carlsbad of America.” You might have seen that before and wondered. Carlsbad of America. Where did that come from? Here’s the backstory behind it. “Carlsbad of America” appeared at West Baden when the famed arches were built in 1914, and the phrase alludes to the European spa tradition. The original Carlsbad is actually a spa town in the Czech Republic called Karlovy Vary, which was founded in the 1300s by Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV. During an expedition, Charles IV discovered thermal springs that he believed possessed healing properties, and he founded a spa there. The location was named “Carlsbad” in German, aka “Charles’ Bath.” In the early 1900s, the name Carlsbad evoked a sen...

Lauren Jones: Full Circle to "My Home Away From Home" at French Lick Resort

French Lick Resort is my happy ending. It's my full-circle moment. It's when everything clicked and made sense, after so many months of nothing making sense. But, gosh, getting here has been a journey in itself. One that I'm not quite sure can be explained in a sentence, a paragraph, or a blog post, but rather only meant to be felt, experienced, and enjoyed. My journey to this little slice of heaven began many years ago, long before I could even fathom that I'd one day call this place my home away from home. * * * Hi everyone, my name is Lauren Jones. I'm a Hoosier at heart, born and raised in Southern Indiana. A native of Columbus, Indiana, where I spent my childhood running through corn fields, and catching lightning bugs. From an early age, I knew the sunshine, stars, and everything in between spoke to me. I felt destined to be a meteorologist, staring at the 24-hour looping radar on our clunky TV, and hiding i...

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