Who would have thought it? Way out here in the middle of nowhere? Surrounded by cornfields and cow patties? Only 1 stop light in town.....where you are sure to see several tractors, a golf cart and occasionally a lawn mower rolling through it during the day. I'm not sure why....but the good Lord works in mysterious ways! :)
Welcome to the West Baden Springs Dome - the 8th Wonder of the World.
A little history on the Dome before we get started.....
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. Prior to the completion of the Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1955, the building had the largest free-spanning dome in the United States and was the largest in the world from 1902 to 1913. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974, became a National Historic Landmark in 1987,[3] and is a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark. This hotel was the Disney World of their time. In those days, it was assumed that if you could afford to come to America [for vacation], you would go to French Lick. It was that well-known overseas. Beginning in the late 1880s, southern Indiana was a favorite destination of the wealthy, famous, infamous, and near-famous who would relax, golf, gamble, enjoy fine dining, and be entertained. Some notable guests included:
Paul Dresser composed Indiana's state song "
On the Banks of the Wabash, Far Away" at the hotel. Boxers
John L. Sullivan and
James J. Corbett trained there.
Al Capone and his bodyguards were frequent guests as was
Diamond Jim Brady. Politicians included Mayor
"Big Bill" Thompson of
Chicago and New York Governor
Al Smith; also General
John J. Pershing, writer
George Ade, and entertainer
Eva Tanguay.
[3] Professional baseball teams even held their spring training in the region:
Chicago Cubs,
Cincinnati Reds,
Philadelphia Phillies,
Pittsburgh Pirates,
St. Louis Browns and
St. Louis Cardinals. You can read more about the Dome here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Baden_Springs_Hotel Very interesting, especially since it is right here - in my little town! :)
I remember back to my days working at the Sheriff's Department (pre-babies), when the cow calls & goat ropeing quit coming in, we would head on over to the Dome, while it was still in it's stages of renovation. I would lay in the middle of that huge floor and watch the lights change different colors. Even then you felt like you were being transported to a different time.
My oldest is now 7 years old. It's been that long since I've been back. Since then, the renovation is complete and it is open for business. Actually it has been for awhile. I guess I was just waiting for the quiet season to take my rowdy crew & turn them loose in there. :) These ceilings are HIGH....keep going.....keep going.....even higher than that! You know what high ceilings mean to kids, right? ECHO! Echo...Echo....Echo...get my picture?
This is a picture of the ceiling, inside the Dome. My camera does this NO justice. I kept zooming in to get the middle, where it lights up. It's just amazing! I could go on & on for days. But I'll try and let my pictures do most of my talking.
This is also inside the Dome....where you get all those wonderful LOUD echos from little children! :) By the way, they like to run round & round in circles here too...knowing mommy can't possibly catch all 3 of them at one time. Those little windows, they are rooms at the Dome. Ahhhh....would be so nice to stay in one of them. Maybe someday...
Got some great pics of my beautiful children while we were there.
My little wiggle butt even stood still for a second.....
Alas....(he is his father's son) this little one refused to be a sheep...he took off running before I could snap a pic like I wanted ;)
Here we are outside at the Gardens...I can not express how beautiful it was. It awes me that our God created this. There is beauty in everything He is and you can see it out here.
I saved my black & white pictures for last.......I absolutely <3 these! :)
The End.
