Fly-In to the French Lick Resort in Indiana
IN – French Lick is a town and resort area in southern Indiana. The town’s current population is 1,729, and it was founded in 1847. The town is best known for its mineral hot springs, and today, it’s home to the French Lick Resort and French Lick Municipal Airport (FRH).
Fly Your Plane to French Lick, Indiana, via French Lick Municipal Airport (FRH)
The French Lick Municipal Airport (FRH) is located five miles south of French Lick, Indiana. It is open to the public and contains one runway. Runway 08/26 is 5,500 feet long and 100 feet wide. It is a paved runway that’s in good condition. Aircraft fuel, including 100LL and Jet A, is available, and pilots can rent hangers or tie down their airplanes on the tarmac. Pilots can contact the CTAF on 122.8. Louisville Departure and Approach can be contacted on 132.075.
Staying at the French Lick Resort in Southern Indiana
The French Lick Resort is home to several hotels, including the West Baden Springs Hotel, the French Lick Springs Hotel, and the Valley Tower Hotel. The French Lick Springs Hotel was built in 1845 and currently has 442 guest rooms, including suites. Vacationers can choose from a variety of rooms, including traditional guest rooms, premium guest rooms, suite guest rooms, specialty rooms, and dog-friendly rooms. Each room comes with plenty of amenities, including refrigerators, adjustable thermostats, alarm clock radios, hair dryers, safes to store valuables, and a flat-screen TV. Guests can also enjoy complimentary WiFi.
French Lick is Home to Two Spas
Guests can choose between two spas: the Spa at French Lick and the Spa at West Baden. Both offer facials, massages, manicures, pedicures, mineral spring baths, and body treatments.
Guests who are looking to relax might start off with a mineral spring bath in a private, sunken bathtub. The water filling the private spa bathtubs is the same water that enticed visitors to the area in the 1800s. It is said that the mineral-rich water helps alleviate aches and pains while lowering stress levels. After the bath, guests might opt for a Swedish aromatherapy or hot stone massage. Both spas also offer couples massages and bamboo massages. Body treatments include clay wraps and body scrubs.
Gambling at the French Lick Casino
The French Lick Casino was a 2023 Gambling Magazine Award winner. It has more than 700 slot machines and 25 live-dealer table games, including Blackjack, roulette and craps. The casino also offers mini-baccarat and 3-card poker.
Horseback Riding at French Lick
The Stables at French Lick Resort are conveniently located behind the West Baden Springs Hotel. The stable is home to 27 horses. Each horse at the stable has been professionally trained for a minimum of 24 months. The stable offers trail rides, carriage rides, and hay rides. Small children can enjoy the pony rides. The stables also offer daily tours where vacationers can meet the horses and learn about the stable.
Great Indoor Things to Do on Cool Mornings
Fall can bring cool outdoor temperatures in the morning. Thankfully, the French Lick Resort offers lots of indoor activities. Guests can go swimming in the indoor pools at the French Lick Springs Hotel and the West Baden Springs Hotel. There is a fantastic fitness center with aerobic machines, like treadmills, exercise bikes, rowing machines, weight machines, and free weights. There’s even a six-lane bowling alley in the basement of the French Lick Springs Hotel.
Take a French Lick Resorts Tour and Learn the History
Visitors can enjoy the historic trolley tours that start at 11 AM on certain Mondays. This fall, the trolley tours will commence on November 4th and December 2nd.
Learn the Behind the Scenes Operation of the West Baden Springs Hotel
The West Baden Springs Hotel offers tours that go behind the scenes in the afternoons on certain Thursdays. Currently, guests can make reservations for tours that start at 2 PM on October 24, November 7 and 21, and December 12 and 19. Guests on the tours can view the hotel’s ice cream plant, printing office, kitchen, laundry facilities, and garage.
French Lick Historic Walking Tour
There is a walking tour that spans the West Baden Hotel and the French Lick Hotel. There are a total of 28 stops. The tour starts at the West Baden Hotel with the Sunken Garden. Then, it moves on to the Hygeia Spring number 1, the Billiards and Bowling Pavilion, Sprudel Spring number 7, the bicycle and pony track, the West Baden baseball, Apollo Spring number 3, the golf courses, the Brick Drive, the Archway, the West Baden Depot, the U.S. Army Hospital, The Springs, the Seal Fountain, St. Ignatius, and the Joe Louis Bridge.
The tour at the West Baden Hotel ends at stop 16. To continue the tour at the French Lick Hotel, guests should walk down Sinclair Street to Geneva Street, then turn left onto Monon Drive for a short jog to the French Lick Dairy. After the Dairy, tour participants can view the Valley Links Golf Course, the French Lick Baseball, and the Monon Railroad, as well as eight other points of interest.
Great Dining at the French Lick Resort
The French Lick Resort provides guests with many dining options, including fine dining, casual dining, grab-and-go food, and room service. Guests can even choose to eat at one of the local establishments, including The Superburger, The Grand Colonage, The German Cafe, and Xanadu Coffee & Creamery.
Fine Dining
The French Lick Resort offers two fine dining establishments, including 1875: The Steakhouse, which serves steak, seafood, and salads, as well as appetizers, like Waygu meatballs, lobster mac and cheese, and jumbo crab cakes. This fine dining restaurant is located in the French Lick Springs Hotel. If you’re staying at the West Baden Springs Hotel, their fine dining establishment is called Sinclair’s Restaurant. It also serves steak, seafood, and salads.
Casual Dining
Guests, who are looking for a more casual dining experience, can check out The Power Plant Bar and Grill. This establishment is located at the French Lick Springs Hotel. It offers burgers, fries, chicken sandwiches, quesadillas and salads. The Grand Colonnade Restaurant offers breakfast buffet dining, and pizza can be found at Pluto’s Pizzeria.
Grab and Go
If you’re looking for a quick sandwich, salad, ice cream, or pastry so that you can eat while you look for your next adventure, the French Lick Resort offers many places where you can grab food and take it with you. The Casino Park Grab & Go offers salads, soups, chili, breakfast sandwiches, hot dogs, subs, and flatbread pizzas. The French Lick Mercantile sells ice cream, snacks, and everyday items like toilet paper, soap, and personal hygiene products.
French Lick Resort is a great place to fly your family for a weekend or week of fun. There are plenty of indoor and outdoor activities for every member of the family, and in the fall, you could even enjoy an Indiana hay ride.