Wondering how you’ll have enough cash to go around for
everything you have planned this summer? We can alleviate that a little bit.
There’s all sorts of things you can experience at French
Lick Resort this summer that are totally free. Won’t cost you a thing. If you’re
planning a summer trip here, here are 8 things you can try that are easy on the
wallet.
Fireworks and Fourth
of July Activities
All you’ve got to provide is the blanket or lawn chair, and
we’ll handle the rest with our grand fireworks show at dusk on July 4. There’s
more free stuff to enjoy on Independence
Day weekend, including patriotic light projection shows every night from
July 3-6, Ladies for Liberty performances, a bounce house for kids, and a free
music festival on July 6 in the Exhibition Hall with four bands lined up with
live music from 2 p.m. until 11 p.m., as well as entertainment and face
painting from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. that day.
If you don’t make it here for the Fourth, Labor
Day weekend at the resort will also feature several events and activities
to enjoy free of charge for the long holiday weekend.
Fitness Walks and
Hikes
If you aren’t able to make it to the official tours of the
hotels, the weekend morning walks at West Baden Springs Hotel are the next-best
thing. A member of the West Baden concierge staff guides the hour-long walks
and shares little nuggets about the resort’s history along the way. You learn a
little something, and you get your steps in for the day early — all you’ve got
to do is be willing to get up and moving at 8:30 on a Saturday or Sunday.
Want to step it up from a walk to a hike? Our resort fitness
staff offers guided hikes every Thursday, Friday and Saturday morning at 10:30
on the scenic trails surrounding the resort. There are more complimentary
fitness offerings as well at French Lick Springs Hotel, and you can ask for a
copy of the fitness calendar for the month when you check in.
Ride the Trolley
We’ve got 1916 beat. Back then, it cost a nickel to make the
1-mile trip on the historic
rail trolley between French Lick and West Baden. Today, it’s totally free.
That’s good news for you parents with little ones who are
obsessed with trains and trolleys. (Yes, we get a lot of guests who make several
repeat trips per day.) The trolley runs from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day back
and forth between our two hotels. Ask your driver to share some of the history
about the restored rail trolley—there’s a lot of it, after all, since this
trolley first started running in 1903.
Free Golf Clinics
Always wanted to give golf a shot? Here’s your chance, as French Lick Resort’s golf pros will be leading introductory clinics on four dates: June 8, July 3, July 6 and August 31. We can even furnish equipment if you don’t bring your own clubs. Perfect for daddy/daughter or mother/son bonding, a couple’s outing, or even just the solo golfer wanting to sharpen their game.
This is open to resort guests 16 and older only, and you must register by noon the day of the clinic by calling (812) 936-8042. RSVP early — this is first-come, first-served with a max of 12 golfers per session.
Hawaiian Summer Luau
Traveling here with kids this summer? There’s plenty to do
at KidsFest and throughout French Lick Springs Hotel to keep them busy.
Our Hawaiian
Summer Luau includes all sorts of complimentary activities: pool parties, poolside
luaus, sand volleyball, s’mores and scavenger hunts. When the sun goes down,
catch Dive-In Movies at the
pool four nights a week, and don’t miss Flame in the Valley’s electrifying fire shows on select Saturdays.
Jazz Under the Dome Weekend
With a constant jazz soundtrack added to the elegant surroundings of West Baden Springs Hotel, you’ll feel like you’ve been transported to the Roaring ’20s. From August 16-18, take in 20 hours of live jazz all throughout the hotel, courtesy of top regional acts. Set up shop a chaise lounge in the atrium, enjoy some soulful jazz, and just relish the ambiance as life slows down a bit.
Vintage Base Ball
It’s part sport, part history lesson, and completely free.
All you need is a blanket and lawn chair to enjoy the Vintage Base Ball exhibitions
on September 14 and 15. This is 1860s-era baseball (back when base ball was two
words), which the players replicate with uniforms, lingo and old-style rules
like underhand pitching. There’s six hours’ worth of Vintage Base Ball
exhibitions each day from late morning through mid-afternoon. Admission is
free, though you might want to bring a few extra bucks to pick up some modern
baseball concessions from the food trucks.
Circus Day
For one day only, catch the big top in French Lick. To celebrate the town’s circus heritage, the French Lick West Baden Museum is hosting a Circus Day on Saturday, June 22, with carnival games, jugglers, acrobats, fire eaters and Hadi Shriners performances. Try your hand at ax throwing or climbing challenges. See the 116-year-old Barnum & Bailey Two Hemispheres circus wagon. Circus Day admission is free, with a charge for some games and activities.