The kids are clamoring to go someplace fun for spring break, but your time is limited and the budget doesn’t allow for a long trip to such popular getaways as Florida or Colorado. Can you give them the holiday they want and still stay closer to home?
The answer is a resounding yes–if you plan a visit to French Lick. While the historic hotels are what have made the French Lick/West Baden area famous, so much more is here that will enable you to check all the boxes for a fun and relaxing vacation.
One activity that is sure to be a hit with the younger members of the family is a day at the 40,000-squarefoot Big Splash Adventure Indoor Water Park. If you spend the night at the adjoining hotel, your tickets will be complimentary.
The kids will love Buccaneer Bay, a three-story structure with ten platforms and 50 interactive activities for them to enjoy. After that, it’s on to two totally enclosed body slides — Scallywag Scuttle and Pirate’s Plunder–or the more exciting Silver Beard’s Revenge and Jolly Roger Jetty. Virtual reality experiences will take them to the bottom of the ocean or into the depths of outer space. Toddlers will enjoy Splish Splash Pool, and the whole family will want to float down the Lost River. Indoor laser tag and mini golf are also on offer, and the kid-friendly Boatyard restaurant has a wide variety of tasty items on the menu.
To keep the action going, plan to make a stop at French Lick West Baden Indoor Karting. At this indoor facility adults and older children can race at speeds of up to 40 mph in safe, state-of-the-art karts while those who are between the ages of 8 and 13 can drive on their own slower track. Also here are an arcade with 30 games and a massive interactive bounce house.
Rock N’ Bowl is a family entertainment center that offers bowling, roller-skating, and good things to eat since you’ll probably be staying for a while. Another option for bowling is Pluto Bowl in the French Lick Springs Hotel. You don’t have to be a guest there to take advantage of the lanes.
At Escape French Lick combine your efforts to figure out how to get out of a locked room, but if your family is more competitive, check out Planet Paintball and Airsoft. They offer a variety of games and are willing to help anyone who hasn’t played before.
When it’s time to slow things down just a bit, the French Lick West Baden Museum is the place to go. Established in its current home in 2013, the museum recounts the colorful histories of the two towns, dating back to the 1840s.
Exhibits include one about the casino that operated here from 1860 and another about the artist brothers who moved here before gaining national acclaim. You’ll also learn about the grand hotels where the smelly water for which people still come to cure what ails them was discovered and about the “Pluto Water” itself.
The world’s largest circus diorama is here, too. Its 150,000 pieces include hundreds of people, animals, tents, trains and much more. The is the hometown of professional basketball player and coach Larry Bird, so one of the exhibits tells his story.
Ready to spend some time outside? Then head on over to Wilstem Wildlife Park to meet up with animals such as giraffes, sloths, elephants, primates, and more. Private encounters will enable your family to see the animals up-close without the distraction of other visitors. An educational encounter involves giving snacks to the animals and having your picture taken with them.
Drive through the park on your own for a self-guided wildlife adventure where you’ll see some 40 species of animals as well as the new animatronic dinosaur display. Or choose a guided tour with the option to go back in your car later to see more. While you’re here, take advantage of horseback riding and zip-lining, too.
Lodging is available here in case this is where you’d like to bunk in. Choose from comfortable cabins, carriage houses, bunkhouses, a barn loft or the Ballard Lodge.
More fun awaits at the French Lick Scenic Railway. You could choose the Scenic Train for a one- hour-and-45-minute trip through the Hoosier National Forest and the second-longest tunnel in the state, but the kids might prefer the Dinosaur Adventure Train. This 2.5-hour route takes you to the Paleo Adventure Camp, where children can take part in face-painting, bounce houses, and realistic dinosaur encounters. You can always come back to explore the forest on your own and take advantage of its more than 260 miles of trails for hiking, cycling, or mountain biking.
You can still get to enjoy the scenery in this part of the state with a Scenic Nature Cruise on Patoka Lake. Known as the best spot in Indiana for spotting wildlife, the lake is home to osprey, herons, eagles, loons, beavers, and more.
And there you have it — a spring break the whole family will love, and you won’t have to travel great distances or break the bank to make it happen.
For more information visit: visitfrenchlickwestbaden.com.
