Closed in 2017, the Warm Spring Pools of Bath County, Virginia, are again ready to receive bathers.
Photo Above: The Drinking Spring, where visitors once dipped a bucket to partake of the waters, is located in front of the visitor center and the Ladies’ Pool.
As my friend Nancy Vance and I drift around in the mineral rich waters of the Warm Springs Pools in Bath County, Virginia, she tells me the story of her Aunts—Beany and Irene. In the late 1980s, the two 70-something women brought their elementary-age nieces here for a soak. The girls’ shocked expressions when their ancient aunts emerged from the dressing rooms wearing nothing but their smiles, is the stuff of family legend.
But, these pools are far older than that story. Indigenous tribes enjoyed them thousands of years before they became America’s very first spa structure. The octagonal stone basin of what is now the Gentlemen’s Bath was created in 1761 and covered in 1820. A Ladies’ Bath, with 22 sides, was built beside it in the 1870s.
The sulfurous water rises through limestone from a mile underground. The smell is an indication of the rich soup of dissolved minerals that are purported to improve circulation, provide skin benefits and even relieve pain. Thomas Jefferson was just one of many well-known visitors.
I first soaked here in 2015, but long lines of daylight punctuated the places where shingles had fallen away from the decrepit buildings. In 2017, they were condemned and closed. Now after an outlay of over $4 million by Omni Hotels and Resorts, they are open again, and so popular that reservations are required.
Another bather, Claire Crosby, who drove over five hours to enjoy the baths, tells me it was worth the long trip and she will be back to do it again. I agree. I will be back. And maybe, when I am 70 I will finally be brave enough to jump in like the famous Aunts—wearing nothing but my smile. omnihotels.com/hotels/homestead-virginia/wellness/hot-springs/warm-springs-pools.
The story above first appeared in our May / June 2023 issue.
