The Warm Springs Pools
Located just over five miles from the resort, the Gentlemen’s and Ladies’ Bathhouses are open Tuesday - Sunday from 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM. Reservations are required and are available on the hour priced at $30 per person per 50-minute soak Tuesday through Friday and $35 per person on Saturday, Sundays, and major holidays.
- Family soaking time | 10 AM – 1 PM (swimsuits required and children under the age of 18 may come with a parent; Ladies' Bathhouse)
- Adult co-ed soaking time | 10 AM - 3 PM and 5 PM - 6 PM (ages 16+; swimsuits required; Gentlemen's Bathhouse from 10 AM - 1 PM)
- Adult soaking | 3 PM - 5 PM (by gender, ages 18+; swimsuits optional)
Major Holidays*
Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day and President's Day. Warm Springs Pools will now be open on major holidays that occur on Mondays and close the following Tuesday.
Reservations are required and may be made by calling (540) 839-3860. The Warm Springs Pools are located at 11 Bath Street, Warm Springs, Virginia, approximately five miles from the resort.
Cancellations must be received within 24 hours of your scheduled appointment. No shows and cancellations received with less than 24 hours’ notice will be charged the full fee.
History
Local legends say that Native Americans journeying through the valley discovered these magnificent crystal springs hundreds of years ago, and archaeological evidence seems to confirm that this area has been used by humans for at least 9,000 years.
The first recorded survey of the area was done by Thomas and Andrew Lewis. Thomas Lewis and his son obtained 140 acres of the land, including the warm springs. Andrew Lewis was an early partner of Thomas Bullitt, who procured 300 acres including the hot springs and built the first hotel in 1766 on the site of The Omni Homestead Resort.
The original octagonal stone basin that held the water for bathing was built in 1761, establishing it as the first spa structure in America. Originally known as the Warm Springs Bath or the Great Bath, it was not covered by a bathhouse until the mid-1820s, at which point it was covered by a new octagonal frame building.
A second structure, the Ladies’ Bathhouse, was built in the mid-1870s. The twenty-two-sided central portion stands on a circular stone wall that encloses the spring and pool. The top plate carries a faceted roof in which common rafters rise to support a central frame surrounding an oculus.
Following the completion of a 14-month, $4 million rehabilitation by Lionberger Construction of Roanoke, Virginia, the Richmond-based architectural firm 3North used the comprehensive 2016 Historic Structures Report as a guide to preserve these iconic structures, while working closely with Omni Hotels & Resorts and the Virginia Department of Historic Resources. The scope of work encompassed preserving and/or replacing in-kind the historic wood structure, windows, doors, siding and roofing along with repairing the foundation piers of both baths and the reception house. In preparing the plans, the team focused on maintaining the existing character of the Warm Springs Pools, referencing the structures as they were when the resort acquired them in 1925.
Information about the water
The United States Geological Survey has determined that these springs have a remarkably uniform rate of flow and temperature. Unaffected by changes in the seasons, the waters remain at a natural body temperature all year and flow at the astounding rate of 1,700,000 gallons per day. The waters have an unusually high level of mineral content and are so crystal clear a book can easily be read through them.